A week in Basque country

Stone houses scattered among fields, visible through the mist, lush green indicating frequent rainfall, mountainous landscape… Is this our idea of Spain?

Sunshine, beaches, a woman in a beautiful flamenco costume or a man dressed as a bullfighter - images of typical Spain, right? If you’re talking about Andalusia, perhaps, but the true is that Spain is big and diverse country and a lot of times we forgot about it. Thanks to the student exchange I had an opportunity to visit the south and the north of Spain and see how different is Iberian Peninsula.  

Basque Country - Euskadi - Euskal Herria, called El Pais Vasco in Spanish, is an area that has always belonged to it. If you aren’t familiar with Spanish history and politics, Basque Country is one part of Spain where there are groups of people who would like to see it become its own separate country. It is a culturally distinct land, different from the proper Spain, with which often remained in conflict. Proudly perched on the northern Atlantic coast, near the border of France, the fabled region has its own culinary traditions, a distinctive geographic and cultural landscape, and its own language, Euskara, which is one of the oldest languages spoken in Europe, with hardly anything known about its origin. Like any other frontier and a place of mixed cultures, it is a very interesting region, full of surprises, contrasts and diversity. It’s a place that demands exploration beyond the delightful and cosmopolitan main cities of Bilbao, Vitoria and San Sebastián. You travel through the Basque Country always curious, and frequently rewarded.

Wondering what to do in such a tiny country, somewhere in the North of Spain? If you are yet not convinced whether the Basque country should be your travel destination, let me be your guide and take you for a quick virtual tour, after which I am sure you will not doubt where to spend the 5next holiday break.