Vitoria-Gasteiz

Let’s start our trip in place where I am studying - Vitoria Gasteiz, which is a beautiful city, especially in terms of its architecture, best described as a medley of the old and the new. You can sense the eclecticism even in the Gothic cathedral, which for centuries has been decaying and then renovated over and over again...

Most of the interesting places in Vitoria-Gasteiz are located in the city centre. You will find there the old town with its romantic streets and squares, historic churches, palaces, lots of greenery and countless bars of regional gastronomy. Vitoria is the ideal city for those who like long walks without the rush.

The best place to start a walk through the old town is the main square of Vitoria-Gasteiz , the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca. This is the place where habitants of the city mass during major holidays and events. In the centre of the square there is a large monument dedicated to the Battle of Vitoria. It is surrounded by houses with facades decorated with white balconies. The square is dominated by the Gothic church of San Miguel. 

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Right next to the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca there is the second most important square in Vitoria, which looks like the most typical markets in Spain. That's Plaza de España, also known as Plaza Nueva.

The most important historic building in the city of Vitoria is the Gothic cathedral of the Virgin Mary. The cathedral is inscribed on the UNESCO list as one of the relics on the pilgrimage route to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. 

The Cathedral is definitely the pearl of the city, but I also recommend walking around to see its charming parks and very characteristic houses. Really interesting is that Vitoria-Gasteiz is the provincial capital of Basque Country with the highest density of green areas per inhabitant. For example, they have planted over 130,000 trees belonging to 150 different species. The city is also surrounded by a green belt which can be toured on foot or by bike. All this has contributed to Vitoria-Gasteiz being appointed European Green Capital 2012.

Interesting fact is that the inhabitants of Vitoria-Gasteiz call this city Siberia- Gasteiz due to the weather. During the winter there is really cold and oddly, considering that we are still in Spain often snows. 

This picture I took about two weeks ago. So as you can see the weather in Spain also can surprise! 

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.

First week in Basque Country

First week in Basque country

As I said later it was my second opportunity to go to study in Spain. The last time I spent one year in Andalusia, so on my second visit I wasn’t that excited as the first time. Of course I was really happy, because I never had the occasion to visit the north of Spain, but I was going to Bilbao with the idea that it won’t be the same: I would definitely compare people from the north to the southerners, that the food will not taste so well, that I will not find such a good friends that I met in Huelva. In fact, the first week was not easy. I had to live in a hotel. I was looking for an apartment while the other students were enjoying the last sunny days at the beach. Very often going to some place I got lost. Coming back to the hotel in the evening or night I had to climb onto the bunk bed, because everyone in the room already slept. Since the moment I have found the flat was much easier. I had more time to get to know the city and other students. I also met my actually boyfriend here. Despite a difficult start, over time it was getting better until the moment I started my studies. I live in Bilbao but my University is in Vitoria-Gasteiz. I have classes four days a week, so I spend more than two hours every day in the bus. I got used to it, but anyway I lose a lot of time travelling. My studies are not so easy. I have to study much more than in Poland, so if someday someone tells me that Erasmus students don’t do anything, I will start to laugh, because I know how difficult  is to study abroad. Anyway, between travelling in the bus, studies and meetings with my friends from time to time I found a moment for a weekend getaways to another place. 

About me...

Hi Everybody!

My name is Ania and I am 23 years old student of Spanish Philology from Poland.  My adventure with the Spanish began in a rather funny way. About five years ago, when I finished my high school I had no idea what I would like to do in the future. I think we all have the same problem, because for a lot of us it’s so so difficult to decide about their life at an early age. Anyway, the best option for me was to start the language studies. Initially it was supposed to be a Chinese Philology due to the increased popularity of this language and the demand for translators. Having no idea about China, the culture and history of this oriental country I went to a private University in Poznań to submit my application.  Just before taking the final decision I understood that is not the country that attracts me. After all I chose Spanish.  Today, being on the second year of my master I have the second opportunity to study in Spain and I can boldly say that I know Spain better than Spanish people. I don’t regret my decision, because during this time I’ve met a lot of nice people from all over the world. I learnt a lot about different culture and history.  I saw a lot of cities and beautiful places. And what is more important for me, I have beautiful memories. I decided to start my blog, because in some way I would like to share with you my passion which is travelling, and show you leastways the piece of the world I saw during my Erasmus or the places where I would like to go in the future.