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Learning Spanish in Vitoria. The tourist guide to study your Spanish course.
General Information. 236,000 inhabitants. 350 kilometres north of Madrid. The name of the city in Basque (euskera) is Gasteiz. It is the capital of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, which gives it great institutional importance in comparison with the other two Basque capitals, Bilbao and San Sebastián. It was founded by King Sancho VI of Navarre in 1181. Vitoria has an old quarter which still maintains a medieval air, with Renaissance palaces and buildings in the Gothic and Neoclassical styles. Besides these attractions, Vitoria also boasts the highest ratio of green areas per inhabitant of any provincial capital in Spain, which makes it one of the cities with the highest standard of living in the country. The French writer Victor Hugo defined it as a "complete and homogeneous Gothic town". Vitoria has one of the sites of the University of the Basque Country (Universidad del País Vasco), with faculties related to the humanities, medical sciences, business sciences and education. There are two official languages in the city and throughout the region: Spanish and Basque (euskera). Vitoria is a very attractive place to study Spanish as there are some language schools offering a wide range of courses.
Surrounding Areas. Parque Natural de Garaio (15 kilometres) and Parque Natural de Landa (18 kilometres); both of these nature reserves border the Ullíbarri reservoir. Salvatierra (30 kilometres), a small town with interesting churches in its medieval old quarter, such as Iglesia de San Juan and Iglesia de San María. La Rioja Alavesa (60 kilometres) is the southern part of the province, bordering on the Ebro River, a land of contrasts famous for its wines and walled towns such as Laguardia. Logroño (62 kilometres). Bilbao (65 kilometres). San Sebastián (100 kilometres).
Main Sights. The Cathedral of St. Mary (Catedral de Santa María), also called the "la Vieja" (the old cathedral), a 14th century Gothic building with a 17th century tower; the 20th century Cathedral of Mary Immaculate (Catedral María Inmaculada), otherwise known as "la Nueva" (the new cathedral), built in the neo-Gothic style; the 17th century Gothic-style Church of St. Peter the Apostle (Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol); the Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel), built mainly in the Gothic style in the late 14th century and completed with Renaissance elements in the 16th century. Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, the nerve centre of the city; Plaza España and the Casa Consistorial (the town hall building), a monumental ensemble dating from the 18th century and the finest example of Neoclassical art in Vitoria; Plaza de los Fueros de Vitoria, which was designed by the architect Peña Ganchegui and the sculptor Eduardo Chillida. There are numerous medieval and Renaissance palaces in the old quarter. The monuments are a major attraction for the many students who decide to study Spanish in Vitoria.
Culture. The most important event is the International Jazz Festival (July), featuring major international artists. Another big festival is Azkena Rock (last week of June and first week of July), featuring an international line-up of indie-rock bands. The most important museums in Vitoria are: the Basque Centre of Contemporary Art (Centro Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo Artium), which offers a collection of Basque and Spanish art from the 20th and 21st centuries; the Vitoria Museum of Fine Art (Museo de Bellas Artes de Vitoria); the Archaeology Museum (Museo de Arqueología); the Military Museum (Museo de Armería); the Natural Science Museum (Museo de Ciencias Naturales); and the Fournier Museum of Playing Cards (Museo Fournier de Naipes), which contains the world's largest collection of playing cards.
Shopping. The best selection of shops can be found in the old quarter and in the modern part of the city centre: Gorbea-Zaldiarán market, Avenida Gasteiz, Lakua... There are several shopping centres, such as Dendaraba, next to a branch of El Corte Inglés, Spain's premier department store, and El Boulevard, in the Zaramaga neighbourhood.
Gastronomy. Vitoria is a city which attaches great importance to gastronomy, with old well-preserved restaurants and numerous bars and taverns which pride themselves on their exquisite homemade bar snacks (pinchos), particularly in the old quarter and the city centre in general. The locals are extremely fond of el txikiteo, a deep-rooted social custom throughout the Basque Country which involves bar-hopping with friends and drinking small measures of wine (txikitos) or beer (zuritos). The local cuisine is traditional, with typical dishes such as perretxikos, or St. George's mushrooms; caracoles en salsa (snails in sauce), habas a la vitoriana (broad beans with slivers of dry-cured ham and bacon), menestra de verduras (stewed vegetables), cangrejos de río (crayfish), alubias rojas (kidney beans) and porrusalda, a wholesome leek and potato soup. The meat stews and fish are also very good. The Rioja Alavesa area is internationally renowned for producing excellent wines with designation of origin.
Sports. Vitoria's basketball team is Caja Laboral, who currently compete in the ACB league, the national first division; they play their home games at the Pabellón Fernando Buesa, with a capacity for 10,500 spectators. The most important football team is Alavés, whose home ground is the 20,000 capacity Estadio Municipal de Mendizorroza. In addition to the excellent sporting facilities throughout Vitoria, the Garaio nature reserve (just 15 kilometres from the city centre) is an ideal location for cycling, trekking, canoeing and sailing, among other outdoor activities. There are also several golf courses in the area.
Fiestas. Las Fiestas de la Blanca (August), which have been celebrated in honour of the ‘White Virgin' since 1884, are the most important festivities; on 4th August, thousands of locals and visitors fill the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, situated in the heart of Vitoria, to witness the descent of Celedón. Suspended from a pulley-operated wire rope, this life-size doll dressed in the traditional Álava villager's costume, complete with beret, haversack, wineskin and umbrella, slowly makes its way from a bell tower to the balcony of an apartment on the opposite side of the square. Other local festivities of interest are the Romería de Olarizu (a pilgrimage which takes place on the first Monday after the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the ‘September Virgin') and San Prudencio (28th April), when a pilgrimage to the nearby village of Armentia is held in honour of St. Prudentius, the patron saint of the province of Álava.
Transport. It is easy to get from Vitoria to other Spanish cities by train or by using the various coach services. Vitoria has good road, rail and air links with the rest of Spain. Apart from the local bus network, there is a new tram network consisting of two lines which cover the city centre and various suburbs. The Gasteiztxo is a tourist train which allows visitors to appreciate the design and layout of Vitoria; the times of the daily departures from the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca vary according to the time of year.
Nightlife. Students who decide to study Spanish in Vitoria will discover a very active nightlife, thanks to the city's university atmosphere. The nightlife in Vitoria is among the most bustling in northern Spain. The youngest revellers tend to favour the bars in the old quarter, most of which are to be found in Calle Zapatería, Calle Cuchillería and Calle Pintorería, the three busiest streets popularly known as Zapa, Cuchi and Pinto. Those who prefer a quieter evening out opt for the bars and pubs in the pedestrianised area of the city centre. As for the local university students, Thursday night is party night, the so-called jueves universitarios having become quite an institution in recent years. The city also has several discotheques, nearly all of them in the city centre.
Surrounding Areas. Parque Natural de Garaio (15 kilometres) and Parque Natural de Landa (18 kilometres); both of these nature reserves border the Ullíbarri reservoir. Salvatierra (30 kilometres), a small town with interesting churches in its medieval old quarter, such as Iglesia de San Juan and Iglesia de San María. La Rioja Alavesa (60 kilometres) is the southern part of the province, bordering on the Ebro River, a land of contrasts famous for its wines and walled towns such as Laguardia. Logroño (62 kilometres). Bilbao (65 kilometres). San Sebastián (100 kilometres).
Main Sights. The Cathedral of St. Mary (Catedral de Santa María), also called the "la Vieja" (the old cathedral), a 14th century Gothic building with a 17th century tower; the 20th century Cathedral of Mary Immaculate (Catedral María Inmaculada), otherwise known as "la Nueva" (the new cathedral), built in the neo-Gothic style; the 17th century Gothic-style Church of St. Peter the Apostle (Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol); the Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel), built mainly in the Gothic style in the late 14th century and completed with Renaissance elements in the 16th century. Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, the nerve centre of the city; Plaza España and the Casa Consistorial (the town hall building), a monumental ensemble dating from the 18th century and the finest example of Neoclassical art in Vitoria; Plaza de los Fueros de Vitoria, which was designed by the architect Peña Ganchegui and the sculptor Eduardo Chillida. There are numerous medieval and Renaissance palaces in the old quarter. The monuments are a major attraction for the many students who decide to study Spanish in Vitoria.
Culture. The most important event is the International Jazz Festival (July), featuring major international artists. Another big festival is Azkena Rock (last week of June and first week of July), featuring an international line-up of indie-rock bands. The most important museums in Vitoria are: the Basque Centre of Contemporary Art (Centro Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo Artium), which offers a collection of Basque and Spanish art from the 20th and 21st centuries; the Vitoria Museum of Fine Art (Museo de Bellas Artes de Vitoria); the Archaeology Museum (Museo de Arqueología); the Military Museum (Museo de Armería); the Natural Science Museum (Museo de Ciencias Naturales); and the Fournier Museum of Playing Cards (Museo Fournier de Naipes), which contains the world's largest collection of playing cards.
Shopping. The best selection of shops can be found in the old quarter and in the modern part of the city centre: Gorbea-Zaldiarán market, Avenida Gasteiz, Lakua... There are several shopping centres, such as Dendaraba, next to a branch of El Corte Inglés, Spain's premier department store, and El Boulevard, in the Zaramaga neighbourhood.
Gastronomy. Vitoria is a city which attaches great importance to gastronomy, with old well-preserved restaurants and numerous bars and taverns which pride themselves on their exquisite homemade bar snacks (pinchos), particularly in the old quarter and the city centre in general. The locals are extremely fond of el txikiteo, a deep-rooted social custom throughout the Basque Country which involves bar-hopping with friends and drinking small measures of wine (txikitos) or beer (zuritos). The local cuisine is traditional, with typical dishes such as perretxikos, or St. George's mushrooms; caracoles en salsa (snails in sauce), habas a la vitoriana (broad beans with slivers of dry-cured ham and bacon), menestra de verduras (stewed vegetables), cangrejos de río (crayfish), alubias rojas (kidney beans) and porrusalda, a wholesome leek and potato soup. The meat stews and fish are also very good. The Rioja Alavesa area is internationally renowned for producing excellent wines with designation of origin.
Sports. Vitoria's basketball team is Caja Laboral, who currently compete in the ACB league, the national first division; they play their home games at the Pabellón Fernando Buesa, with a capacity for 10,500 spectators. The most important football team is Alavés, whose home ground is the 20,000 capacity Estadio Municipal de Mendizorroza. In addition to the excellent sporting facilities throughout Vitoria, the Garaio nature reserve (just 15 kilometres from the city centre) is an ideal location for cycling, trekking, canoeing and sailing, among other outdoor activities. There are also several golf courses in the area.
Fiestas. Las Fiestas de la Blanca (August), which have been celebrated in honour of the ‘White Virgin' since 1884, are the most important festivities; on 4th August, thousands of locals and visitors fill the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, situated in the heart of Vitoria, to witness the descent of Celedón. Suspended from a pulley-operated wire rope, this life-size doll dressed in the traditional Álava villager's costume, complete with beret, haversack, wineskin and umbrella, slowly makes its way from a bell tower to the balcony of an apartment on the opposite side of the square. Other local festivities of interest are the Romería de Olarizu (a pilgrimage which takes place on the first Monday after the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the ‘September Virgin') and San Prudencio (28th April), when a pilgrimage to the nearby village of Armentia is held in honour of St. Prudentius, the patron saint of the province of Álava.
Transport. It is easy to get from Vitoria to other Spanish cities by train or by using the various coach services. Vitoria has good road, rail and air links with the rest of Spain. Apart from the local bus network, there is a new tram network consisting of two lines which cover the city centre and various suburbs. The Gasteiztxo is a tourist train which allows visitors to appreciate the design and layout of Vitoria; the times of the daily departures from the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca vary according to the time of year.
Nightlife. Students who decide to study Spanish in Vitoria will discover a very active nightlife, thanks to the city's university atmosphere. The nightlife in Vitoria is among the most bustling in northern Spain. The youngest revellers tend to favour the bars in the old quarter, most of which are to be found in Calle Zapatería, Calle Cuchillería and Calle Pintorería, the three busiest streets popularly known as Zapa, Cuchi and Pinto. Those who prefer a quieter evening out opt for the bars and pubs in the pedestrianised area of the city centre. As for the local university students, Thursday night is party night, the so-called jueves universitarios having become quite an institution in recent years. The city also has several discotheques, nearly all of them in the city centre.
© TEXT: SPANISH IN TOUR.
VIDEO: Patronato de Turismo de Vitoria
VIDEO: Patronato de Turismo de Vitoria
