Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital of the Basque Country and a beautiful city full of monuments, which was awarded the title of the Green Capital of Europe in 2012. In addition to the old buildings, there are also interesting museums that will interest both art lovers and curiosity seekers.
The oldest part of the city is located on a hill. It is made up of historic buildings from different eras, among which the most important place is the 13th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria de Vitoria, also known as the Old Cathedral. The new Cathedral, or the Cathedral of Mary Immaculate Mother of the Church, was built in the neo-Gothic style at the beginning of the 20th century and it is the seat of the local bishopric. The Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art operates at the temple.
The Old Town was surrounded by fortifications in the past. Fragments of the medieval wall have survived to this day. There are also historic towers here, including the Doña Ochanda Tower, which now houses the Natural History Museum. There are also historic churches, such as the Church of San Vincente Martyr, the Church of St. Peter or the parish of San Miguel Arcangel. A modern, interesting accent is the sculpture El Caminante depicting a wanderer.
There are two mostly city squares on the edge of the Old Town, Plaza de Espana and Virgen Blanca Plaza. There are plenty of restaurants, bars and cafes around the latter. It is not far from here to the huge Vitoria Market Hall with numerous food stands and the picturesque Florida Park.
Vitoria-Gasteiz also has many interesting museums to offer. The Artium Museum presents collections of contemporary Basque art, Bibat - the Archaeological Museum presents collections from excavations in the region. The museum located in the Renaissance Bendaña Palace in the Old Town is very interesting. Here you can see a collection of playing cards from the Spanish company Fournier. Works of Spanish and Basque art from the 18th century can be seen at the Álava Museum of Fine Arts, while the Alava Armory Museum offers exhibits related to military history.
