Basque Country - Kraj Basków

Basque Country - an autonomous community in the north Spain, on the Bay of Biscay.

Characteristic

Geography

Baskonia is made up of the provinces: Gipuzkoa / Guipúzcoa, Bizkaia / Vizcaya and Araba / Álava. It covers an area of ​​7.3 thousand square meters. km². In 2001, it was inhabited by a total of about 2.1 million people. Most Basques live in the provinces of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa. It is the capital of the communityVitoria-Gasteiz. To the west it borders with Cantabria and Castilla y León, to the south with La Rioja and to the east with Navarre.

Climate

The weather in the Basque region in summer is quite nice, comparable to that of our country. There are hot and even hot days in July and August. This allows the inhabitants of the Basque Country to enjoy the sun, especially on the nearby Costa Vasca coast. The average daily temperature in July, August and September is around 20 ° C. You can get cold a bit on cool mornings for summer, in the morning the temperature can drop below 10 ° C. In summer, the weather in the Bilbao region can be spoiled by summer rains and clouds sometimes obscuring the sky. In winter, the temperature in the Basque region does not exceed 15 degrees Celsius and often drops to even 5 degrees.

History

Basque nationalism, directed against Spain, was born around the end of the 19th century. Its creator was Sabino Arana, the founder of the National Basque Party (PNV). Euskadi's freedoms were gradually taken away, first in connection with the emergence of an absolute monarchy, and then a liberal one. The Basques lent their support to the Carlist cause. In the years 1834-1839, they advocated the tradition associated with freedom against liberalism.

In the middle of the 20th century, the mood of the people of the Basque Country began to change rapidly. During the reign of Francisco Franco, the nation began to become aware of its cultural distinctiveness. Thus, attachment to tradition was also strengthened. At the same time, Franco began to restrict the customs and use of Basque language and symbolism. This increased the resistance of the inhabitants.

The fight with General Franco was supposed to lead to the overthrow of the capitalist system, but the transition to democracy in the eyes of the radicals did not remove the causes of hostility towards Spain. In a referendum on October 25, 1979, 94.6% of Euskadi residents voted for state autonomy.

Policy

Economy

Drive

By car

Access by car is possible thanks to numerous highways and other smaller roads, e.g. the A63 and D810 from France, or the A-10 from Pamplona.

By plane

There are numerous airports in the republic, of which only the port of Bilbao is an international airport. In addition, we can find airports in Vitoria and San Sebastian.

Connections from Poland to Bilbao are served, among others, by Lufthansa and Air France (there are no permanent connections from Poland (or there are none at all), and LOT's planes do not fly this airline).

By ship

Cities

• Bilbao
• Vitoria
• San Sebastián
• Irun
• Barakaldo
• Llodio
• Tolosa
• Guernica
• Zarautz

Interesting places

• 

  Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
  Bilbao (museums, cathedral, Vizcaya Bridge)
• Vitoria (Old Town, government buildings)
• Guernica (city buildings)
• San Sebastian (La Concha Bay, Monte Urgull, Basilica)
• Lekeitio (beaches and city buildings)
• Gaztelugatxe Island
• Mount Aizkorri
• Gorbeiake Parke narurala
• Urdaibai Parke

Transport

Science

There are three universities in the Basque Country: the University of the Basque Country (state-owned), the Duesto University (a prestigious, private university with a long tradition, led by the Jesuits), and the Mondragon University (privatized). All lectures are in Spanish and Basque.

Shopping

Gastronomy

Gastronomy is one of the most important elements of a Basque's cultural identity. Basque cuisine is based both on traditional dishes passed down from generation to generation within families, and on innovations introduced by the so-called "Food companies" ("txokos"), uniting only men. Characteristic of Basque cuisine are various sauces, as well as the use of fish and seafood. Other dishes are based on roasted meats, local cheeses are served before dessert.

Accommodation

Bilbao

• Hotel Melia, Leizaola Lehendakariaren Kalea 29, Bilbao
• Ibis Hotel, Calle Gran. Concha 28, Bilbao

San Sebastian

• Monte Ulía Hotela, Alcade Elosegi Hibridea 21, San Sebastian
• Hotel Silken, Pio XII Aren Plaza 7, San Sebastian
• Villa Soro, Ategorrieta Hibiridea 61, San Sebastian

Vitoria-Gasteiz

• Hotel Silken, Gaztelako Atea 8, Vitoria
• Sercotel Boulevard, Zaramaga Kalea 8, Vitoria
• AC Hotel Genral Alava, Av. Gasteiz 79, Vitoria

Security

Health

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