Basque country - Paesi Baschi

Basque country is a region of the Spain.

To know

Geographical notes

The Basque territory has three distinct areas, which are defined by two parallel ranges of the Basque Mountains. The main mountain range forms the watershed of the Atlantic and Ebro basins and reaches its highest point in the Aitzkorri, at 1,551 meters. The three areas are as follows:

• Atlantic basin - It is the part formed by various valleys with short rivers that flow from the mountains to the Bay of Biscay, such as the Nervión, the Urola or the Oria. The coast is indented, with high and wide cliffs and small inlets. The main features of the coast are the Bilbao Abra bay and the estuary of Bilbao, the Urdaibai estuary and the Bidasoa-Txingudi bay which forms the border with the France.
• Central part - Between the two mountain ranges, there is an area formed essentially by a high plateau called Llanada Alavesa (plains of Álava) where the Basque capital Vitoria-Gasteiz is located. The rivers in this area flow south from the mountains towards the Ebro River: the main ones are the Zadorra and the Bayas.
• Ebro Valley - From the southern mountains to the Ebro there is finally the area called Rioja Alavesa, which shares the Mediterranean characteristics of the other neighboring areas of the valley of the long Spanish river. The climate is very different from the Atlantic area, so much so that the territory is widely exploited to vineyards for the production of the famous Rioja wine.

When to go

The Basque mountains are a sort of climatic watershed of the Basque Country: the northern valleys, in Biscay and Gipuzkoa, as well as the Ayala valley in Álava, are part of the area where the oceanic climate is predominant, with its humid climate all year round and moderate temperatures.

There central area it is more continental, with an almost Mediterranean climate, but with a certain influence of the northern oceanic one: this causes hot and dry summers and cold and snowy winters.

To the south instead the Ebro valley it has a continental Mediterranean climate, with cold and dry winters and very hot and dry summers, with a peak of rainfall in spring and autumn. Precipitation is scarce and irregular.

Background

Before the Spanish Constitution of 1978, with its system of autonomous communities, the provinces of Álava, Biscay and Guipúzcoa were known by the Spanish name of Provincias Vascongadas.

Territories and tourist destinations

The Basque Country is divided into the following provinces:

• Álava (in SpanishÁlava, in BasqueArab) - Capital Vitoria-Gasteiz.
• Biscay (in SpanishVizcaya, in BasqueBizkaia) - Capital Bilbao.
• Guipúzcoa (in SpanishGuipúzcoa, in BasqueGipuzkoa) - Capital Donostia-San Sebastián.

Urban centers

How to get

How to get around

On the train

There is a dense network of buses and trains.

What see

What to do

At the table

Safety

Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Basque country
• Commons contains images or other files on Basque country
• Wikinews contains current news on Basque country