4 -ARABA W h a t a r e w e d o i n g t o d a y ? 67 plans to know the Basque Country

1 WINE AND ITS CULTURE REIGN IN THE On the trail of the best wines ALAVESA. A NETWORK OF WINERIES, WINE SHOPS AND MUSEUMS ALLOWS THE VISITOR TO PRACTICE WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN AS ENOTOURISM. THE The VITALITY OF THE RIOJA ALAVESA WINE ROUTE HAS BEEN HONOURED WITH THE EUSKADI PRIZE Wine Route FOR TOURISM IN 2006.

On the banks of the River, in southern , 12,000 hectares of vineyards turn gold under the sun. They belong to the Rioja Plans for action lovers Alavesa region and produce more than 40 million litres of wine per year, manufactured under the control of the “Denominación de Origen Calificada Rioja” Regulatory Board, which has conferred international prestige to this Basque corner wines. Likewise, the visit to these lands has become a must. A total of 35 More information: wineries, dotted about famous villages like • www.rutadelvinoderioja alavesa.com , Laguardia, Samaniego, Lanciego, • www.laguardia-alava.com Elvillar or La Puebla de Labarca, open the • www.alavaturismo.com doors so that all and sundry can taste, verify • www.paisvascoturismo.net the goodness of these Alava's wines, whether How to get there: Reserva, Gran Reserva or Crianza, and buy Bus: them. The offer also includes a complete range La Union-La Burundesa: of wine shops, museums and other enterprises 94 427 11 11, to Laguardia and Labastida. created for wine lovers to feel at home. Continental Auto: 902 33 04 00, to Laguardia.

2 The secrets of wine 3 Front-row seat for come to light bird watching Villa Lucia Wine Mendijur Centre Ornithological Park

So simple and complex at the same time; this could be the It is a question of choosing a good place, definition for wine and the world surrounding it. The Villa Lucía making yourself comfortable, adjusting Plans for action lovers Plans for action lovers Wine Centre was born to know, understand and love it. Located your binoculars, waiting and, at last, wat- in Laguardia, the epicentre of the Rioja Alvesa, the museum ching. Some marsh harriers or a flock of cin- shows the intimacies, the history of this region, the rituals and namon teals, coming from the North, may the knowledge of the 'grape juice' culture. For this aim, it appear during the autumn months; in win- makes use not only of traditional resources, but also of the ter, lapwings, grey herons or cormorants latest technology, such as audiovisual effects, holograms or may look for shelter, just like swallows and even a virtual tasting, so that children can know this universe nightingales arrive in spring with their songs too. Pleasant, suggestive and, above all, revealing. The to seduce their couples. In summer, the kind museum also offers samples and short courses so that the visi- More information: temperatures favour reproduction, so kites, tor can become an active subject and can discover why wine is • www.alava.net/ swifts and moorhens take positions in this the most universal drink. The visit can be completed in the eno- embalseullibarri fresh water tongue of the Ullibarri-Gamboa logy library or in the botanical garden, with sculptures, casca- • www.alavaturismo.com Reservoir, with the Mendijur Ornithological des and tree species coming from all around the world. • www.paisvascoturismo.net Park and Observatory (Barrundia). This is one of the most important wetlands in the How to get there: Basque Country, due both to the richness Bus: and variety of the birds and to the flora and Pesa: 902 101 210 Stop: Landa Provincial Park gallery forests surrounding it. Paths and observatories have been arranged to enjoy Visits in the area: and know the place, which allows uniting • Gebara Palace and Castle oneself with nature. • Basilica of Estibaliz

More information: • www.villa-lucia.com • www.alavaincoming.com • www.alavaturismo.com • www.paisvascoturismo.net Villa Lucia Wine Centre : Visits in the area: • Tel: 945 60 00 32 • La Hoya Prehistoric Settlement How to get there: • La Hechicera Burial Chamber La Union-La Burundesa: 94 427 11 11 (Elvillar) Continental Auto: 902 33 04 00 • El Prao Pools What are we doing today? 67 plans to know the Basque Country ÁLAVA-ARABA 5

4 Plans for action lovers

Aventura Sobrón: • Tél: 945 35 90 16 More information: • www.aventurasobron.com • www.alavaturismo.com Nature seen from a tyrolean traverse • www.paisvascoturismo.net

How to get there: Aventura Sobrón Bus service from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Puentelarra and Bergüenda den among the roughness of the Aracena Mountain (about 3 km from there), in INACANOE, HANGING A FEW METRES UP, WITH A COMPASS… summer. Range, the Sobrón Centre is one of the pioneers in this THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS OF ENJOYING NATURE AS COLOURS different way of knowing and enjoying our land. Hiking IN AUTUMN. ON THE BANKS OF THE SOBRÓN RESERVOIR, YOU Visits in the area: lovers can get lost through the near Valderejo Natural CAN CONFIRM THESE TWO STATEMENTS. • Salinas de Añana Park and follow routes with different difficulty levels; • Valderejo Natural Park thanks to canoes and kayaks, we will ply the gentle • Water Interpretation Centre The boom of active tourism in the last years is waters of the Sobrón Reservoir, among amazing limesto- (Sobrón) obvious in the Basque Country. A good sample of this is ne walls. In the Adventure Camp, we will have the chan- • Roman Oppidum the Sobrón Multi-adventure Centre, a place where you ce of measuring our abilities with indoor climbing walls, can combine the practicing of activities such as archery, Tibetan bridges or 100 metres-long tyrolean traverses. MTB routes or orientation tests. The setting cannot be The Sobrón Centre's offer also includes orientation exer- more spectacular: near the gorges of the Ebro River, hid- cises and paintball in an obstacle field.

On the trail of the 5 Basque-Navarrese Railway The Zadorra River Greenway

WETLANDS AND OAK WOODS, OLD STATIONS AND MEDIEVAL Plans for action lovers CHURCHES FOLLOW ONE ANOTHER ALONG THE OLD BASQUE- NAVARRESE RAILWAY, PREPARED FOR HIKERS AND CYCLISTS.

People say that this was one of the most modern trains, with a dream route and the most beautiful stations money can buy. It is said by those who travelled by the More information: th Basque-Navarrese Railway: a train, born in the early 19 • www.ffe.es/viasverdes century, chased by bad luck since the beginning. It scar- • www.vitoria-gasteiz.org cely covered 140 kilometres between Bergara and Estella • www.alavaturismo.com rattling through lands of Navarre, Alava and , • www.paisvascoturismo.net leaving behind plains, mountain ranges, brooks and How to get there: never-ending tunnels. The railway disappeared in 1968, (to Vitoria-Gasteiz) but its tracks, halts and landscapes remained, deserving Train: Renfe: 902 24 02 02 to be discovered through the greenways arranged Bus: Bilman Bus,Continental Auto, through the old route. The greenway linking Vitoria- Eurobus, Alegría Hnos., Grupo Alsa- Gasteiz and the Arlaban Mountain Pass is an excellent Enatcar, Grupo Arriaga, La metaphor of the Basque-Navarrese Railway: a repertoire Burundés SA, La Unión, Pesa, of natural landscapes, like the Ullibarri Reservoir or the Socitransa, Vivasa. Amarita Oakwood; stations with charming history, as the Visits in the area: one in Legutiano, or medieval profiles like the one of the • Greenway and Sanctuary of Church in Gamarra Menor. Estibaliz 6 ÁLAVA-ARABA W h a t a r e w e d o i n g t o d a y ? 67 plans to know the Basque Country

6 A beach 100 kilometres from the sea Landa Beach Plans for action lovers

More information: • www.alava.net/ EmbalseUllibarri • www.alavaturismo.com • www.paisvascoturismo.net RESERVOIRS ARE FOR SUMMER AND FOR BATHERS, BUT ALSO in the second reservoir. During the summer season, it FOR SEAFARERS AND WINDSURFERS. THE MOST FAMOUS SANDS turns into a miniature ocean where bathers, windsurfers Visits in the area: IN VITORIA-GASTEIZ HAVE NO WAVES, BUT THEY HAVE GRASS and boats, up to 12 metres in length, coexist. The reser- • Leintz-Gatzaga Salt AND MOUNTAINS. voir has a regatta field and two yacht clubs. Museum • Garaio Park The Basque Country has 252 kilometres of coastal The ruins of Landa, one of the valley villages before it • Pottery Museum (Elosu) strip, which is perpetually whipped by the Cantabrian Sea. became a reservoir in the 60s, rests under the waters of All these kilometres belong to Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, while Ullibarri. After the creation of the reservoir, many citizens How to get there: Alava allows itself the luxury of facing away from the sea, of Vitoria and the Gipuzkoan region of Alto Deba began to Bus: frequent the reservoir, so the infrastructure improve- Pesa: 902 101 210 with its plains and inland landscapes. This does not pre- (In summer) vent this territory having beaches or even marinas, ments were not long in coming. The bottom was cleaned thanks to big reservoirs like Urrunaga or Ullibarri, both up, the setting was equipped with different services -sho- located to the North of the capital. The most famous wers, lifeguards, toilets, children's swimming areas, a sands in this aquatic Alava are the Landa Beach, located regular bus service...- until getting the present model.

7 Among oaks and caves on two wheels MTB Centre Izki Montaña Alavesa Plans for action lovers

More information: • www.btteuskadi.net • www.montanaalavesa.com • www.alavaturismo.com • www.paisvascoturismo.net IZKI NATURAL PARK IS FAMOUS DUE TO THE THINGS IT SHOWS aim of showing the excellences of the park riding a bike. Visits in the area: –LUXURIANT OAK FORESTS UNIQUE IN EUROPE-, BUT ALSO It not only informs the cyclist about the path network • The Rioja Alavesa Wine BECAUSE OF THE THINGS IT HIDES: AN AMAZING SYSTEM OF –with different levels and physical difficulties– going Route ARTIFICIAL CAVES THAT A MEDIEVAL HERMIT COMMUNITY USED through the region, but it also offers a wide range of faci- • Peñacerrada-Urizaharra AS PLACES FOR REST, PRAYERS AND BURIALS. lities. Moreover, the old Green Way of the Basque- • Laguardia Pools Navarrese Train covers Izki and its surroundings, as well There is no better way of discovering the treasures as a part of the Long Distance Route no. 38, joining Rioja How to get there: hidden in one of the most virgin and best preserved natu- Alavesa and the Basque Coast. The Centre is opened to Bus: ral landscapes in the Basque Country than using the all kind of people, both if they come with their own bikes Pinedo (from Vitoria) most environmentally friendly, agile and healthy means Tel: 945 28 50 00 –the facilities include a car park, a car wash, GPS rent of transport: a bike. including all the necessary information on the surroun- The MTB Centre Izki Montaña Alavesa is located in dings, showers for the users…– or if they need to rent a Urturi Golf Course, to the southeast of Alava, and only completely equipped bike. thirty kilometres far from Vitoria. It was born with the What are we doing today? 67 plans to know the Basque Country ÁLAVA-ARABA 7

8 Walks through history and art

The walls talk to us La Hoya Settlement: • Tel: 945 62 11 22 / 945 18 19 18 La Hoya Settlement More information: • www.laguardia-alava.com • www.alavaturismo.com • www.paisvascoturismo.net ONE LOOK AT A VILLAGE'S REMAINS IS ENOUGH TO KNOW THE INS they cremated the dead, made trading exchanges, wor- AND OUTS OF A SOCIETY LOST IN TIME. THE REMAINS OF LA HOYA ked with metal and had an army of warriors. This army How to get there: WHISPER STORIES THAT DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE A HAPPY ENDING. could not repel the invaders' attack so the inhabitants Bus: of La Hoya abandoned the settlement after the strug- To Laguardia (1.5 km) gle. The weather and the Alava's mountain winds cove- La Union-La Burundesa: 94 427 11 11. A battle took place in a spot near the banks of the red the small village with dust until the remains where discovered in 1935, thirty centuries afterwards, when Continental Auto: Ebro River. It happened three thousands years ago, in 902 33 04 00. the lands of Rioja Alavesa, close to the present location the archaeological researches and excavations began. of the monumental town of Laguardia. The attackers The site is opened to visitors and has a museum with Visits in the area: cruelly razed to the ground a settlement of tidy streets boards, found pieces, scale models and reproductions, • Wine Routes and busy daily life. This place had squares, markets and explaining how the daily routine was in La Hoya in the • Wine Centre of Laguardia more or less the same habits as our present society: past. • La Hechicera Burial Chamber (Elvillar)

9 Walks through history and art

The apses' secret More information: • www.agurain.biz • www.alavaturismo.com Paintings of Gazeo and Alaitza • www.paisvascoturismo.net How to get there: THERE WAS NO NEED TO MOVE SLABS OR TO DECIPHER SECRET one of the best examples of 13th century plastic art and Bus: CODES FOR DISCOVERING THE VALUABLE PAINTINGS OF THESE they were perfectly conserved. They picture meticulous La Unión-La Burundesa: TWO CHURCHES. SEVEN CENTURIES AFTER THEIR CREATION, scenes, such as the mystery of the Holy Trinity or the 94 427 11 11, to THEY STILL GIVE OFF LIGHT. disturbing Judgement of Souls, in gothic colours. Salvatierra-Agurain. The neighbouring village of Alaitza shelters the Visits in the area: For a treasure to be considered a treasure, it must Church of La Asunción, where the story of the hidden • Entzia Natural Park stay hidden for everybody during some time. The trea- paintings was repeated. On this occasion, the murals of • Aizkomendi Burial Chamber sure of the Church of San Martín de Tours, in Gazeo, the apse show secular themes, not very appropriate for (Egilaz) scarcely twenty kilometres from Vitoria-Gasteiz, fully a sacred place, and a more primitive style than the one • Ullibarri Ganboa Reservoir meets this condition: seven centuries had to pass until in Gazeo; enigmatic figures in warlike postures, primiti- • Salvatierra the amazing gothic paintings of the church's apse were ve hunting scenes and other vignettes of everyday life exposed, in 1967, hidden beneath a layer of lime. in medieval times. You can visit both churches and exa- Chance gave way to surprise: the murals in Gazeo were mine their paintings in detail. 8 ÁLAVA-ARABA W h a t a r e w e d o i n g t o d a y ? 67 plans to know the Basque Country

10 Heraldic Museum. Mendoza: The coat tower • Tel.: 945 18 16 17 devoted to the heraldic universe. Besides the walls, crenellated towers and ashlars of the main building, we More information: Heraldic get immersed into a route through the most majestic • www.alavaturismo.com and noble side of our past, among coats of arms and • www.paisvascoturismo.net document s explaining why lineages exist and how How to get there: Museum important they were in medieval times. More than forty Train: pieces coming from other manor houses make up the Renfe: to Nanclares most complete collection in our territory. The exhibi- de la Oca, 902 24 02 02 FROM THE 11TH CENTURY ON, THE MENDOZA WAS ONE OF tion also reminds us that the Mendoza Tower was a pri- son where fetters and rings were the norm. Visits in the area: THEMOSTPOWERFULLINEAGES. ITSAMAZINGTOWER • Santa Catalina Botanical ALLOWS US TO DISCOVER ITS HISTORY AND THE HISTORY OF Garden (Trespuentes) THE GREAT FAMILIES OF ALAVA THROUGH A SINGULAR Walks through history and art COLLECTION OF COATS OF ARMS.

A castle dares to break the evenness of the Alava Plain. It is the Mendoza Tower-House, a fortress esta- blished in the far 13th century, which stands out among the farm lands dotted around this spot near Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital. It was built for warring, but the passing of time has turned it into a museum

11 A fortress besieged by silence The Varona Tower

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST-PRESERVED CASTLES IN THE BASQUE ged walls, a water moat and threatening embrasures. COUNTRY AND ITS WALLS HIDE ROMANTICISM AND HISTORY. The passing of time did not affect the building or the LOOKING AT IT, THE 14TH CENTURY SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY. noble family, who was there until well into the 20th cen- tury. It is hard to believe that it was necessary to build a At present, the Varona building is the best-preser- fortress in the pleasant Valley of Valdegobia. It is hard ved and most spectacular fortified site in the Basque to believe because this isolated and calm place is an Country. It possesses the romantic charm of a poetic oasis of peace, farmlands and gentle hills. The Varona castle and, at the same time, it is intimately related to th Walks through history and art Family considered it necessary and, in the 14 century, Valdegobia's tradition. The building has been recently ordered to build a defensive tower, showing off their restored and, afterwards, turned into a pleasant power and wealth, in the domains of the village of museum with pieces of its own history. This has made Villañane. They were so determined and resolute that the tower to be still standing, at least, for another six the tower ended up becoming a small palace with jag- centuries. The Varona Tower: • Tel.: 945 35 30 35 / 945 35 30 40

More information: • www.valdegovia.com • www.alavaturismo.com • www.paisvascoturismo.net

How to get there: Bus: Hnos Arriaga: 945 28 50 00, Vitoria - Bóveda. Hnos Barredo: 947 33 53 58, Vitoria - Miranda - Espejo.

Visits in the area: • Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de Angosto • Valderejo Natural Park • Sobrón • Salinas de Añana What are we doing today? 67 plans to know the Basque Country ÁLAVA-ARABA 9

The fortress 12 besieged by calm Quejana

QUEJANA WALLS WITNESSED DISPUTES, WARS, POETRY REA- DINGS, PASSIONS AND LEGENDS. THEY HAVE REMAINED SILENT FOR CENTURIES, LIKE THE SETTING SURROUNDING THEM.

The Izalde is not only a river, but also a frontier, which separates Quejana from the rest of the world. It is

easy to cross this brook and access this medieval por- Walks through history and art tion: you only need to cross the bridge and leave behind the fields and grooves of the Ayala Valley, named after the noble lineage that gave splendour to this area in the 14th century. The Ayala Family was more than capable of laying the foundations of the monumental site, a bright and fortified emporium made of masonry walls, yards More information: and tiny windows that stands out against the rural and • www.aiaratur.org peasant setting. • www.ayala-aiara.com • www.alavaturismo.com Those visiting Quejana know that it was built by this • www.paisvascoturismo.net lineage of military men and poets, that the strongest tower of the surroundings shelters the rests of Pedro How to get there: López de Ayala and his wife, protected by spectacular Bus: Bizkaibus: 902 22 22 65, graves sculpted in marble. They also know that the walls to Respaldiza (2 km far). of the Convent of San Juan hide the shrine of La Virgen del Cabello, with hair filaments of the Mother of Jesus. Visits in the area: Anyway, if the visitor does not know these details, he will • be able to learn them in the Museum located in one of • Nervión River Source (Delika) the palace wings, where this powerful family's gossips • Orduña are revealed. • Gujuli Cascade

13 Walks through history and art

More information: Walls coming from medieval times • www.montanaalavesa.com • www.alavaturismo.com Peñacerrada-Urizaharra • www.paisvascoturismo.net How to get there: Bus: WHERE ROADS CROSS, EMERGE POWER SOURCES, WALLED thanks to its strategic location, a crossroads from North Hnos. Arriaga: 945 28 50 00 FORTS AND MANOR BUILDINGS. TIME HAS PASSED BY SINCE THE to South and East to West. As a result, the streets filled ANCIENT PEÑACERRADA-URIZAHARRA, BETWEEN ALAVA AND up with noble buildings and emblazoned houses that Visits in the area: , MET ALL THESE REQUIREMENTS. have survived until now. Fall and oblivion came after • Sobrón Multiadventure Park splendour. While other towns possessed resources to • Salinas de Añana People say that medieval times were dark and vio- grow beyond the defensive walls, Peñacerrada- • Valderejo Natural Park lent. Violence is inferred from the colossal wall protec- Urizaharra had no wealth for tear them down, reason • La Rioja Balcony • Hermit Caves of Las Gobas ting the hamlet of Peñacerrada-Urizaharra, when it why they have been preserved until nowadays. The (Laño) comes up on the horizon. Its height and thickness evi- Parish Church of La Asunción is located in the heart of dence that bloody battles were fought in past centuries this town. The southern façade of this late gothic temple here, at the frontier separating the old kingdoms of still preserves Roman details, such as its enigmatic capi- Castile and Navarre. In that same time, Peñacerrada- tals. The protection of this church was worth the cons- Urizaharra reached the highest peak of splendour, truction of those walls in the 12th century. 10 ÁLAVA-ARABA W h a t a r e w e d o i n g t o d a y ? 67 plans to know the Basque Country

How potters FROM THE MOULDING OF EACH PIECE TO ITS GLAZING AND DECORATION, WE 14 CAN WITNESS THE WHOLE CRAFT POTTERY PROCESS IN THE MUSEUM WORKS- worked HOP OF THE OLLERÍAS QUARTER, IN ELOSU. Basque Pottery Museum

The Urrunaga Reservoir, created at Walks through history and art the end of the fifties, guaranteed water for Alava's plains, but it also meant the disap- pearance of the quagmires, and the raw Basque Pottery Museum: material used by the potters living in Elosu • Tel.: 945 45 51 45 and surroundings was extracted from More information: them. The reservoir was the last straw for • www.euskalzeramika.com this craft and centenary job, developed • www.alavaturismo.com between the natural parks of Urkiola and • www.paisvascoturismo.net Gorbea. In 1993, one of those potteries Visits in the area: • Salt Museum (Leintz-Gatzaga) was restored, creating a museum that, at • Ullibarri Ganboa Reservoir the same time, functions as a pottery fac- How to get there: tory. It shows the history, secrets and pro- Bus: Bizkaibus: 902 22 22 65, to tagonists -the kiln, the wheel, the glazes...- Ubidea (2 km far). of pottery, in a dynamic atmosphere Continental Auto: 902 33 04 00 and Hnos Arriaga: 945 28 50 00, thanks to the workshop showing the com- to Legutiano (2 km far). plete process. La Unión-La Burundesa: opposite the museum, 94 427 11 11.

15 A market with seven 16 centuries of history As water comes, Artziniega water goes Laguardia Pools Discovering landscapes Walks through history and art The locality of Laguardia offers many panoramic views. From the top of this walled height, formerly frequented by Due to its extraordinary geographic Templar knights, you will be delighted by location, grounded between the Basque Country and Castile, Artziniega deser- the northern crests of the Cantabria ved to be involved in something great. Mountain Range. In addition, it offers the Alfonso X the Wise had a feeling about southern watercourses, flat as a calm sea. it and, in the 13th century, he granted Here we find a singular and surprising the title of Villa to this medieval heart landscape that we cannot find in the rest with an almond-shaped street map. The of the Basque Country: the Protected traders' wealth became tower-houses, Biotope of Laguardia Pools. On one side, masonry walls and shiny-paved streets Carralogroño and Carravalseca, two endo- that have stayed until our times, igno- rreic pools whose level depends on rain- More information: More information: • www.laguardia-alava.com • www.aiaratur.org ring the devastating passing of time. fall, causing the ponds to have different The ethnography museum of this loca- looks according to the month. During dry • www.alavaturismo.com • www.alavaturismo.com • www.paisvascoturismo.net • www.paisvascoturismo.net lity completes this journey, showing seasons, the dissolved salt imposes the how life and customs were in colour white; during wet seasons, on the How to get there: How to get there: Renaissance times. other hand, the pools proudly show a thin Bus: Bus: La Unión-La Burundesa: The Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora layer of water resembling a mirror. The La Union-La Burundesa: 94 427 11 11. de la Encina stands near Artziniega, in third wet area is Prao de la Paul, a small 94 427 11 11. Bizkaibus: 902 22 22 65. the place where the Virgin appeared to reservoir that has been properly adapted Continental Auto: 902 33 04 00. a shepherdess. The event was so impor- as an observatory of migratory birds. The Visits in the area: tant that, in the 15th century, the pre- natural spectacle is guaranteed between • Gordexola Valley (Bizkaia) Visits in the area: • Ethnography Museums of sent site was built, with the outstanding the months of September and March, • La Hoya Settlement Artziniega, Orozko and woodwork Virgin and the stonework thanks to the areas prepared for birdwat- (Laguardia) Quejana portico. ching. • Wine Route and wineries • Orduña Health Resort (Laguardia) • Ayala Tower (Quejana) • La Hechicera Burial Chamber (Elvillar) What are we doing today? 67 plans to know the Basque Country ÁLAVA-ARABA 11

Two cascades as 17 In the honour of the 18 two bright stars liquid element Delika The Water Canyon Museum of Sobron Discovering landscapes and Gujuli Discovering landscapes

As most rivers, the Nervión has an austere and low death in the waters of the Golf of . Hardly anybody notices its death since this water artery already enjoys many minutes of fame in its sour- On its way to the Mediterranean Sea, ce, high at Mount Santiago. In those fron- the Ebro River shapes valleys, dodges tier spots between Alava and , its mountains, and increases its course in waters create a 270 metre high waterfall, several dams. One of them is the Sobron resulting in one of the most spectacular Dam, a spike-shaped gigantic tear of water and thunderous natural phenomenon in that establishes the border between Cas- our geography. Dangerously leaning over More information: The Water Museum of tile-Leon and the Basque Country. There - the Delika Canyon, the waterfall reaches • www.urduna.com Sobron: next to the banks of the dam- is where the its zenith in wet seasons. • www.alavaturismo.com • Tel.: 945 35 92 35 Water Museum of Sobron arises, a revea- • www.paisvascoturismo.net Few kilometres from there, another More information: ling and deep tribute to the liquid element. The facilities are aimed at training, infor- waterfall called Gujuli sings a siren call dif- How to get there: • www.alavaturismo.com ming, entertaining, and, above all, raising ficult to resist. It is more modest in dimen- Train: • www.paisvascoturismo.net Renfe: Local train C3, • www.cuadrilladeanana.es everybody’s awareness of the importance sions -a hundred metres-, but its beauty of H O in our existence. The centre is lies in its singular setting, which even 902 24 02 02. 2 Bus: How to get there: equipped with the most innovative and shows a beautiful concession to Bizkaibus: 902 22 22 65, Bus service from Vitoria- modern technology for museums in order Romanesque -the Church of Santiago Orduña - Galdakao. Gasteiz to Puentelarra and to get to know all the secrets of water, Apóstol-, a gentle brook -the Oiardo-, Orduña - Vitoria-Gasteiz. Bergüenda, in summer. from its most intimate aspects –its origin although it becomes rougher, and a small Visits in the area: and composition– to its curative proper- Visits in the area: village, Gujuli, with small masonry houses • Salinas de Añana ties –Sobron was an important health and a green mantle trying to take posses- • Ayala Palace (Quejana) • Valderejo Natural Park resort at the end of the 19th century–, as sion of the streets. • Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora • Varona Tower well as the myths and legends related to de Oro (Valle de ) the liquid or the aspects connected with • Orduña ecology and responsible consumption. After the visit, it will be very difficult to watch a glass of water with the same eyes. The garden that was a gothic temple 19 Santa Catalina Botanical Garden Discovering landscapes

Santa Catalina Botanical Garden: SOME MONASTERIES CULTIVATE VOCATIONS; OTHERS, PLANTS mimosas, lavenders... up to more than 1,200 plant spe- • Tel.: 680 47 01 46 AND TREES COMING FROM THE FIVE CONTINENTS. THESE TWO cies. After centuries of prayers and devotions, Santa More information: MIRACLES ONLY HAPPEN IN THE REMAINS OF SANTA CATALINA. Catalina had become a botanical garden -the only one in • www.cuadrilladeanana.es/ the Basque Country- and an unequalled spot where the santacatalina These spots of the Badaia Mountain Range must remains of the monastic site and an extraordinary natu- • www.alavaturismo.com • www.paisvascoturismo.net have something so that Santa Catalina appeared here in ral heritage coexist since 1999. the 14th century. The event was so important that the Located only ten kilometres from Vitoria-Gasteiz in a How to get there: people of the village of Trespuentes build, first, a hermi- privileged vantage point over Alava's plain, the Santa Train: Renfe: to Nanclares de tage in her honour and, after some years, a monastery Catalina botanical garden occupies 32,000 square la Oca, 902 24 02 02 inhabited by Hieronymite and Augustine monks. When metres gathering botanical species from the five conti- Visits in the area: the monks left the place, another kind of living creatures nents. The remains of the monastery that it once was are • Heraldry Museum set up home in the battered monastery: chestnut trees, still there, lending a mysterious and idyllic air to the (Mendoza Castle) place, as if Santa Catalina had appeared to us yesterday. • Salinas de Añana ash trees, birches, magnolias, water lilies, eucalyptus, • Valderejo Natural Park 12 ÁLAVA-ARABA W h a t a r e w e d o i n g t o d a y ? 67 plans to know the Basque Country

20 Discovering landscapes

More information: • www.cuadrilladeanana.es/anana The white gold valley • www.alavaturismo.com • www.paisvascoturismo.net Salinas de Añana How to get there: Bus: Those are the Añana salt mines: a medieval enginee- Hnos Arriaga: 945 28 50 00 THE HUMAN WITS ONLY NEEDED A SALT-WATER SPRING FOR ring wonder with the objective of extracting the white GIVING BIRTH TO SUCH A SINGULAR SPOT. TERRACES HAD gold out of the sources irrigating the valley. The mining Visits in the area: NEVER AROUSED SUCH CURIOSITY. of that salty wealth emerging from earth was a lucrative • Varona Tower • Valderejo Natural Park trade during centuries, that conferred splendour and • Sobrón Multiadventure Centre prestige to this and other villages until the middle of the th The landscape has something extraterrestrial, but 20 century, when the mining stopped being profitable also something terrestrial; something fictitious, but and was hence abandoned. something real; something fantastic, but much spectacu- The recent opening of the saltwater footbath –which lar. Anybody driving on the A-2622 road will stop over to joins the guided tour through the facilities- allows the observe this peculiar valley dominated by hundreds of visitors to bath their legs in a pleasant brine solution, an wooden and regular terraces along a gentle cliff. ancient tradition that has been recovered now.

21 Welcome to the Griffon vulture's home Valderejo Natural Park

THIS IS A WORLD APART, SCARCELY INHABITED BY HUMAN

Discovering landscapes BEINGS. PINES, BIRDS OF PREY AND WILD BOARS MAKE THE RULES IN THIS ENCHANTED FOREST.

As seen on a map, Valderejo looks like an island. As seen on the ground, Valderejo is a world apart, a valley riding between Alava and Burgos, separated from the rest of the world by high walls of limestone rocks. Some of Information Centre, in them -Vallegrull, Lerón, Caria...- have names resembling a Lalastra: fantasy book and this is not a coincidence. To mention • Tel: 945 35 31 46 Valderejo means to evoke large areas of pine groves, More information: leafy holm oaks and colourful beech trees. It implies • www.nekanet.net remembering that the biggest colony of Griffon vultures • www.alavaturismo.com in the Basque Country lives there, hidden in high caves; • www.paisvascoturismo.net and it means discovering the ancients' traces, shown in the San Lorenzo tumulus, in the gothic church of Ribera How to get there: or in the Roman road. More than 50% of the park surface Bus: Hnos Arriaga: 945 28 50 00, is covered by forests and groves, which help to preserve Vitoria - Bóveda. the wild life and the free will of roe deer, wild boars or Hnos Barredo: 947 33 53 58, squirrels. Vitoria - Miranda - Espejo. The visitor can get deeper into this universe thanks to ten signposted routes winding the park. The Information Visits in the area: Centre, located in Lalastra, punctually informs about • Nervión River Source (Delika) them. A range of rural housings, a camping and a recrea- • Salinas de Añana tional area complete the offer. • Varona Tower