Useful telephone numbers EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES HEALTH CENTRES Chemist’s (info): 945 23 07 21 Txagorritxu Hospital: 945 00 70 00 Ambulance: 112 Santiago Hospital: 945 00 76 00 DYA: 945 28 10 20 La Esperanza Clinic: 945 25 25 00 Red Cross: 945 22 22 22 San José Hospital: 945 14 09 00 PUBLIC TRANSPORT City buses (TUVISA): 945 16 10 54 RADIO TAXIS POLICE STATION Radio Taxi Gasteiz: 945 27 35 00 945 16 14 54 AIRPPORT AND STATIONS Airport information: 945 16 35 00 Bus station: 945 25 84 00 RENFE railway station: 902 24 02 02 Business hours From 10:00 to 13:30 h. and from 16:30 to 20:00 h. Bank opening hours: From 9:00 to 14:00 h. Index Vitoria-Gasteiz, European Green Capital 2012, is a city with a rich history founded in the 12th century and from which time VITORIA-GASTEIZ Guided tours ................................................................................ 3 there remain noteworthy testimonies in terms of monuments, Vitoria-Gasteiz experiences ....................................................... 5 which make it a living example of a place in which the integration "On site"guided tours................................................................ 9 of the past may be observed with the ambition of the future. Cathedral of Santa Maria ........................................................... 11 If it is an ancient city owing to its history, it is young in terms Montehermoso Cultural Center................................................. 13 of its development. However, this expansion has not meant that Exhibitions ................................................................................... 16 another of the identifying marks of Vitoria-Gasteiz has disap- Family Tourism ............................................................................ 17 peared: its “human scale” which, in addition to facilitating Tourist train ..................................................................................... 17 relations among its inhabitants, makes it charming and welco- Museums ............................................................................................. 19 ming to everyone who visits us. Artium .......................................................................................... 21 The visitor will at first sight note the respect shown for its Nature and sports ....................................................................... 26 historic city centre, officially declared as being a collection of Other activities of interest ............................................................ 29 historic buildings, and for its natural environment. Vitoria may ÁLAVA be referred to as the “Green City of the North,” as it has a large Añana .......................................................................................... 30 number of m2 of parks, green spaces, gardens and its incompa- Ayala ............................................................................................ 34 rable green belt comprising 6 parks on the fringes which enable Plains of Álava ................................................................................ 37 nature to be enjoyed without having to leave the city. Álava mountains ............................................................................ 37 Nowadays, Vitoria is much more than its medieval city; it has Rioja alavesa................................................................................. 39 large residential areas and a major nineteenth century urban Zuia ............................................................................................... 41 expansion area, which has now been converted into an extensive Published by: Servicio de Congresos y Turismo de Vitoria-Gasteiz pedestrian area and is enjoyed immensely by its citizens and Design: xb gráfica visitors – it is a real pleasure to stroll, shop, meet friends, and Photographs: Daniel Llano, Quintas fotógrafos, Javier Agote, enjoy its pintxo bars and restaurants, etc., in this area. Gert Voor in't Holt, Jaizki Fontaneda. Printed by: Gráficas Irudi Edition: 06 / 2012 Guided tours Information and reservations for guided tours: Tourist Office - 945 16 15 98 VISIT TO THE OLD QUARTERS Vitoria-Gasteiz The heart of the Old Quarters (Almendra). • Opening hours: 11:30 Includes a visit to the city walls. Monday to Sunday. • Price: 5 euros/person. Vitoria-Gasteiz Clerics and Knights. • Opening hours: 17:00 With access to the Cathedral of Santa Maria. Monday to Sunday. • Price: 6,5 euros/person. Minimum 4 people. • Tours in different languages. (Basque, English, French). Book 48 hours in advance. Tel. 945 16 15 98 VISITS TO THE "CAÑOS" (Reconditioned Medieval Sewage System): • Opening hours: 11:00 • Dates: July: 14, 22, 28 / August: 19, 25 / September: 8, 9, 15 • Price: 3 euros/person Minimum 4 people. Summer in Vitoria-Gasteiz 3 Vitoria-Gasteiz experiences Experience a world of sensations in the European Green Capital. Enjoy your five senses in a city that will welcome you with open arms. ROUTE OF THE ARTISTS Pop into the workshops that city artists have in the old quarters and learn, from the artists themselves, how they work. • Dates: July: 7, 14 / September: 8, 15. • Opening hours: 10:45 • Price: 5 euros/person. SWEET ROUTE Indulge in the Sweet Route and discover the city's centuries-old tradition in baking by trying some of their local pastry creations. Opening hours: 11:00 Dates: • July: 21. • September: 22 • Opening hours: 11:00 • Price: 7 euros. Summer in Vitoria-Gasteiz 5 Salburua Park Balloon flights THEMED NIGHT TOURS Information and booking at : If you want to dive into history, book your tour. A trip back in Adbikers: 638 452 494 time through the beautiful medieval town of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Gureak Araba: 663 898 836 / 945 13 44 53 "A unique Renaissance tournament in Vitoria". Tour starts: 20:30 Machete Square. BIKE TOURS AROUND SALBURUA • July: 14, 21 and 28. Take a guided tour to the Wetlands Interpretation Centre, ride • August: 18 and 25. a bike through one of the most beautiful parks in the Green • September: 8 , 15, 22. Belt and enjoy nature with the explanations of a guide. Information and booking at the Tourist Office: 945 16 15 98 Opening hours: 11:00 Price: 10 euros per person. Dates: • July: 20, 27 • August: 17, 24 • September: 7, 14. TOUCH THE SKY IN VITORIA-GASTEIZ • Opening hours: 11:00. • Price: 6 euros per person. Experience the incredible feeling of seeing the Old Quarters and Information and booking at the Tourist Office, 945 16 15 98 the Green Belt from the sky. Balloon flights to see the city from the air. BIOMIMETICS IN VITORIA-GASTEIZ Information and reservations: www.alavaenglobo.com The parks in Vitoria-Gasteiz are full of innovative solutions. On this tour you will find examples of efficient cooling systems, VITORIA-GASTEIZ GREEN CAPITAL smart materials and advanced aerodynamic designs. They all Enjoy an overview and learn of some of the issues that have have something in common: they have been developed by Nature contributed to making the city the European Green Capital 2012. through a selection process involving 3800 million years of • July:12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28. evolution and are applied today in engineering, architecture or • August: 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25. computer science. • September: 7, 8, 14, 15. See examples of biomimetic solutions by visiting • Opening hours: 18:00. www.facebook.com/biomimetiks • Price: 5 euros per person. • July: 14 and 27. • August: 19 and 26 NATURE: GREEN BELT •September: 1 and 15 ROUTES IN CHAUFFEUR DRIVEN TRICYCLES Opening hours: 11:45. Chauffeur driven tricycle tours to discover one of the most Price: 5 euros. beautiful parks in the Green Belt in a different way. Information and booking at the Tourist Office, 945 16 15 98 6 Summer in Vitoria-Gasteiz Summer in Vitoria-Gasteiz 7 "On site" guided tours CHURCH OF SAN MIGUEL • Opening hours: 10:30 to 13:00 and 17:30 to 19:00. Monday to Friday: Entrance and visit free. During festivities, consult at the Tourist Office. TOWER OF SAN VICENTE • Opening hours: 11:30 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 20:00 Monday to Sunday. Last visits at 13:00 and 19.30. Price: 1 euro per person. VILLA SUSO PALACE • July: Saturdays and Sundays. • August: daily, from August 13. • September: Weekends, except the last. Opening hours: 11:30 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 20:00 Entrance and visit free. Last visits at 13:00 and 19.30. Summer in Vitoria-Gasteiz 9 Cathedral of Santa Maria Tower of San Vicente ESCORIAZA ESQUIBEL PALACE Opening hours: 11:30 to 13:30 and 17:30 to 20:00. Monday to Sunday. Guided tours. Ticket: 1 euro. CASA DEL CORDÓN (THE CORD HOUSE) Visit a fifteenth-century mansion with a medieval tower. Opening hours: • July: Monday to Friday: 08:30 to 14:00 and 16:30 to 19:00. VISITS TO THE CATHEDRAL • August: closed from the 3rd to the 19th, both inclusive. This tour will provide visitors with information on the construction • September: Monday to Friday: 08:30 to 14:00 and phases of the Cathedral of Santa Maria, the problems that have 16:30 to 19:00. plagued it for centuries, the architectural and archaeological research work performed and the future projects, the ambulatory, the portico .... VISITS TO THE TOWER Built between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, renovated after the fire in the nineteenth century, and restored over recent years, it is the highest point of the city with a height exceeding 60 metres, which makes it an excellent vantage point from where to enjoy the exceptional views of the city and of the Plains of Alava. Thanks to the lifts that have been installed,