The unsung Spanish city that's a great alternative to San Sebastian

Times

4 days ago

San Sebastian may hog the headlines when it comes to prize-winning pintxos and fêted fine dining, but head an hour's drive to the south and you'll find Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Basque Country's capital since 1980 and very much the unsung jewel in the region's culinary crown.
Around gothic cathedrals, Renaissance palaces and superb museums, the narrow lanes of Vitoria's hilltop medieval old town are lined with bars competing to offer the most innovative and tantalising pintxos. But unlike in neighbouring San Sebastian or Bilbao, you won't have to elbow your way past throngs of tourists to get a seat at the bar.
If that isn't enough to convince you, Vitoria is one of the greenest — in every sense of the word — cities in Europe. Named European Green Capital in 2012 and Global Green City in 2019, much of the centre is traffic-free and a 19 mile-long 'green ring' taking in parks and forests encircles the city.
• Morning: La Torre de San Vicente and the old town • Eat at: Sukalki• Afternoon: Museum hopping• Drink at: El Toloño • Evening: Explore the Santa Maria Cathedral • Eat at: El Portalon
• Morning: Café culture and boutique shopping • Eat at: Mercado de Abastos• Afternoon: Paseo de la Senda and the fine art museum • Drink at: Sagartoki• Evening: La Florida Park• Eat at: Kea
• Start your day with a steep climb, then gaze down across Vitoria's spires, parks and rooftops from the top of the 16th-century Torre de San Vicente church bell tower. Later, explore the palaces and churches found along the medieval lanes of the old town (walking tours from £21; kalearte.com). • Meaning 'two in one' in the Basque language, BIBAT is home to a duo of museums. In the Renaissance Bendaña Palace the fascinating Fournier Museum holds one of the world's foremost collections of playing cards, with packs dating to the 15th century. The collection was the brainchild of Félix Alfaro Fournier, whose grandfather Heraclio Fournier founded the Vitoria-based Fournier company, a prominent manufacturer of playing cards. Next-door, the Alava Archaeological Museum has an amazing array of treasures found in the surrounding Basque area from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages (free; vitoria-gasteiz.org).• Take a tour of Vitoria's monumental Santa Maria Cathedral, which dates to the 13th century, and discover the underground crypt and parapet walkway. The sound and light show at the end is especially impressive, with vividly coloured projections showing you how the original portico would have looked in the Middle Ages (from £8; catedralvitoria.eus).• Browse the independent boutiques, delis and chichi chocolate shops along the tree-lined avenues around the central Plaza de la Virgen Blanca in Vitoria's newer 'expansion' part of the city, built in the 18th and 19th centuries. Don't miss the colonnaded Plaza de España with its majestic town hall and café terraces.• Take a leisurely stroll along Paseo de la Senda, a leafy pedestrianised avenue lined with accordion-playing buskers and belle époque mansions and palaces. Stop at the grand Palacio Augustin-Zulueta (est 1912), which is now home to the Museo de Bellas Artes de Alava (fine arts museum) showcasing impressive works of Basque art from 1850 to 1950 (free; vitoria-gasteiz.org).• You can almost feel the clean air fill your lungs as you walk among the grottoes, ornate garden and landscaped lawns of Vitoria's central La Florida Park. Created in 1820 and less than ten minutes' walk from the old town, it was inspired by the romantic gardens of France and comes with a 19th-century bandstand that hosts concerts and dances during the summer.
Join local couples, young families and elderly ladies lunching at this hip pioneer of slow food (and the zero-miles ethos) in the city. A blackboard at the back of the restaurant illustrates where the fish, meat, olive oil and salt are sourced from. Don't miss the crayfish carpaccio and the wonderfully woody, wild mushroom and truffle croquettes (mains from £10; sukalki.com).
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Poured from a height, the region's crisp txakoli (a slightly sparkling white) is best savoured at one of Vitoria's beloved (and rightly lauded) pintxos bars on the edge of the main Plaza de la Virgen Blanca square. The classic Basque 'Gilda' pintxos — a stick stacked with punchy green olives, anchovies and hot green peppers — here are exceptional (wine from £1, pintxo from £4; tolonobar.com).
• Read our guide to San Sebastian
Settle on to a 15th-century wooden bench surrounded by antique bellows, burnished copper and wooden beams at Vitoria's oldest and most famous restaurant. This is the place for traditional dishes such as fresh local spider crab with carrots and leeks, or bean and clam casserole, as well as tenderly roasted meat and fish (mains from £19; restauranteelportalon.com).
Vitoria's excellent indoor food market makes for the perfect pitstop. Not only can you ogle fabulous displays of plump tomatoes, olives and hams, and cheeses galore, including the Basque smoked Idiazabal, but the great value Hazia bar and restaurant (£19 for three courses; haziaberri.com) dishes up top-notch local fare. Look out for crispy on the outside, rich on the inside beef croquettes, and hake in salsa verde. Alternatively head to the entrance of the market where the Basque wine estate Eguren Ugarte offers expert wine, cheese and chocolate tastings (from £15; egurenugarte.com).
Rub shoulders with politicians from the regional Basque government building nearby as you sip Basque ciders, wines and cocktails and dine on gourmet pintxos in Sagartoki's flashy interior, complete with DJ decks. Try the prize-winning fried egg and truffle pintxo (cocktails from £7, pintxo from £2; sagartoki.com).
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There's a hushed air of calm at the minimalist, Michelin-rated Kea on the edge of the old town. Zen-like states are broken only by the sound of the flames crackling on the Josper grill, where tattooed chefs sizzle T-bone steaks, beef ribs and fish. The soft, flaking, garlicky hake in tempura batter with salsa verde is exceptional, and oenophiles will enjoy the extensive wine list (mains from £17; keabasque.com).
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An eco escapeJust over the road from the Mercado Abastos and not far from Vitoria's main railway station, these contemporary studios and apartments have an abundance of green credentials. The hotel uses 100 per cent renewable energy and guests receive WhatsApp messages explaining how much CO2 they have helped to offset during their stay. Enjoy sweeping views from the rooftop pool, access to co-working spaces, and free yoga and mindfulness classes (room-only apartments from £58; koragreencity.com).
A boutique bolt hole In the heart of Vitoria's main shopping area, this converted fin-de-siècle townhouse couldn't be more central. The 20 rooms have a pared down, contemporary vibe with quality white linens and black-and-white framed photographs on the walls. The hotel has an arrangement with a café next door to offer guests breakfast for less than £8, but there are also plenty of great pavement cafés nearby to try too (room-only doubles from £63; nireahotel.com).
Park views and lavish breakfasts By the elegant La Florida Park, this makes an ideal base for seeing the city. Rooms are comfortable, modern and spacious, and those on the upper floors have the best views of Vitoria's park, rooftops and bell towers. You're less than ten minutes' walk from the old town and the fine arts museum. Bonus: the excellent breakfast buffet is so extensive that you'll barely need lunch (B&B doubles from £102; nh-hotels.com).
easyJet (easyjet.com), British Airways (britishairways.com) and Vueling (vueling.com) fly from the UK to Bilbao, the nearest international airport to Vitoria. Alternatively Brittany Ferries (brittany-ferries.co.uk) sails twice-weekly from Portsmouth to Bilbao. Buses run regularly on the hour-long route between Bilbao and Vitoria (£12 return; autobuseslaunion.com).
The city centre is walkable but if you want to see the outskirts, you'll need to hire a bicycle or use the local tram network. Extend your stay and explore the Basque Country's lush Rioja Alavesa wine region an hour's drive south of Vitoria, home to some 400 wineries. Or head an hour's drive northwest to the mountain walking trails of the Sierra Salvada, a haven for bird lovers.
Eddi Fiegel was a guest of the Spanish tourist office (spain.info), the Vitoria-Gasteiz tourist office (vitoria-gasteiz.org) and NH Canciller Ayala (nh-hotels.com)
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