At a glance
Álava (Araba in Basque) is the largest of the three provinces of the Basque Autonomous Community (Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava) but also the least populated: about 342,000 inhabitants (2025), about 260,000 of them in Vitoria-Gasteiz alone, seat of the Basque Parliament and Government.
Unlike Biscay and Gipuzkoa, Álava has no coastline. It is a province of plains and farming valleys, with mountains to the north (Gorbea) and vine-covered slopes to the south (Rioja Alavesa).
A little history
- Antiquity: the Roman town of Iruña-Veleia (near Vitoria), an important stop on the ab Asturica Burdigalam road.
- 1181: Sancho VI of Navarre grants a charter to the village of Gasteiz, renamed Nova Victoria.
- Around 1200: Álava comes under the authority of Castile.
- 1813: the Battle of Vitoria (21 June), Wellington’s decisive victory over the French troops. Beethoven composes Wellington’s Victory, Op. 91.
- 1980: Vitoria-Gasteiz becomes the seat of the Basque Parliament and Government. Today the city is home to Mercedes-Benz and Michelin factories.
- 2012: Vitoria-Gasteiz is named European Green Capital, notably for its green belt.
Must-see sights
- Casco Medieval of Vitoria-Gasteiz — the almond-shaped old town on its hill, with concentric streets and Santa María Cathedral, under restoration since the late 1990s and open to visitors during the works (‘Abierto por obras’, ‘open for restoration’).
- Vitoria’s Catedral Nueva (New Cathedral) — neo-Gothic, completed in the 20th century.
- Plaza de la Virgen Blanca and Plaza de España — the city’s festive heart, framed by arcades.
- Artium Museum — Basque and international contemporary art.
- Bibat Museum — archaeology plus the Fournier Playing Card Museum (Bendaña Palace).
- Anillo Verde (green belt) — a ring of parks encircling the city.
- Salinas de Añana — a salt valley where salt has been extracted for about 7,000 years, with terraced salt pans.
- Laguardia — a fortified medieval village in Rioja Alavesa, with restricted traffic and more than 200 underground cellars (calados).
- Rioja Alavesa — vineyards stretching down towards the Ebro. Modern bodegas designed by Gehry (Marqués de Riscal, in Elciego) and Calatrava (Ysios, in Laguardia).
- Ayala valley — Amurrio and the Nervión waterfall (a 222 m drop, the highest waterfall in the Iberian Peninsula).
- Gorbeia Natural Park — the summit of Gorbea (1,482 m), the highest point in Álava and Biscay.
- Izki Natural Park.
- Ullibarri-Gamboa reservoir — a reservoir lake with walks.
- Sanctuary of Estíbaliz.
Main towns
- Vitoria-Gasteiz — political capital, green city
- Laguardia — Rioja Alavesa, medieval village
- Salinas de Añana — age-old salt pans
- Amurrio — Ayala valley
- Llodio (Laudio) — industry and nature
Must-try food and drink
- Rioja Alavesa wine — a sub-zone of the Rioja appellation
- Perretxikos — spring mushrooms
- Patatas a la riojana — potatoes with chorizo
- Idiazabal cheese — sheep’s milk
Living traditions
- Virgen Blanca festivities (August) — they open with the descent of Celedón, a figure in a beret and smock, umbrella in hand, who slides down a rope from the bell tower of San Miguel (a tradition that began in 1957).
- The blusas — the traditional smock worn by the cuadrillas (groups of friends) during the fiestas.
- San Prudencio (28 April) — a festival in Armentia.
- The trikitixa — diatonic accordion accompanied by the tambourine.
Curiosities and anecdotes
- Vitoria-Gasteiz has been the de facto capital of the Basque Autonomous Community since 1980: it hosts the Parliament and Government, although this status is not explicitly written into law.
- Vitoria-Gasteiz’s green belt played a part in its designation as European Green Capital 2012.
- Santa María Cathedral, closed in 1994 because of serious structural problems, is being restored while remaining open to visitors. In 2008 Ken Follett presented his novel World Without End there, in recognition of the inspiration the building had given him.
- The Añana salt pans: the oldest traces of salt extraction here date back to the Neolithic, about 7,000 years ago.
- Michelin and Mercedes-Benz have factories in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Photographing Álava
- Vitoria-Gasteiz from the air — the almond-shaped medieval town, its hill and walls
- Inside Santa María Cathedral — the walkways of the restoration site
- Salinas de Añana at sunset — terraced salt pans
- Laguardia from the vineyards in autumn
- Bodega Marqués de Riscal (Gehry) in Elciego
- Nervión waterfall — a 222 m drop, spectacular after rain
- The green belt in the early morning