Elizabeth Hanchett

Ongi Etorri Euskadira! Welcome to Euskadi! This is the political region of the Basque Country in Spain. It’s become a food and culture destination as Basque chefs are becoming renown in gastronomy. It is a home to a very old culture that persisted despite trade with the Roman Empire, pioneering the shipbuilding industry in Europe and whose fishing practices allowed the Basques to form trade alliances with the Vikings. After all, it was a Basque who successfully circumnavigated the globe, surviving Magellan and it was Basques who introduced commercial whaling and the preservation of cod through salting that persists to this day. While San Sebastián may be the more famous city in the region as it was where Spanish royalty and nobility vacationed and where most of the famed Basque chefs such as Arzak are based, Bilbao is the arts and culture hub of a formally industrial city built on the iron industry that boomed during the 19th and early 20th centuries. I’m here to spill the beans on why this lesser-known, but cultural, powerhouse deserves your attention. Grab a txikito, pour some white wine and goazen!

Madrid is the capital of Spain and thus a beacon for all-things-Spanish and Spanish culture. However, it is a relatively modern city by European standards and most of what Spaniards would consider "local culture" and "Spanish culture" is actually located outside the city and in the surrounding regions of Castilla y León and Castilla la Mancha. Accessible by car, bus and train, most of the cities in the region are very well known for their history, culture and of course, food and wine! If you're tired of the city life, or just want a different perspective on Spanish culture than what you'd find in Madrid due to its modernity, you don't have to look very far! Skip the Museo de Jamón and explore the true heart of Spain!