zzAbba Jazz Hotel

The Fournier de Naipes de Álava Museum collection began in 1916 when, after the death of Heraclio Fournier, his grandson, Félix Alfaro Fournier, succeeded him as the head of the Naipes factory. An eager collector, his professional interest as a manufacturer led to the beginning of this collection that increased as a result of various acquisitions and donations. Of particular importance was the purchase at auction, in 1970, of the Thomas De La Rue collection, previously housed at the British Museum in London. One of the earliest items conserved in Europe was included in this acquisition. In 1984, the Provincial Council of Álava acquired the collection and exhibited it in several rooms at the Álava Museum of Fine Arts. Subsequently, due to increased funding and exhibition needs, it moved to the Bendaña Palace, which has been the headquarters of the Fournier de Naipes de Álava Museum since 1994.

This festival has been held in honour of the Virgen Blanca in Vitoria since 1884. The eve of the celebrations begins on 4th August in the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca at the heart of the city, where thousands of Vitorianos and visitors gather to launch the festivities with the descent of Celedon, a doll resembling an elderly resident of Alava that crosses the Plaza via a pulley system. After the descent, a member of the smock –or blusa– wearing brigade, who is dressed up as the doll, crosses the plaza from the Caja Vital office (in front of the church of San Miguel) to the steps. Later, when he arrives at the Church of San Miguel balcony, they dance the traditional aurresku and you can hear the traditional call and response: Gora Gasteiz!, Gora Celedon!... and the people answer: Gora! Thousands of cigars are lit and thousands of bottles of cava are uncorked. The youngsters shout out for water in the streets adjacent to the plaza. And so the revelry begins on the 4th and continues until 9th August, the 5th being the day of the Virgen Blanca.

The Old Quarters of Vitoria-Gasteiz, declared a Monumental Site in 1997, still preserve the medieval layout intact. Three Europa Nostra awards support the restoration and recovery work carried out to areas and landmark buildings in the Medieval Quarters. The Medieval Quarters enable visitors to enjoy walks through the history of the city, discover civil buildings, palaces, tower houses, and beautiful temples of great interest as examples of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical art.

The Azkena Rock Festival has been organised for a number of years and has become one of the most important festivals in Spain. It brings rock bands that are well known underground but less mainstream, in addition to big names, including some ‘legendary’ names. It is possible to attend all concerts, as there are two stages and the concerts do not overlap. The Azkena Rock Festival is held every year at the end of July.

Open for restoration work” visits are conducted at the Santa María Cathedral. These guided visits show visitors the restoration work to the cathedral. It is a unique, pioneering initiative that enables visitors to discover the history of the city through the building. The visit through the restoration work in the cathedral is conducted wearing a hard hat. It is an exceptional visit that, with strict safety measures, allows visitors to gain first-hand knowledge of the restoration work. The quality of the Visitor Programme has obtained recognition in the form of the Tourism Prize (2000) granted by the Basque Government. .

Since 1995, the Jazz Festival lasts a full week: 7 consecutive days of jazz held at the Mendizorrotza multi-purpose sports centre, which has an acoustic quality. In 1990, in its 14th edition, and in parallel to the concerts in the sports centre, the series ‘Jazz of the 21st Century’ was created as an opportunity for promising new jazz musicians.

This itinerary offers a route for today’s pilgrims who can follow the signs that have been placed on the ground to indicate the way. From a historical perspective, the first pilgrims would pass through the area, exploring the villages they found, including Gasteiz, but without any established criteria. It is possible that Armentia, on the ancient Roman road, had already become a special focus point, as the birthplace of San Prudencio, but it was not until it was elevated to the rank of Collegiate, and the construction of the Romanesque structure, that it became a reference point. Since then, coinciding with the founding of Vitoria, pilgrims would consider the alternative of seeking shelter in the new city or pass it by to enjoy the seniority and prestige of the sub-Episcopal see. Today, the route signposts lead to Vitoria-Gasteiz via Elorriaga. From there, the modern residential areas allow pilgrims to make their way through the Portal de Elorriaga and then take Santiago Street.