Capital of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz is a city of historic buildings, wide avenues and a medieval atmosphere. It also boasts a great cultural life characterized by the Vitoria Jazz Festival, which takes places in July.

Some of Vitoria-Gasteiz's main attractions are Plaza de la Virgen Blanca (the White Virgin Square), featuring the Battle of Vitoria monument; the church of San Miguel, which displays the image of the White Virgin (the city's patron); the Cathedral of Santa Maria, with a Latin cross floor-plan; Escoriaza-Esquibel Palace, boasting a magnificent plateresque courtyard; Los Arquillos, an arcaded walk joining the historic neighborhood with the more modern suburbs; Casa del Cordon, an old trading house dating from the Low Middle Ages; and the Basque Parliament, housing the present autonomous parliament.

You should not miss strolling along Plaza de los Fueros (designed by the prestigious Basque artist Eduardo Chillida); visiting the Florida Park, built in 1820 and boasting a wide variety of plant species; as well as the Judizmendi Park, located in what it used to be a Jewish cemetery.

Last but not least, the cuisine: Vitoria-Gasteiz's specialties include perretxikos (a kind of mushroom), goxua (a sponge cake with whipped cream and caramel),  'habas a la vitoriana', and fried peppers (fritada de pimientos), just to mention a few.