Fly & Drive Noord Spanje

About the destination: Bilbao is the capital of Biscay in the Basque Country, in northern Spain. The city is situated on the banks of the Nervión, a tidal river. Bilbao was till the 90s a grey big industrial town, the economical heart of the Basque Country. But since the opening of a new Guggenheim Museum by the river, the city has become an arty and stylish city and is now a major touristic destination. The main attraction that put Bilbao on the map was the construction of the Guggenheim Museum by Frank Gehry, it is now one of Spain’s most visited attractions. The building is impressive and there are some very interesting sculptures outside the museum and in the atrium. Centred on the Plaza Nueva, a busy and colourful square, and the Santiago Cathedral the old quarter of Bilbao is pretty compact and a walk around its streets doesn't take long. The impressive church of San Nicolas, built in 1743 in honour of the sailors from Bilbao, stands at the entrance to the Casco Viejo. Located in the very heart of Bilbao's old centre, the cathedral of Bilbao is the oldest church in the city and the main Gothic construction in Biscay. Vital and exciting Bilbao is famous for its great food, its culture and its active nightlife.

About the destination: Santander is an elegant port city which extends along the northern side of the handsome Bahía de Santander and it's a lively place with much to see and do. It is a deeply historical place full of wide streets, pleasing architecture and waterside restaurants. Santander’s most popular neighbourhood, El Sardinero, was once a very exclusive holiday spot for the wealthy. Nowadays it preserves a belle-époque elegance and its one of the most beautiful parts of the city, especially valued for its environmental quality and spectacular beaches. The Paseo de Pereda, with its typical houses with enclosed balconies, and its gardens constitutes a buoyant boulevard which separates the coastal strip from the historic quarter of Santander. The nearby Cathedral is one of the oldest buildings in the capital, its earliest construction dating from the 13th century. Under the main chapel is the crypt of El Cristo, a sombre vaulted chamber in which various traces of the Roman era were discovered. There are lots of reasons to like the bustling port city as its good city beaches, its numerous parks and gardens, its gastronomy and its history makes it the perfect gateway.

About the destination: Tranquil and conservative, Burgos is the site of one of Spain’s most magnificent cathedrals and the place associated with El Cid, Castile’s real-life epic hero. Legendary as the liberator of Valencia from the Moors, El Cid is honoured by a colossal statue in a square named after him, La Plaza del Mio Cid. Burgos’s landmark will always be its cathedral, the third largest in Spain ad a majestic Gothic structure topped by two lacy stone spires. Built during the 13th and 15th centuries, it features exemplary Gothic and Plateresque architecture and artwork. The Capilla mayor, in the centre of the church, contains the tombs of El Cid and his wife, while the famous Cofre del Cid, the box in which his remains were found, hangs against a side wall. A few steps across Plaza de Santa Maria, erected as a gateway to the walled city and later decorated with the busts of Burgos’s favourites, Emperor Charles V and El Cid. Burgos also considers itself among the most purely Castilian cities in Spain. The clipped and exquisite Spanish of its residents will make you stand up and take notice, and you may not want to leave until you have seen every single monument.

About the destination: Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the Basque Autonomous Community and of the province of Álava. Vitoria-Gasteiz is a multicultural city with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, healthcare, architectural conservation, aeronautics, vehicle industry, oenology and gastronomy. The expansion of the city in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has managed to adapt its aesthetic tradition to current needs, creating architectural elements and structures of remarkable beauty. Vitoria is the provincial capital with the highest density of green areas per inhabitant and was European Capital in 2012. The medieval district, declared a monumental site in 1987, is one of the most beautiful and best preserved in the north of the peninsula. Another good reason to come to Vitoria-Gasteiz is to attend the cultural and sporting events the city offers throughout the year.

About the destination: Bilbao is the capital of Biscay in the Basque Country, in northern Spain. The city is situated on the banks of the Nervión, a tidal river. Bilbao was till the 90s a grey big industrial town, the economical heart of the Basque Country. But since the opening of a new Guggenheim Museum by the river, the city has become an arty and stylish city and is now a major touristic destination. The main attraction that put Bilbao on the map was the construction of the Guggenheim Museum by Frank Gehry, it is now one of Spain’s most visited attractions. The building is impressive and there are some very interesting sculptures outside the museum and in the atrium. Centred on the Plaza Nueva, a busy and colourful square, and the Santiago Cathedral the old quarter of Bilbao is pretty compact and a walk around its streets doesn't take long. The impressive church of San Nicolas, built in 1743 in honour of the sailors from Bilbao, stands at the entrance to the Casco Viejo. Located in the very heart of Bilbao's old centre, the cathedral of Bilbao is the oldest church in the city and the main Gothic construction in Biscay. Vital and exciting Bilbao is famous for its great food, its culture and its active nightlife.