The Basque Country Travel Guide
travel advice and expert tips on French and Spanish sides of the border and neighbouring Navarre, including Bilbao and San Sebastian, Biarritz and the French Pyrenees. Also covers walking routes, surfing spots, wildlife, birdwatching, pilgrim routes, local food, txakoli wine, maps and practical information.
This new, thoroughly updated edition of Bradt’s award-winning guide to the Basque Country and Navarre remains the most comprehensive and in-depth guide available to this multi-lingual, multi-cultural borderland encompassing parts of southern France and northern Spain. This fully revised second edition includes all the elements required for an enjoyable holiday and also the unique aspects of Basque culture and traditions which make this such a fascinating part of the world. Bradt’s The Basque Country and Navarre seeks to give a real insight into what is a strong regional identity, uncovering the peculiarities which imbue the area with its aura of intrigue and taking you way beyond the delightful, well-known cities and into the heart of the beautiful Basque countryside. When it comes to food, discover not just what to eat, but also how to eat it, for many Basque eating rituals apply!In this, the most complete guidebook to the Spanish and French Basque Country and Navarre, Murray Stewart covers the principal cities
rejuvenated Bilbao with its famous Guggenheim Museum, beautiful San Sebastian, verdant Vitoria and lively Pamplona
and also delves deeper into the region’s interior, capturing the quirkiness that make it so special. Find the best pintxos (Basque tapas) and txakoli wine, the finest chuleton (beef chop) and the freshest fish. From elegant Biarritz, via the French Basque Pyrenees, to the Navarran ‘badlands’ of Bardenas Reales, travel to fascinating, less-visited places. Here are the best festivals, including Pamplona’s famous, bull-running Sanfermines. Learn how the handing-over of three cows has kept the peace for centuries, or where you can see the annual ‘Benediction of the Red Pepper’. Join the walkers on the Caminos de Santiago, the pilgrim routes which still sustain the local economy, 1,000 years after they began. Find information on the unique Basque and Navarran wines, top birdwatching sites, history, music, sports and culture
and when to visit. Bradt’s The Basque Country and Navarre is the ideal companion. AUTHOR: Murray Stewart lived in the Basque Country and Navarre for several months while writing this book. An excellent French and Spanish-speaker, he has also worked in Northern Spain as a business consultant and taught English in Chile and Mexico. A diehard pilgrim, he has spent many weeks and covered hundreds of kilometres slowly trekking through both the French and Spanish Basque regions, as well as Navarre, on his way to Santiago de Compostela. He has also extensively toured the western Pyrenees and Navarre by bicycle. Recently pursuing a more sedate passion for classic cars, in 2014 he bought a 1970s Seat 600 in San Sebastian. colour photographs and 36 maps