Basque is an autonomous community located in the north of Spain which is made up of three provinces; Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. Basque also has its own language, Basque. Being on the coast, it has several beaches and also has mountain ranges. Being part of "Green Spain", the northern part of the region has an oceanic climate while the south has a Continental Mediterranean climate.
The largest city is Bilbao, capital of Biscay with a variety of architectural ranging from gothic to contemporary. The major festival being Semena Grande, on the Saturday of the third week in August and lasts for nine days. Music performances, street entertainment, bullfighting and firework displays make up most of the celebrations. Several activities are possible around Bilbao because of its hilly countryside such as hiking and mountain climbing with surfing on the beaches.
The second largest city is Vitoria-Gasteiz, capital of Alava with several roman, gothic and gothic-renaissance styled buildings of interest such as cathedrals, churches and museums. The Cathedral of Santa Maria being the most prominent with its gothic architecture dating back to the 14th century. Vitoria-Gasteiz also hosts two annual music festivals - a jazz festival in mid July and a rock festival in late August / early September.
The capital of Gipuzkoa is San Sebastián, the third largest city of Basque is a popular beach resort on the southern coast of the Bay of Biscay. This bustling city is known for its variety of entertainment, cultural activities, music and film festivals and interesting enthusiastic people. San Sebastián has three beaches which you can enjoy the sea or sunbathe at your leisure during the summer in a warm beach atmosphere. There is also a variety of cuisine to be sampled and enjoyed such as local traditions, contemporary, italian and fish & seafood amongst others.
