Bilbao Aragon and the northern border of Spain

The area from Bilbao on the Bay of Biscay (Mar Cantabrico in Spanish) across to the mountains of northern Aragon-including the Basque Country and the Pyrenean province of Navarre-is remarkable for its diversity. It embraces both the main point of entry from France and some of Spain's most rugged terrain.

The Spanish Basque Country

The Spanish Basque Country (Pals Vasco) is an autonomous region, with its own language, traditions, and what many gourmets consider to be the finest cuisine in Spain. The city of Bilbao is the capital and the industrial heartland of the Basque Country, and is the most important port of Spain. Its bustling and thriving central district, broad boulevards, and leafy parks compensate to some extent for the smoke-stacks. The Casco Viejo (Old Quarter), is full of good, cheap eating and drinking places.

For tourists and art lovers in particular, there is one sight that clamours for attention. The Museo Guggenheim, inaugurated in October 1997, was designed by California-based architect Frank Gehry. The massive structure, funded primarily by the Basque government, is now one of Bilbao's foremost land­marks, rising above the banks of the Nervión River. Inside, spacious galleries accommodate works predominantly from the 1950s to the present, including site-specific pieces and works from the renowned Guggenheim collections of New York and Venice.

The Museo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum) is one of the country's very best collections. It offers a rich survey of Spanish classics (El Greco, Goya, and an honest, "warts and all" portrait of Philip IV by Velazquez), as well as Flemish and Italian masterpieces. The museum's upper floor is devoted to Basque and international 20th-century art.

The city of Vitoria (Gasteiz) founded by the Navarrese king Sancho the Wise in 1181, lies somewhat off the main tourist trail on the plains south of Bilbao. In 1200, the town passed into the hands of Castile, later growing rich on its wool trade.

The medieval town centre, laid out in a concentric pattern on the fortified hilltop, is home to the 14th-century Catedral de Santa Maria. Nearby, the Museo Provincial de Arqueologia features Iron Age and Roman relics. The prosperous merchants built gracious Renaissance mansions and fine churches such as San Miguel, on Plaza de la Virgen Blanco (White Virgin Square) to the south. Here, the Battle of Vitoria monument commemorates the Duke of Wellington's 1813 victory, which sent Jose I hightailing across the border back to France. Just east of this plaza, the city's spacious main square, Plaza de Espana, is a classic l8th­century Spanish ensemble, with the town hall on the north side.

About San Sebastian Spain

San Sebastian (Donostia), the "Pearl of the Cantabrian Coast," lies on the magnificent Bahia de la Concha (Seashell Bay), a semi-circle of sandy beaches flanked by two peninsulas. Formerly a fishing and trading port, San Sebastian was elevated to the heights of favoured royal seaside resort in the mid-19th century.

The charming town centre has little in the way of historical monuments, but numerous belle-epoque villas and buildings. The Miramar Palace and sweeping beachfront promenade along Playa de la Concha lend an undeniable cachet to this popular family resort. It is often referred to as one of Spain's most beautiful cities. In the lee of Monte Urgull, the colourful streets of the Parte Vieja (Old Quarter) radiate from the arcaded Plaza de Ia Constitución. The atmosphere still recalls something of an old-time fishing village, and the narrow streets are the focus for the early evening walkabout, when locals and visitors cram the multitude of bars and restaurants.

The city's oldest church, San Vicente, stands here, as well as Museo San Telmo, which displays municipal art collections with sections on local history and crafts. Not far from the fishing port (summer-season boat trips to the Isla de Santa Clara in the bay), the church of Santa Maria has an ornate Baroque facade. If you want to learn more about Basque seafaring, take a look around the Palacio del Mar, which is an aquarium and two museums.

Navarre and Pamplona Spain

Moving from west to east, the Pyrenees gain altitude, and the Basque character of the countryside and the people recede. Navarre once extended into France, but the mountains now form a natural border between France and Spain.

Pamplona is world-famous for its July encierro (running of the bulls), and is also recommended on the non-festival days. Its compact old centre, easy to explore on foot, is well-supplied with restaurants and bars. The city was supposedly founded by the Roman general Pompey; there are some exquisite Roman mosaics, plus interesting Romanesque and Gothic artefacts dis­played in the fine Museo de Navarra.

Situated between the old and new parts of the city is Pamplona's main square, the Plaza del Castillo-an attractive spot with shady trees, benches, a bandstand, and outdoor cafes along the edges. To the northeast, the huge cathedral complex backs onto the city wall. Its overblown 18th-century west facade conceals a gloomy but impressive I 4th- to 15th-century interior. In contrast, the beautiful Gothic cloister is an oasis of sunshine and calm, with some notable sculpture. Make sure you don't miss the Ayuntamiento (City Hall), a gloriously extravagant Baroque construction.

Estella is an unspoiled medieval town with beautiful Romanesque buildings. "Estella la Bella" was a favourite pilgrim stop on the road to Santiago de Compostela.
On Plaza de San Martin, a 12th-century palace faces the church of San Pedro de la Rua. The church's portal features an unusual, scalloped arch with both Moorish- and Christian­inspired elements. The remains of the church's Romanesque cloister are decorated with fine carved capitals. Another note­worthy pilgrim church is the unfinished Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro, which has a superlative Gothic portal. Across the river, the church of San Miguel Arcangel has a portal richly decorated with carved biblical scenes and figures designed to inspire pilgrims on their way.

Just 3km (2 miles) south of Estella, the Monasterio de Irache was another important stop on the Pilgrim Way. A Benedictine foundation, it was once a university. Its 12th-century church has an "old" and a "new" cloister, the latter with fine Plateresque details.

You can see the high tower of the cathedral in Thdela from miles away, yet once you're inside the labyrinth of narrow streets you may have to seek directions. Built soon after the Reconquest on the ruins of a mosque, the 12th- to 13th-century cathedral is a classic of the earliest Gothic style. It boasts three monumental portals, the Capilla de Santa Ana, a Baroque spree with flights of angels flying up the walls to the chapel's dome, and a Romanesque cloister.

The ancient, strategic town of Sanguesa guards a crucial bridge across the Rio Aragon, which was much disputed during the struggle against the Moors, and later a crossing point on the Pilgrim's Way.

There are many handsome medieval buildings in the town, but the piece de resistance is the church of Santa Maria la Real. Its south portal is a masterpiece of stone carving, decorated with biblical scenes and crowds of figures.

Northern Aragon Spain

Mountain homeland of the medieval kings of Aragon, this sparsely populated and visually striking region really is "undiscovered," rugged Spain. With the exception of visitors to the Ordesa National Park, foreign tourists are few and far between. The tallest peaks of all the Pyrenees belong to Aragon, and there are several good ski resorts in Asttin, Candanchti, and Formigal.

Gateway to the Aragon Pyrenees and an old stop on the Pilgrim Way, Jaca has been fraught with military significance for at least twelve centuries, ever since it figured in one of the earliest victories over the Moors. The enormous, low-lying 16th-century fortress at the edge of town is a symbol of its former strategic importance. Jaca's other notable monument is its cathedral, which dates from the 11th Century and is one of the oldest in Spain. Take note of its fine Romanesque frescoes, as well as Renaissance sculptures and a Plateresque retable.

Ordesa National Park Spain

Reckoned to be one of Europe's best-kept secrets, this spectacular mountain park is accessible from the village of Torla (60 km/37 miles northeast of Jaca). Graceful Pyrenean chamois perch on the cliffs here, as do wild goat, roe deer, wild boar, and the only ibex (a mountain goat with back-curved horns) surviving in the Pyrenees. A national park for 70 years, the dramatic I, 000-metre (3,250-fool) Ordesa valley canyon walls dwarf forests of ancient beech, silver fir, and mountain pine. You can enjoy the canyon from the comfort of your car, but to truly appreciate its beauty and scale, bring hiking gear. The park information office and local stores have maps and details of suggested walks requiring varying degrees of fitness and proficiency. During summer the park can become quite busy, but snow cuts off all access from around October to April.

Zaragoza Spain Information

Capital of Aragon and the one relatively big town of the region, Zaragoza can trace its origins back to the Iberians. The Romans arrived in 25 B.C., spanned the River Ebro with a bridge, and founded the city of Caesaraugusta. Subsequently, the Moors held the city for 400 years. The Ebro is at its best here, more than halfway from its source in the Cantabrian Mountains on its way to the Mediterranean.

Backing onto the river is Zaragoza's favourite church, the cathedral-basilica of Nuestra Senora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar). Vast and bright, it is always packed with pilgrims. According to tradition, the Virgin Mary appeared here in A.D. 40, standing on the jasper column housed in the elaborate CapilIa del Pilar. The cathedral's superb main retable is the greatest work of the sculptor Damian Forment.

The Plaza del Pilar has recently undergone a facelift and been expanded to become the largest square in Spain. Complete with fountains as well as floodlights, it is edged by several religious souvenir shops and outdoor cafes. Just off the plaza, the Aragon tourist office occupies the Zuda Tower, a 14th-century Mudejar relic.

Zaragoza's other cathedral, La Seo, was built in the 12th century. Although it is mainly Gothic, the cathedral also features Romanesque remnants, Mudejar decorations, and striking Baroque postscripts, plus a 17th-century belfry displaying one of the finest tapestry collections in Spain. In 1988, workmen stumbled on the site of a Roman Forum, built in the third century, in front of the cathedral. This archaeological dig now reveals the remains of a temple, homes, shops, and offices, plus assorted statuary and general artefacts.

West of the city centre, the beautifully restored Moorish AI­jaferia Palace was founded in the 11th century, then adapted by the Christian kings of Aragon after the Reconquest. Across the moat (now a sunken garden) you enter the world of Muslim Spain, something rarely seen this far north.