Vitoria-Gasteiz

The capital of the Basque Country, and the region's second-largest city after Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz might be Euskadi's least "Basque" city, at least to the naked eye, since it's neither a seafaring port nor a mountain enclave. It sprawls, instead, over the steppe-like meseta de Álava (Álava plain) and functions as a modern industrial center with plentiful cultural events, fine restaurants, and museums. The city also boasts a strikingly well-preserved casco medieval (medieval quarter). Founded by Sancho el Sabio (the Wise) in 1181, the urban center was built largely of granite, so Vitoria's oldest streets and squares seem especially weathered and ancient.