Bilbao and Bizkala Tourism showcase in Dublin - Unravel Travel TV
Tourism and cultural representatives from Bilbao and the province of Bizkaia visited Dublin to hold a showcase of the Iberian region for Irish travel professionals. The event took place on Wednesday, 25th May 2016 at celebrated Irish chef Andrew Rudd’s newly-opened restaurant, Medley, on Dublin’s Fleet Street East and shone a light on the ‘Hiria, Ura and Natura’ (city, water and nature) attractions that make Bilbao and Bizkaia a top destination for visitors.
As the largest city in the Basque region, Bilbao hosts a number of ‘Hiria’ highlights including the iconic Museo Guggenheim, which is home to works by Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons among others; the 45 metres high Puente de Vizcaya Bridge across the Nervión River, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s oldest fully-functioning transporter bridge that also offers panoramic views from an aerial walkway; the Euskalduna Concert Hall, which has one of the largest auditoriums in Europe and hosts regularly performances from world-class artists. Other city highlights include one of the world’s top five most valuable classic car collections at Torre Loizaga, which houses 45 mint-condition Rolls-Royces; and numerous other museums and cathedrals; as well as the Mercado de la Ribera, Europe’s largest indoor market.
Sport fans can visit the home of the successful soccer club Athletic Bilbao and enjoy the ‘Ura’ attractions including exhilarating surf at Mundaka, which is famed for 4 metres high and 400 metres long tubes that have hosted Kelly Slater and other champions at the World Tour nine times. Mundaka is also a charming seaside town with plenty for the whole family to explore.
‘Natura’ enthusiasts venturing outside of Bilbao can enjoy unspoilt and authentic countryside in the Bizkaia province, at the gateway to the Basque region. With the Basque Mountains to the south, the coastline of Bermeo to the north, the diverse geography of the Urdaibai UNESCO Biosphere Reserve offers the chance for visitors to enjoy a variety of activities, from getting lost in Oma’s Enchanted Forest and discovering the Pozalagua Caves. The caves include an enormous collection of rare helictites (eccentrically branching stalactites).
Guests at the showcase also enjoyed traditional Trikitrixa (a diatonic accordion, specific to the Bilbao and Bizkaia region) and tambourine music performed live by Basque musicians Xabi Aburruzaga and Joseba Urrutia, as well as the local gastronomy specialities of Txakoli wine and Pintxos – tapas style bites prepared by Daniel García and Jabier Gartzia, two of Bizkaia’s many Michelin-starred chefs (the Basque region boasts 29 Michelin stars with nine in Bilbao alone). Both the musicians and chefs flew into Dublin specifically for the event.
Irish travel trade guests met with various Basque-based tourism and travel companies, including destination management companies Romotur, Bilbao Paso a Paso, Bitravel, North Incoming Service, STI, and Gobasquing; accommodations with 4 and 5-star ratings such as Gran Hotel Domine, Aranzazu Hotels, Ercilla Hotels, Zenit Hotels and the Ilunion Hotels; country home provider Nekatur; the Bilbao Tourism Board and Bizkaia Tourism Board.
For further information about Bilbao and Bizkaia visit:
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Visite Musée Rolls Royce 2013, Vallée d'Enkarterri, Bilbao
- WebTV officiel de Tourisme de Bilbao. À seulement 150 kilomètres après la frontière espagnole, au Pays Basque, Bilbao, capitale de la Biscaye, dispose de tous les attributs du modernisme et du dynamisme. Riche, accueillante, branchée, culturelle, Bilbao a tout pour plaire aux touristes français...
Dans ce reportage, Jokin Etcheverria, chroniqueur TV de l'émission de voyage de la chaine basque EITB vous présente la région d'Enkarterri, une vallée peu connue situé à quelques kilomètres de Bilbao.
Au programme, visite du Musée Rolls Royce, le petit village de Güeñes la ville de Balmaseda et le musée la Encartada avec le designer Alberto Sinpatrón, designer engagé et curieux des origines de la couture.
Enkarterri est la vallée qui attire des designers en vogue, elle vous offrira une vision différente de l'univers champêtre, où le patrimoine, la nature et l'avant garde se côtoient au quotidien.
D'un côté, le Musée Rolls Royce abrite la collection la plus complète au Monde de Rolls Royce. D'un autre côté, le Musée la Encartada, une ancienne fabrique de bérets, avec des machines centenaires.
La fabrique a été en activité de 1892 à 1992. Marcos Arena Bermejillo fît fortune en Amérique, à son retour en Biscaye, il se lança dans la conception textile et connût un vif succès. Ce musée est un magnifique témoignage de la révolution industrielle.