Rioja contrasts

Want to see the most interesting in the famous wine region of Rioja, where tradition and advanced technology create one of the most famous wines in the world? I invite you to a fascinating tour of Rioja, whose cultural and historical landscape and the Way of Santiago, which runs through the Rioja Valley, are included in the UNESCO Heritage of Humanity.

You will see ancient villages, as if frozen in time, as well as modern architecture of the 21st century Bodega, learn the features of the Rioja Valley, which allows you to grow excellent grapes and secrets of winemaking, which are already several thousand years old, discover how Rioja wines came to worldwide success, touch the living history and culture of this region, see beautiful examples of ancient and modern architecture, enjoy the delightful natural landscapes of vineyards, the Ebro River against the backdrop of the majestic mountain chains of Sierra Cantabria and Sierra Demanda and enjoy the excellent cuisine of Rioja.

The first fortress town on our way - Labastida, whose name speaks for itself - in former times it was an impregnable military bastion on the border of the two kingdoms. The historic center of Labastida has been declared a Protected Historical and Artistic Complex. The city on a high hill is dominated by the Romanesque Basilica of Santo Cristo. From the Arch of Larrazurria we will take a walk through the old districts of the town of the Renaissance - Olmo and Mota, go down to the Baroque part of the city, go to the main square of the city of Plaza de la Paz, famous for one of the Guinness records, where we will visit the city hall building and the church of Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion - a national architectural monument, the grandeur of which amazes and contrasts with the size of the town itself. It houses the largest organ in the Basque Country - a participant of the summer organ festival. On request, tasting local pinchos with a glass of Rioja in one of the bars on the main square of the city. In the end, we will walk along the main street, see the house where Napoleon stayed.

After a walk along Labastida, dine at one of the local restaurants with the traditional Rioja Alavesa menu and DOC Rioja wines.

Next, we will visit one of the modern bodegas of the region - Baigorri bodega, which is located in the village of Samanyego at the foot of the Sierra Cantabria. This unusual 21st century bodega stands out for its huge glass cube, which organically fits into the surrounding landscape and hides under the ground a real miracle of the winemaking process. The entire production complex of this winery is dug into the hill and built on the principle of gravity on 7 underground levels, in which a careful attitude to grapes in combination with advanced technologies allows you to get original and high-quality wines. From the observation deck of the bodega opens breathtaking views of the endless sea of surrounding vineyards, and descending to the last underground level, you can be in a restaurant where you will be offered the best wines of this unusual bodega.

This tour, if desired, can be supplemented with the following options (on pre-order and for an additional fee):

• Visit the Rioja Balcony, an observation deck in the Sierra Cantabria Mountains, offering a delightful view of the entire Rioja Valley.
• Visit the Chapel of San Felices, located on the top of Mount Bilibio in the Conchas de Aro gorge. This place was chosen by the Spaniards themselves as “the best corner of Spain in 2014” according to the Repsol rating.