What you should know about Bilbao & La Rioja?
Bilbao, a city among the nature
Bilbao is a municipality and city in Spain, the capital of the province of Biscay in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 as of 2010, it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain. With roughly 1 million inhabitants, Bilbao lies within one of the most populous metropolitan areas in northern Spain. The Bilbao metropolitan area includes the region of Greater Bilbao (875,552) making it the fifth-largest urban area in Spain. Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay, where the estuary of Bilbao is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain ranges with an average elevation of 400 metres.
La Rioja, nature and wine region:
You have been told time and time again: do not mix business with pleasure. Well, forget all that. In La Rioja, we believe in a beneficial combination of work and relaxation. Everything is just a moment away. It is a small, well-ordered, tightly packed box of surprises. If you are looking for easy access, peace and quiet, exclusiveness and services, then La Rioja is the place for you.
Why are Bilbao & La Rioja the right destinations?
Bilbao is an artistic city with a special architecture
The reputation of Bilbao is international for its outstanding architecture and its contemporary’s art museum. The Guggenheim museum is designed by the architect Frank O. Gehry in 1997 and offers contemporary art and temporal exhibitions. In Bilbao we can also find an old quarter, el Casco Viejo, founded over 700 years ago surrounded by fortress walls. In this old part you can visit medieval monuments and the popular Cathedral of Santiago bordered by the Nervion River.
Basque country is one of the best wine region of Spain
Outside Bilbao, we can enjoy an impressive landscape; surrounded by mountains, popular vineyards, peaceful forest and Salinas. This region offers you unforgettable trekking roads in the salt valley, in the popular wine routes or even in the Bay of Biscay. Of course, your incentive trip in Bilbao can only be completed after a visit of vineyards and a full Rioja Wine tasting.
Bilbao & La Rioja offers traditional Gastronomy
Best of all, the Basque country has one of the best quality and tasty food of Spain, particularly in the San Sebastian area. Known as the capital of Michelin star Restaurants, this area has more than 16 restaurants rewarded restaurants with Michelin star, making the region the more awarded Michelin star destination of the entire world. The Basque country offers you also very good tapas bars where you can enjoy authentic pinxos and drink tasty wine from la Rioja. In order to enjoy the traditional Basque country gastronomy, the fiesta Santo Domingo de la Calzada is the perfect moment to enjoy the traditional Basque Country gastronomy.
Bilbao is a city in the nature of Basque Country
With its 350.000 inhabitants, Bilbao is the largest city of the autonomous Basque country community. Bilbao has an international airport, a convention center and is surrounded by the nature and the vineyard. Even better, the town is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees Mountain, making Bilbao an ideal Incentive destination.
Bilbao & La Rioja have various possibilities for incentives groups
Thanks to its diversified environment, Bilbao & La Rioja has a high potential in term of variety of venues. In fact, between sea, mountains and vineyard, this destination can offer a large range of possibilities that other regions cannot. The localization is well-known as the ideal incentives place for groups who want to have diversified activities and venues, this polyvalence makes Bilbao the ideal gateway destination for excursions and leisure tours.
Incentive Ideas in Bilbao & La Rioja?
Morning & Lunch: Bodega’s visit & lunch in the middle of the countryside
Departure by old timer cars to La Rioja, the famous wine Region of Basque country. At place, we will organise a visit followed by a wine tasting in a prestigious Bodega. Our guests will learn about the process and the technique of wine’s elaboration in La Rioja. After the visit of this famous great old names vineyard, we will have lunch in an exclusive place in the middle of La Rioja’s nature.After this, a little digestion trek in this special environment is required.
Afternoon: Art Team, feel like a real artist
This is a team building activity of artistic type that allows participants to become authentic painters for a few hours. The attendees are divided into teams to paint a picture that has a special meaning for the company with the corporate logo, a photo or drawing … armed with brushes, paints and very little information of what should be done. At the end, everyone will discover how each of the canvases will be part of a large mural that will be a souvenir for the company. It is an activity that motivates teamwork in a creative way allowing each to them to participate.
Evening & Dinner: Bilbao tour and Guggenheim Museum
During the evening we will organize a special highlights tour of Bilbao including the visit of Guggenheim Museum, a perfect example of the avantgardiste architecture of Bilbao. After the tour, we will have dinner at Nerua, one of the best Restaurants of Bilbao. Nerua is a new gastronomic 1 michelin star restaurant strategically located in the heart of the museum that offers a revolutionary and innovative kitchen lead by Josean Martínez Alija.