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If you want to enjoy your time in Gernika to the full, then here are some of the best plans to do just that!
It was 3.45 p.m. on the 26th of April 1937. It was a Monday, the day of the weekly market. Planes of the German Luftwaffe swooped down on Gernika, dropping bombs and obliterating everything in their path over four long hours, leaving a litany of victims in their wake.
As a memorial to this tragic episode, visitors to Gernika can follow a route around the areas hardest hit by the air raid. An initiative that combines historical research and the testimonies of the survivors.
The Bombing Route is a self-guided interactive route that consists of 11 panels set up in different places in the centre of Gernika.
Each panel contains information about the bombing, testimonies, old photographs and QR codes that take us on a 360º virtual tour of Gernika before the bombing. At each panel, visitors can compare in situ what the place looked like before it was destroyed and how its appearance has changed since the attack.
The panels are not in any chronological order, which means you can follow the route any way you like. Although all the panels follow the same common thread of the bombing, the content of each panel is independent. Follow the route any way you like and take as much time as you need.
Although the guided tours that the Tourist Office organises are exclusively for groups, this section also contains a number of other options for individuals designed to cater for all tastes and interests. Gernika is a town steeped in history. Make sure you don’t miss it, it will surprise you.
Gernika is located in the very heart of the Urdaibai Reserve, an extraordinarily beautiful natural area of exceptional environmental interest. The estuary of the river Oka is one of this area’s most important attractions, a veritable spectacle teeming with life and boasting a variety of landscapes that are the result of centuries of harmonious coexistence between nature and the 22 villages it contains.
Anyone travelling with children knows that you need to choose a destination that can provide lots of different alternatives and options that not only meet their expectations, but those of the adults involved as well! That’s why, if you’re looking for ideas for your next family holiday, Gernika is an ideal destination that young and old alike will enjoy.
The Marco Topo Club is a free interactive game designed to make it easier for families with children to enjoy cultural visits. It provides you with all the material you need to plan a visit that is both entertaining and stimulating. No matter whether you’re young or old, you’re sure to get hooked on this game as you stroll around Gernika following clues and exploring the most important and relevant places and sites of its history.
When you discover the Basque Country you’re bound to fall in love with its landscapes, its people and, it goes without saying, its delicious cuisine, known and appreciated all over the world. Gernika is coming down with culinary options to suit all kinds of tastes and budgets. Find out all about them!
Don’t forget to take something home with you that will remind you of your trip to Gernika or perhaps a little gift for your family or friends, you know they’ll be just delighted!
The Northern Way of St. James is known for its beautiful scenery.
Yellow arrows mark the Way of St. James as it passes through Gernika; its route runs past the town’s main attractions such as the museums and the Casa de Juntas (Assembly House). Approaching the town from the Collegiate Church of Zenarruza or from Markina, weary pilgrims make their way into Gernika in search of the rest they need to face the next stage of their journey, towards Bilbao.
To walk the Way of St. James is to experience the essence of a journey. It is time to pull your boots on and make your way to Gernika.
