History. No-one knows where the Basques came from, though it is clear their ancestry is different from that of Spaniards. They are bigger, fairer, often high-foreheaded, and have curious blood group characteristics which distinguish them from the rest of Europe. The Basque language, Euskera, is also quite different, being not only not a Romance language like Spanish, Catalan or French, but even predating in origin the Indo-European languages which came with the Aryan migrations of three thousand years ago. So it is entirely possible that the Basques are, as they maintain, original, aboriginal Europeans, living Cro-Magnons.

The Basque Country for Visitors. The mountains which ensured the independence of the Basque Country and its attractive coastline and fishing towns and villages are its greatest attractions. Its gastronomy is also highly considered, and its cities are interesting and civilized. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, its industry made Biscay one of the motors of the Spanish economy (and created pollution which has taken decades to clean up), and Bilbao is the reflection of that, a city based on shipyards and iron and steel mills, recently renovated on an enormous scale and now a destination for cruise ships, largely because of its spectacular Guggenheim museum. Up in the mountains, Álava's capital, Vitoria, is a much more provincial affair than Bilbao, consistently coming near the top on those lists of places with a high quality of life. Donostia-San Sebastián, capital of Guipuzcoa, is a slightly schizophrenic city, at once an elegant resort, the Spanish Biarritz, playground of royalty, and at the same time the heart of the most nationalistic corner of the Basque Country.

Culture. Basques are a complicated people, with strong traditions of, for example, absurdly devout Catholicism. Basque Games are reminiscent of Highland Games, often involving brutish tests of strength, rock hurling, for example, and you will find a Jai-Alai (pelota court) in practically every town and village. In contrast, relative prosperity means both rural and urban middle classes are more consolidated in the Basque Country than elsewhere in Spain, and Basques are considered to be hard-working, serious, cultivated people, producing more than their fair share of writers.

Food and Drink. Basque cuisine is considered the best in Spain, and shares at least two of the characteristics of most Spanish cooking: portions are large and dishes simple. In addition, the nueva cocina movement has existed for longer in the Basque Country than anywhere else in Spain, and Basque restaurants and chefs are Spain's most prestigious, Ferran Adrià apart. Basque specialities to watch out for include bacalao al pil pil, a salt-cod stew, chipirones en su tinta, small squid cooked in their own ink, and the biggest steaks you have ever seen. Pinchos, the Basque version of tapas, are available in most bars, slightly more elaborate and filling than tapas elsewhere, rarely free but usually good value for money. The Basque wine par excellence is txakoli, a golden-coloured wine, not very strong in alcohol but sometimes a bit rough on the palette.

Language. Almost all Basques speak Spanish, and many speak English or French. You will see Basque on signposts (sometimes with the Castilian Spanish words crossed out) and hear it spoken, particularly in country areas. Basques are not aggressive with their language like Catalans, though, and will almost always address you in Castilian if you make your limitations clear.

Getting Around. Rural parts may be very poorly communicated. If you are driving and budget-conscious, beware of toll roads around Bilbao and San Sebastian, as it is not always clear where these are about to begin and it is not always possible to do a U-turn.

Getting There. Bilbao is very well connected, San Sebastian less so and Vitoria is quite out of the way. Easyjet operates flights from Stansted to Bilbao for simply laughable prices. In addition, if you want to take your car, ferries connect Bilbao with Portsmouth and Plymouth with Santander, but these are far from cheap and it would probably be more economical to rent a vehicle.

Safety. On the whole, the Basque Country is a low-crime area, but take sensible precautions, especially when leaving things in your car (don't, if possible). Understandably, terrorism is a preoccupation for many visitors, but in practice is highly unlikely to affect you (in fact, the only foreign casualties of terrorism I am aware of have occurred in other parts of Spain). It is not impossible, however, that you will come across nationalist-related acts of vandalism, in which case the best policy is to ignore them.