Arrive in San Sebastián on suggested flights and make your own way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements including travel insurance (a condition of travel), private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

In the evening, join Lorraine and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing followed by dinner.

(D)

Following a morning talk by Lorraine, explore the charming coastal city of San Sebastián, located on the shores of the crescent-shaped Bahía de la Concha. Despite its turbulent history, which included the total razing of the city in the years after the Napoleonic Peninsular War, San Sebastián is an idyllic seaside resort with an architectural flavour developed during the Belle Époque period. Elegant Art Nouveau buildings grace stunning Atlantic beachfronts and maintain a sense that the ‘beautiful era’ lives on here.

After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of San Telmo Museoa, an architectural marvel of evolving styles, which is built around the modified skeleton of a sixteenth century Dominican cloister.

(BL)

Today, travel to Pamplona, the capital of Navarre – and the former capital of the fiercely independent Kingdom of Navarre. Since the eleventh century the city has been, and still remains, an important pilgrimage destination on the Camino de Santiago, the ‘Way of St James’, Europe’s most famous pilgrimage trail.

Visit the Museum of Navarre, housed in a former medieval hospital. This superb museum has an eclectic collection of archaeological finds (including a number of outstanding Roman mosaics unearthed mainly in southern Navarra), as well as a selection of art, including Goya’s distinguished portrait of the Marqués de San Adrián.

Then, enjoy a walking tour of Pamplona’s old quarter and see the city’s main Cathedral standing on a rise just inside the city ramparts, amid a dark thicket of narrow streets. The Cathedral is a late-medieval Gothic gem with a neoclassical façade.

(BL)

Depart San Sebastián and travel to Bilbao, the capital of the Spanish province of Biscay. The city of Bilbao was founded in the early fourteenth century and became a significant commercial centre for the trading of iron ore. Industrialisation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries brought wealth and prosperity to the city. Today, Bilbao is experiencing an ongoing social, economic and aesthetic renewal process.

Begin with an orientation coach tour to the mouth of the River Nervión to see the famous 1893 “Vizcaya” (Hanging) Bridge. Continue with a walking tour of the city centre to discover its rich variety of architectural styles, ranging from Gothic to contemporary.

In the afternoon, visit the city’s Museo de Bellas Artes, which has a fascinating collection of old master paintings, Spanish impressionists, and modern and contemporary Basque art.

(BD)

After a morning talk, visit Bilbao’s celebrated Guggenheim Museum, designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry. Rising from the banks of the Nervion behind stunning sails of titanium, the museum has emphatically put the city on Europe’s cultural map. The museum has an impressive contemporary sculpture collection and is host to spectacular contemporary art exhibitions.

The afternoon is at leisure to stay in the museum or continue your exploration of Bilbao at your own pace.

(B)

This morning, depart Bilbao and travel to the Mediaeval city of Burgos, the former capital of the Kingdom of Castile. The city still retains many historic buildings associated with the early Castilian monarchs, but its most distinguished landmark is the magnificent cathedral founded in 1221. Visit the cathedral itself, a Gothic edifice constructed over three centuries that features the work of many notable European architects and artists.

After lunch, continue to León, the former capital of the Mediaeval Kingdom of León, and check into the historic Parador Hostal San Marcos.

Paradores of Spain

Paradores (‘stopping places’) are hotels housed in refurbished historic buildings such as castles, palaces, fortresses, convents and monasteries.

Originally a monastery, Parador Hostal San Marcos was founded in the twelfth century to provide lodgings for pilgrims travelling to Santiago de Compostela. This is one of the most interesting Renaissance buildings in Spain, with exterior carvings depicting religious and historical events across a 100-metre-long façade.

(BLD)

After a morning talk, begin your exploration of the city, an important pilgrim stop on the Camino de Santiago that retains significant Romanesque and Gothic monuments. Visit the Cathedral, a fine example of Spanish Gothic thirteenth century architecture and renowned for its magnificent stained-glass windows.

Then, discover the Romanesque Church of San Isidore, built into the Roman walls which encircle the old city.

(BD)

Today, travel to Santiago de Compostela, visiting the historic town of Astorga en route, once the location of strategic cross-roads for several major pilgrimage routes. Explore the town and see the fine Gothic Cathedral and Antoni Gaudi’s neo-Gothic masterpiece, the Episcopal Palace, located next door to the Cathedral.

Continue to Santiago de Compostela, located in the region of Galicia, in the far north-western reaches of Spain. Since the ninth century, the city has been one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for Christians and is the culmination of the celebrated pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago.

Check-in to the splendid Parador Hostal Dos Reis Catolicos, adjacent to the monumental Cathedral of Santiago, located on Obradoiro Square. Constructed as a Royal Hospital in 1499, the parador gave lodging and shelter to the numerous pilgrims making their way to Santiago, including royal visitors. It continues this age-old practice today and is reputed to be the oldest hotel in the world.

(BL)

This morning, enjoy a walking tour of the historic centre of Santiago de Compostela, including Obradoiro Square, Plaza de Platerias and the Holy Gate. Visit the Monastery of San Martin and the Cathedral of Santiago, which towers over the city and has welcomed pilgrims since the eleventh century.

Then, enjoy the afternoon at leisure to explore the city at your own pace.

Tonight, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell dinner with Lorraine and fellow travellers.

(BD)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Santiago de Compostela Airport for suggested flights to Australia or New Zealand. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including a private airport transfer, additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)