“Buruan orlegi, bihotzean sua...”. “Green in the head, fire in the heart”. These are the words of a love song written to this province by singer-songwriter Benito Lertxundi, entitled “Bizkaia maite”.
The fresh green of places like the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve or the Nature Reserves of Urkiola and Gorbeia. The red flames of the blast furnaces, of the industrialisation responsible for converting the left bank of the Nervión estuary into the area with the highest population density in the Basque Country.
But there should really be a third colour, the blue of the Bay of Biscay, seen from the beaches and fishing harbours of Bizkaia, or from magical places like the hermitage of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.
Bizkaia is an all-round province with a capital city impressive in itself, Bilbao, now stronger than ever thanks to the Guggenheim effect, and Gernika- Lumo, a place of symbolic meaning for all Basques.
Bizkaia suits the label “land of contrasts”. It hardly seems possible that, in one single province, and simply by changing valleys, we can go from industrial areas to nature reserves; from proud, stately boroughs to towns marked by rapid development.
No matter what the landscape, Bizkaia never loses its expressive pride. One excellent example of this is the hanging bridge which has been spanning the Nervión estuary since 1893, linking the residential Getxo to the industrial Portugalete.
But we mustn’t forget the spectacular silhouette and 1,296 metres imbibed in legend of Mount Anboto. And the colours of the painted trees in the Bosque de Oma, or the metallic dazzle of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
Bizkaia is the most densely populated of the three Basque provinces. This said, the demographic agglomeration is located in Greater Bilbao, whereas the rest of the territory has both highly populated areas and others with an age-old rural flavour.
The province of Bizkaia is extremely rugged. Mountains tumble down into the sea, forming a steep coastline only softened by the odd beach and the mouths of rivers which, though short, nevertheless contain a great deal of water. An oceanic climate, damp and mild, makes for a densely wooded landscape with an important variety of autochthonous trees, such as oak or beech, which are now losing ground to the more profitable imported pine or eucalyptus trees.
Text provided by the Viceconsejería de Turismo del Gobierno Vasco
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