4 Best Sights in Bilbao and the Basque Country, Spain

This gorgeous Navarran hamlet 54 km (33½ miles) southeast of Pamplona, perched atop a lush riverbed and gorge, is the birthplace of the 16th-century Roman Catholic missionary Francis Xavier, cofounder of the Jesuit order. There's a fine castle, cathedral, and monastery, comfortable hotels, a couple of restaurants, and an impressive visitor center with rotating exhibits. Whatever your religious persuasion, it's a beautiful stop on your travels in the Pamplona area.

One of Vitoria's oldest and most splendid buildings, this palace was erected in 1488 and reformed in 1535 and 1865. It's reached from the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca along Calle de Herrería, which follows the egg-shape outline along the west side of the old city walls. It is not open for tours.

The heart of Estella is the arcaded Plaza San Martín and its chief civic monument, the 12th-century Palacio de los Reyes de Navarra. The palace now houses the Museo Gustavo de Maeztu, displaying work from a 20th-century Navarran painter, Gustavo de Maeztu y Whitney. The building itself is what's really impressive, but the museum is free so you might as well have a peek.

This 15th-century tower houses Vitoria's Museo de Ciencias Naturales, which contains botanical, zoological, and geological collections along with the museum's most prized items: pieces of amber from the nearby archaeological site at Peñacerrada-Urizaharra.