The Best Hotels in the Basque Country for Art Lovers

The completion of the universally celebrated Guggenheim Museum put Bilbao on the world stage as a must-visit cultural destination, but the Basque Country’s art scene goes far beyond the stunning post-modern construction. Often overshadowed by Paris to the North and Madrid to the South, the region has long been an off-the-beaten-path haven for art lovers. Today, the secret is out.

The Basque Country is home to the magnificent Museo de Bella Artes and the ancient Museum of San Telmo. It is where some of the first art on earth was painted (we’re talking about cave paintings, baby!). It is the subject of Picasso’s Magnus Opus, Guernica. It is where Hemingway was inspired to write The Sun Also Rises. It is the birthplace of Eduardo Chillida and Jorge Oteiza. Need we go on? Below are the best hotels for discovering the Basque art scene. Some house their very own collections; some are in privileged locations close to the best sites; and still others are simply masterpiece works of art in themselves.