The first day of the conference, 22nd of October, we will take a guided tour of the city where FEL XXIX 2025 Conference is held, Vitoria-Gasteiz. Vitoria-Gasteiz, home of the Basque parliament and capital of the Basque Country, is a green city, rich in natural areas and a just short distance from Rioja Alavesa, a world-class wine tourism area. In this tour, we will explore the center and the old town of Vitoria-Gasteiz. (See the program below) 

The guide will conduct a guided tour of the medieval quarter of the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz on October 22 in the afternoon. The starting point of the tour is located in the city center but we will meet in the entrance of the Faculty of Letters of EHU. 

The visit will last approximately 90 minutes and will cover historical points of interest such as the main squares (Virgen Blanca and Plaza España), Renaissance palaces (Escoriaza-Esquivel, Montehermoso), and other heritage buildings located within the Medieval Almond (called “almond” because of the street’s particular form). 

18:30 – Meeting point in the entrance of the Faculty of Letters of EHU. 

19:00 – Start of the visit in the center of the city. 

20:30 – End of the tour. 

The conference will finish on the 25th of October with a cultural excursion. We will visit ALBAOLA, Itsas Kultur Faktoria. After a guided tour, we will have the opportunity to taste local products. 

Afterwards, we will go to Donostia-San Sebastian, and the visitors will have free time to explore on their own. To finalize the day, we will return to Gasteiz in the evening. 

The excursion will be done by bus. (See the program below) 

Located in Pasai San Pedro (Pasaia, Gipuzkoa), Albaola Itsas Kultur Faktoria is an innovative space created to recover and give the corresponding value to Basque maritime technology, whose activities focus on reconstruction of historic boats. In addition to being open to visitors, the variety of activities, dynamism and international projection are representative of its nature. 

In Albaola we will see the SAN JUAN WHALESHIP, which was built on the 16th Century. It is an example of a transoceanic cargo ships that travelled from the Basque Country to Newfoundland. This symbol of the importance of the Basque shipbuilding industry sank on the North Atlantic coast of Canada, Red Bay, in 1565. The ship was discovered in 1978, and underwater archaeological excavations began a few years later. Following an agreement with Canada in 2013, a project was launched to rebuild the San Juan whaler using ancient techniques. Since then, we have been able to learn about the process through guided tours offered by Albaola. At this moment the ship is almost complete, and will soon be at sea on its way to Canada. 

In 2015 the quality of the construction of the replica received a very special reward: the support of the UNESCO for the San Juan. This recognition puts the replica of the Basque whaleship in the highest quality ranking in the field of maritime heritage.   

Source of the information: https://albaola.org/en 

8:45 – Departure from Gasteiz, EHU Campus (the place will be further defined later). On the way to Pasaia the bus will stop in Arrasate or Aretxabaleta to pick up and leave passengers. 

11:00 – Startt of the guided tour in Albaola. 

12:00-13:00 – Tasting of the local products in Albaola. 

14:00 – Free time in Donostia-San Sebastian. https://www.sansebastianturismoa.eus/en/ 

19:00 – Take the bus to return to Gasteiz.