Page 4 - XARMANTA EXPERIENCES

CULTURE

An enormous mixture of music, cinema, dance,
theatre. The Basque Country simply oozes with
culture thanks to a number of high-ranking festivals. If
international stars and new directors come together
at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, Bilbao
is the meeting place for bel canto voices during its
opera season and Vitoria-Gasteiz for the best jazz
musicians, who also visit Getxo and Donostia-San
Sebastián.

The Basque Country offers an interesting selection of
aesthetic styles ranging from cave paintings to state-
of-the-art constructions. The Romanesque stonework
of the Basilica de Estibalitz, the great Gothic temples
and towers, the impressive Baroque style of the Loyola
Sanctuary, the joint work of the Basque avant-garde
artists at Arantzazu or the international modernity of
the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Artium are only
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some of the features on the long road through the
Basque Country's artistic heritage.
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Farmhouse culture is yet to be found behind most of
the typical sports, festivals and traditions that have
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adapted to modern times without losing any of their
original spirit. Basques have converted farm chores
into competitive sports and a way of having fun. Grass T
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cutting, stone lifting, and even the sheepdog trials
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where farmers and their quick-witted dogs lead
sheep round a circuit, are now institutionalised rural
sports or herri kirolak.