By Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com
Before we arrived in northern Spain, my knowledge of the Basque region was of jai alai and the Basque players who performed in the frontons in Florida during the sport’s heyday in the US.
I had heard of Guernica, our main destination, because of the devastating bombing it received during the Spanish Civil War and the famous anti-war mural by Picasso inspired by that horrific event (details below).
On most any tour of historic sites in Europe it is common to hear accounts of wars and inhumane treatment of victims by invading forces. Those events can be difficult to relate to, especially those of the more distant past.
The Guernica story was different for me. That was mainly due to the passion and eloquence of our guide in bringing to life the Basque story of centuries-long quest for autonomy and the ruthless attack against the city in 1937.
Lur Ojeda, who is from Bermeo (10 miles from Guernica) didn’t sugarcoat the region’s many hardships and setbacks. She made it clear that the pride evident in her emotional account of Basque history is characteristic of the Basque people and helps explain how they have survived.
“We’ve always been proud people. Proud of ourselves, our country,” she said. “So those things were [and are] super important — to be independent, to be democratic.”
Historic oak tree important symbol for Guernica, Basques
The qualities revered by the Basques are symbolized by the Tree of Guernica, a great oak that has been the meeting place for political assemblies of leaders from surrounding villages of the Biscay province for oath taking and deal making since the Middle Ages.
The highlight of our visit to Guernica was listening to Ojeda talk about the significance of the tree as we viewed the trunk of what is known as the “Old Tree” displayed in a colonnaded pavilion near the Biscay Assembly Hall.
She explained how representatives were called to meetings in centuries prior to modern communication.
“Guernica is surrounded by five of the tallest mountains of this region. So by sending one man to its top of the mountain with the horn of an animal, everyone will hear the sound and will come running to the meeting,” Ojeda said.
“We were pagans, so we would do all our meetings under the oak tree, even the weddings. Anything that happened would be under the oak tree because we believe that it would be the witness. So anything that happened under the oak tree goes to law. We never signed documents, we never wrote down anything. The oak tree was enough.”
The Old Tree,” planted in 1742, was the second of five in the lineage; the original, known as the “Father Tree” was planted in the 14th century and lived for 450 years. The third tree survived the bombing of 1937, enhancing the Guernica oak’s significance as a symbol of resilience and unity.
Basque leaders still take their oath of office under the branches of the Guernica tree, which doubles as a unique tourist attraction.
The current tree, the fifth in the lineage, was planted in 2015 adjacent to the Guernica Assembly House and has some growing to do to attain the stature of its legacy.
More visually impressive is the depiction of the Guernica Tree in the expansive stained glass ceiling of a room of the Assembly House.
The Guernica Tree is an omnipresent symbol, depicted on flags and coats of arms of the town, the Biscay province and the overall Basque region.
It serves as an endearing icon of the people.
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The oak tree depicted on the stained glass ceiling in the Guernica Assembly House represents the symbolism of the tree as a meeting point for the different municipalities in the province of Biscay. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)
Bombing in 1937 reduced Guernica to rubble
Visiting Guernica can be considered under the heading of dark tourism, generally defined as travel to sites associated with death, disaster and suffering.
The bombing on April 26, 1937 by the German Nazi Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion and fascist Italy’s Aviazione Legionaria in support of General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist rebellion was the first instance of an aerial attack that targeted a civilian population. The Basque region was a stronghold of resistance to Franco’s power grab.
Multiple panels of photos showing the devastation of the bombing of Guernica in 1937 are on permanent display near the Peace Museum. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Ojeda’s voice resonated with emotion as she described the scene on that afternoon when the planes came in waves for three hours. It was by design that it was a Monday, traditionally market day in Guernica when people gather in town to shop and socialize, and consequently were easy prey for the bombers and gunners.
She pointed out that you don’t see many old buildings in Guernica because about 85 percent of the city was destroyed.
“The raid on Guernica is unparalleled in military history,” wrote George Steer in The Times of London two days after the bombing. “Guernica was not a military objective. A factory producing war material lay outside the town and was untouched. The object of the bombardment was seemingly the demoralization of the civil population and the destruction of the cradle of the Basque race.”
The extent of the devastation is evident in enlarged photos of the aftermath of the bombing on permanent display in the plaza across from the town hall. They are outside the Peace Museum, which commemorates the bombing and presents insights about the survivors and the rebuilding of Guernica.
Picasso’s painting ‘Guernica’ focused attention on atrocity of the bombing
Awareness of the bombing would likely have diminished over time if not for Pablo Picasso’s mural-size painting “Guernica,” a powerful anti-war artistic statement inspired by the bombing. Although it doesn’t show airplanes or explosions, Picasso’s work vividly depicts the horrors and suffering of war in stark black and white.
Considered Picasso’s most famous painting, the original is displayed at the Queen Sofía National Museum Art Center in Madrid. But a full-size ceramic reproduction is on permanent display on Pedro de Elejalde Street in Guernica.
For those who want to focus on the tragedy of Guernica, a self-guided “Bombing Route” tour features 11 informative stops related to the bombing.
But the town’s story is one of resilience in rising from the ashes of the bombing and in maintaining a proud identity through Franco’s oppressive reign until the dictator’s death in 1975. That enduring spirit can be found by visiting the Peace Museum and the Park of the Peoples of Europe, as well as the Guernica tree and the Assembly House.
Mondays are still market day in Guernica, when people come from all over the province to buy or sell produce, as well as to socialize and eat good food. So if your timing is right, visit the Monday market. It’s the most famous one in Basque Country.
Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ displayed in the town is a replica. The original is in Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid. (Craig Davis, craigslegztravels.com)Guernica’s standout drink is white wine
Traveling to Guernica – and northern Spain in general – is very different than visiting the popular destinations on the nation’s Mediterranean coast. Don’t expect flamenco dancing, tapas or world-class beaches (La Concha in San Sebastian is a notable exception).
But similar to tapas, the Basques have their own small-plate specialty. Pintxos are a flavorful snack food, often served on bread with various toppings which can be combined to make a meal.
They also pair well with the local white wine, which we learned is another Basque specialty during a refreshment stop at a bodega in downtown Guernica. Normally, red wine is my preference, but Txakoli e-Gala white, from the Gaia Txakoli vineyard north of Guernica, was one of the most pleasing wines I’ve ever sampled, and I had a second glass to confirm that assessment. Here is a guide to Txakoli wine.
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, 20 miles from Guernica, is a major attraction in Basque Country. (Courtesy of Guggenheim Museum)What else to see in Spain’s Basque Country
One of the best known attractions is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the largest city near Guernica (20 miles away). The striking design of the building itself is considered a work of art, and the museum features notable works by both Spanish and international artists, including Mark Rothko, Yves Klein, Andy Warhol, and Eduardo Chillida.
The best large Basque city to visit is San Sebastian, a popular resort town on the Bay of Biscay. In addition to the beaches of La Concha and La Zurriola, San Sebastian is renowned for tasty pintxos served in bars throughout the city, as well as an assortment of Michelin-starred restaurants. The gastronomic delights of San Sebastian are featured in season 8 of the Netflix foodie travel show “Somebody Feed Phil.”
Basque Country is also loaded with picturesque small towns located on the coast as well as inland. Here is a guide to some of the most beautiful small towns to visit and compelling to visit in Basque Country.
The jai alai fronton in Guernice is often referred to as the ‘Cathedral of Pelota’ due to its size and significance in the heartland of the world’s fastest sport.Yes, jai alai matters deeply to Basques
The Guernica jai alai fronton, known as the “cathedral of pelota,” is the second largest in the world. The world’s fastest sport — the ball reaches speeds over 180 mph — remains deeply rooted in Basque culture despite its decline in relevance elsewhere.
That was evident in June 2025 when Basque Country was allowed to compete as a nation in international competition against Spain in the pelota vasca Nations League.
It took a favorable ruling in the Court of Arbitration for Sports to overcome Spain’s objection. The matches were played at the Guernica fronton, with Basque Country winning the men’s competition and Spain taking the women’s.
Reflective of deep-seated nationalistic feelings, jeers resounded when the Spanish national anthem was played at the awards ceremony.
‘Guernica’ the novel an insightful read
Dave Boling, a sports columnist in Washington state, would seem an unlikely author of historical fiction about the bombing of Guernica. But in “Guernica: A Novel,” Boling captured the spirit and essence of Basque people in his portrayal of a fictional family whose fate put them in the crosshairs of the Nazi aerial attack.
As Boling wrote in his bio: “Fresh out of college, I met and married a lovely Basque girl whose grandparents had come from Biscaya to herd sheep in the mountains of the American West. They filled me with Basque foods, got me drunk on their wines, and tried to teach me their dances. They showed me the Basques’ characteristically fierce loyalty to their families and heritage. From them I learned of the decades-long oppression of their culture by the Franco regime. And from them I also heard of the bombing of Guernica.”
The book is not as much a story of war as it is about civilian victims coping with having their lives torn asunder. It is both a love story and one of human resilience in response to horrific loss and suffering.
I read “Guernica: A Novel” soon after my visit to the town and found it heightened my understanding of the people and their history. I was able to envision our guide, Lur Ojeda, as a character in Boling’s book.
For those who enjoy historical fiction “Guernica: A Novel” is worth reading.
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