Vitoria-Gasteiz, an international benchmark in its commitment to the environment
This year, 2022, marks the tenth anniversary of the designation of Vitoria-Gasteiz as European Green Capital by the European Commission. This award has meant a great international recognition for the city's environmental commitment, a commitment that goes back more than 40 years and that is maintained and expanded year after year.
The capital of the Basque Country is a city designed and developed for people, and its high quality of life has always placed it among the top cities in the country in the different established rankings.
Its commitment to the environment has become part of its DNA. Its figures prove it: the city has 42 square metres of green areas per person and with almost 150 kilometres of cycle lanes, Vitoria-Gasteiz is the second best city in Spain for cycling mobility. More data: the distance to a green area for any person is a maximum of 2.5 minutes walking and it has more than 115,000 trees in its streets and urban parks.
The Europa Conference Centre has become an icon of sustainable architecture. It was the first congress building to obtain Passivhaus XXL certification in Spain and includes a large green façade and a rooftop terrace overlooking the city's inner Green Belt.
Green Belt
To these figures should be added the trees in the parks that make up the Green Belt of Vitoria-Gasteiz (833 hectares), a place of natural recreation for locals and visitors and a refuge for globally endangered species such as the European mink and the aquatic warbler.
Other international awards
Biosphere Certification. Since 2016, Vitoria-Gasteiz has held the Biosphere Responsible Tourism certification, which accredits its status as a Sustainable Tourism Destination. This recognition gives Vitoria-Gasteiz greater visibility in the international tourism market and is a differentiating element for an increasingly aware potential visitor.
Global Green City Award. On 6 September 2019, Vitoria-Gasteiz was recognised with the Global Green City Award, an award granted by the UN-sponsored Global Forum on Human Settlements.
Florida and its App
La Florida is one of the most emblematic and photographed parks in the city, a real lung for the city centre and also a time tunnel thanks to its 200 years of history. From now on, its future will also be within everyone's reach thanks to the application for mobile devices 'La Florida de Gala V-G', recently presented at FITUR.
The name refers to Gala Placidia, the wife of King Ataulf, the first Gothic king and daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius I. The app will make it possible to visit the emblematic Vitoria park virtually, which includes the possibility of touring its corners with 3D glasses. At the same time, the application, available in Spanish, Basque and English, will allow you to participate in a unique game of clues with augmented reality, a technology that allows you to superimpose images on a real environment.
New ambassadors
The FITUR fair also served to present the presenter of 'La Sexta Noticias' Helena Resano, the host of TVE's 'Telediario Fin de Semana' Diego Losada and the voice of Antena 3's morning news programme Manu Sánchez as new tourism ambassadors for Vitoria-Gasteiz and Álava. The journalists, linked to the province by their participation in different FesTVal events, have highlighted the natural, heritage and gastronomic resources of the territory and its capital.
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