Spain's diversity is evident in its northernmost part, the source of many of the country's oldest and most fascinating traditions. The peoples of the north speak three languages – Galician, Basque and Catalan – as well as Spanish. And instead of sun-browned southern plains there are thickly wooded hills, facing a misty Atlantic Ocean.
Northern Spain is, above all, extremely lush and green, with pockets of abundance like the winelands of Galicia and La Rioja. Thanks to the steepness of its mountains and their proximity to the Atlantic, it gets plenty of rain, so much of the region is carpeted with woodland or rich pasture. Yet it is sufficiently far south for the weather to be often warm and mild.
The north was the only part of Spain not conquered by the Moors in the Middle Ages, and some of its peoples even resisted the Romans. The Basques are the longestestablished people in Europe, having already been in their green mountain home for centuries when the Romans encountered them around 200 BC. The Celtic Galicians are only relative newcomers by comparison. The other communities of the north took shape after the influx of the Moors into Spain in AD 711, when retreating Christians took refuge in the northern mountains.
The tiny principalities and dukedoms formed in the valleys of Asturias and the Pyrenees were the cradles of the later states – Castile, Aragón, Catalonia – that eventually spread south to defeat the great Moorish kingdoms of Spain. For centuries the regions west of Navarra were linked by the Camino de Santiago, the road to one of Europe's greatest pilgrimage sites, the shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostela. The abundant traffic along the camino during the Middle Ages encouraged the growth of striking cities with magnificent Gothic architecture.
Once the tide of history moved south, large areas of northern Spain were left to themselves. As a result, today many parts of Galicia, Asturias and the Pyrenees feel distinctly remote, dotted with mountain farms and isolated villages whose buildings seem to have remained virtually unchanged since the 1600s. This remoteness has aided the survival of a rich vein of traditions.
Both Galicians and Basques have their own extensive folklore and myths, and are known for witchcraft and magic. These traditions are inseparable from the landscape. Abrupt mountainsides and narrow sea cliffs have imposed a special way of life. In Galicia the misty green countryside is a natural haunt for the many spirits of Celtic folklore, while to the Basques every inch of their beechwoods and valleys has some historical or mythological connection.
The Cantabrian mountains, too, have ancient stories. Besides the mountains, the life of the rugged north coast has been bound up with the sea. The Basques have historically been Spain's foremost seafarers, and furnished many of the skilled navigators who took Spanish explorers to the Americas. The Galicians have long relied on superb mussels and other inshore seafood as staples of their diet, and now outdo the Basques as deep-sea fishermen.
The peoples of the north also share some characteristics of all Spaniards – especially their Iberian gregariousness. They are just as devoted to socializing, whether on an evening paseo (stroll) or eating out in a convivial group. These are some of the friendliest parts of the country, less jaded by tourism than Mediterranean regions. Northern fiestas – great showcases of local traditions and foods – are among Spain's most exuberant, from Pamplona's San Fermín to the flower parades of Cantabrian harbours.
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1. Galicia is special for the diversity of its landscape
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