LA RIOJA

La Rioja is, without doubt, one of Spain’s up-and-coming destinations for the discerning traveller.

 In the 1980’s the local wines languished in obscurity but now they are very much “de rigueur”. The local cuisine is also shedding its humble Basque origins and now is giving the Michelin-starred stronghold of nearby San Sebastian a run for its money. There is also another strand to the Rioja renaissance- perhaps its most exciting one – and that is the new wave of stylish avant-garde architecture.

Everyone is now familiar with the spectacular sight of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao but that was really only the start for architect Frank Gehry. He has now given us the remarkable Marques de Riscal Hotel en Elciego with other architects such as Santiago Calatrava and Zaha Hadid jostling for international acclaim with their own weird and wonderful creations in the region.