BIBAT - Bendaña Palace - Tourism in Vitoria-Gasteiz

Tourism - Bendaña - Bibat

Right in the heart of the almond-shaped medieval quarter, known as the almendra medieval, we find a space which houses both the Naipes Fournier playing card museum and the Archaeological Museum of Álava. This is a museum complex known as BIBAT (which means 'two in one' in the Basque language).

Fournier Museum of Playing Cards - Bendaña Palace

A Renaissance palace contains the Fournier playing cards (Naipes) collection, which could probably be described as the best collection of playing cards in the world. The Fournier factory is in Vitoria. The three-storey building made of finely-dressed stone displays the organisation and decorative forms typical of the Renaissance, especially in the courtyard galleries. Some elements of the late Gothic period can also be seen, such as the pointed-arch door in the main façade and the octagonal star-shaped vault above the interior staircase.

Archaeological Museum of Álava

This museum displays finds from all the archaeological digs that have taken place in Álava since the 19th century. Inside you can see discoveries which date from prehistorical times to the Middle Ages. The building is a recent construction, designed by the architect Patxi Mangado.

Must-sees

Look at the beautiful courtyard inside Bendaña Palace, which is completely different in style to the austere outside of the building.
Notice the cylindrical-shaped tower in the façade, an ostentatious symbol of the owners.
Lose yourself in the Museo de Naipes and discover collections of playing cards from all five continents.
Look around the old machinery that would have been used by Heraclio Fournier, the creator of the Spanish deck of cards.
Take a trip through the town of Vitoria in the Palaeolithic and Stone Ages, the time of the Romans and the Middle Ages on a visit to the Archaeological Museum.
Taste typical local products in cafes, restaurants and bars in the area.