Albergue de la Catedral, one of the best hostels in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Discover Albergue de la Catedral, a good, nice and cheap hostel in the center of Vitoria – Gasteiz.

The Albergue de la Catedral is, in our humble opinion, one of the best hostels in Vitoria – Gasteiz. A central, cheap and clean space, which represents a great option for groups visiting the capital of Alava. Located in three adjoining buildings located in the historic center of Vitoria – Gasteiz, rehabilitated following the Restoration Master Plan of the Cathedral of Santa Maria and with the help of the Provincial Council of Alava, the City of Vitoria-Gasteiz and the Basque Government, this tourist establishment has established itself in recent years as one of the most attractive in the area. A fact that we wanted to verify personally during our last trip to Alava. Said and done. After our stay, we can attest that the Albergue de la Catedral offers everything it promises, undoubtedly a very wise choice. Although in general terms, the experience at the Albergue de la Catedral was very good, we must point out that like any hotel establishment, it also has its negative points, and the noise of the night environment of “La Kutxi” or the simplicity of its bunk beds did not go unnoticed when assessing its more than acceptable value for money.

As you have been able to appreciate, the name of this hostel or hostel is due to the cathedral that we find a few meters from its main entrance, the Cathedral of Santa Maria, better known as the Old Cathedral of Vitoria Gasteiz. And, as we have already mentioned, the hostel is part of the action plan that the different public bodies devised to rescue this historical and religious site of the Old Town. Although externally the buildings in which the hostel is located maintain the same aesthetics and structure of medieval architecture, they were built in the nineteenth century and renovated during the years 2011 and 2012, thus maintaining the romanticism of another era.

The Santa Maria Cathedral Foundation, created in 1999, is in charge of managing the project developed for the architectural and social recovery of this Gothic temple. An entity, which is currently also responsible for managing the establishment that concerns us today. After our good experience, we decided to make known all the charms of this hostel to our users, here is all the information that we found of interest and that may help you in making decisions.

Location: Cuchillería street, popularly known as “la Kutxi”, one of the most emblematic and busy streets of Vitoria Gasteiz, houses in its number 87 this simple but practical hotel establishment. The charm of being among cantons and medieval walls, in the heart of the Medieval Almond, in the historic center of Vitoria – Gasteiz, makes the Albergue de la Catedral a great choice for people looking for a hostel in the center of the capital of Vitoria – Gasteiz.

Its location allows us to know in a radius of less than 15 minutes, without using any transportation, most of the attractions of the city, a feature that is always welcomed by travelers who visit us. Here are some examples:

As you can appreciate, the location of the Albergue de la Catedral, in the center of everything, is undoubtedly one of the strong points of this accommodation in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

History: Taking the Cathedral of Santa Maria, the Old Cathedral of Vitoria Gasteiz, as the central space, an incredible project of recovery of the Alava’s heritage has been created, an approach, which includes the 3 buildings that make up the hostel that occupies us today. With the aim of preserving the original facade of each of the buildings that make up the Cathedral Hostel, numbers 87, 89 and 91 of Cuchillería Street have different facades, thus differentiating them from the outside as independent spaces. Thanks to the studies carried out in the cathedral and the buildings that occupy the hostel, today we know more information about the history and evolution of Vitoria – Gasteiz. But the studies and the works have not finished, they are still part of the day to day life of the city, keeping this architectural complex open to the public under the slogan “open for works”, a phrase that makes clear the reality of the project. In conclusion, we can indicate that the restoration project of the Cathedral of Santa Maria is not reduced to the rehabilitation of a religious temple, but aims to return to all the medieval almond, the entire urban core, the beauty, vitality and majesty it had in the past. An objective to which the Cathedral Hostel contributes its small grain of sand. A work, of which the tourists and the own euskaldunes we are already harvesting its fruits.

Rooms: The Albergue de la Catedral has a total of 90 beds divided into configurations of the most varied (2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6 and 8 beds), 2 of them, have been enabled and adapted so that people with reduced mobility or physical disability can stay in this hostel. Although the main access to this tourist accommodation is located at number 87 of Cuchillería street, it is actually located between numbers 87, 89 and 91, adapting to the architectural morphology of the buildings, creating small interconnected areas. The rooms, exterior, bright and of different capacities, offer the typical services of today’s hostels: private locker, electronic key, fully equipped bathroom, wifi and heating.

We must point out that, being recently renovated buildings, they have the characteristics of new buildings: spacious, accessible, elevator … Although in our opinion it is not remarkable, we could indicate as a negative point that the bunk beds are simple, without great fanfare, without any privacy, while in other hostels it is usual to have a curtain for each bunk or some other type of separator.

Common spaces: The Cathedral Hostel has several common spaces located between the first floor and the 1st floor. We highlight the first floor, at street level, as soon as you enter on the right hand side, a space where we find the kitchen, laundry, luggage storage, bike storage or dining rooms among others. The reception service is not active 24 hours a day, but the magnificent electronic key system and the emergency telephone make up for it perfectly. The card, the electronic key, valid for both the room door and the front door, gives us freedom and comfort, as does the free wifi service distributed throughout the building, on all 4 floors.

Price: The prices of the Albergue de la Catedral, are similar to those of any hostel that we can find in Euskadi. Thus, the maximum price per person per night (in high season) is 25 €, while the minimum price is 17 € in the section for groups (more than 15 people) during the low season. Considering its location, services and spaces, the Albergue de la Catedral has a more than acceptable value for money.

Parking: Forget about parking in the medieval center, impossible. But less than 15 minutes walking, it is usually common to find places where you can park your car, a couple of laps around the historic center are usually enough. Otherwise, if you do not want to go crazy trying to park and if you do not mind paying, we recommend you to park in the parking lot of the Artium Museum, about 5 minutes walk.

Attention: Although the contact during our stay was minimal, arrival / departure and little else, the friendliness of the staff was evident from the first minute. A detail that is practically obligatory for anyone who works with the public.

Our experience: We went to the Albergue de la Catedral as a group, about 16 people in total. A type of trip, for which the hostels are usually a success, or at least we think so. Distributed in rooms for 6 and 5 people, on the second floor, overlooking Cuchillería street, we enjoyed a nice weekend. Clean, bright and newly renovated, that was the first impression we got of this space. Next to each of the bunk beds we found the sheets, blankets and other bedding that corresponds to each of them, it was time to make the bed. Remember that after using them, before leaving the hostel, we must take them down to reception. If you come during a weekend or on a holiday, it is usual to find some noise coming from the street and, being in the center of everything, has its good and bad side. As in most hostels, the electronic key system turned out to be a success, freedom and comfort above all.

Where to eat: Vitoria – Gasteiz, like the rest of the capitals of Euskadi, is a gastronomic territory in which we recommend to enter. In it, we find restaurants like El siete or Waska, two establishments that together with the rest of the locals that we find in the capital of Alava offer us a nice sample of Basque cuisine. A gastronomic scene of film.

What to see: Vitoria – Gasteiz and the towns surrounding the capital of Alava offer a multitude of places to enjoy, here are some places that may be of interest to you.

As you can see, the Albergue de la Catedral is a great choice for people looking for a hostel in Vitoria – Gasteiz.