Sunday in Laguardia: a town above wineries and the titanium of Elciego.

Laguardia is a walled town on top of a hill in the Rioja Alavesa, with three long car-free streets and, beneath them, a maze of wineries dug into the rock, the calados. All around is vineyard, with the Sierra de Cantabria behind and the Ebro in front. This Sunday combines the town above and below, a lunch with a view of the vineyard and a visit with tasting at Marqués de Riscal, in Elciego, the winery with Frank O. Gehry's titanium building.

The day, hour by hour

9:30 · Set off. From Vitoria, on the A-2124 and the Herrera pass: about 45 minutes. From Logroño, twenty minutes. Park outside the wall: cars do not enter.

10:15 · The walled old town. Three parallel medieval streets, with gates in the wall, houses with coats of arms and the Collado promenade, from where you see the vineyard and the lagoon. An hour and a half without hurry.

11:45 · Abbey Tower. The tower of the old fortress, attached to Santa María de los Reyes. The tourist office shows it in a daily session: on Sundays and public holidays, at 11:45. It costs €3, with 40 places per session: book.

13:00 · A calado beneath the streets. The tourist office also opens a winery dug beneath the old town, in a short session without tasting for €3, at 13:00 on Sundays. It is the cheapest way to see how wine was made and stored beneath the houses.

13:45 · Lunch at Amelibia. A family restaurant next to the wall, with views of the vineyard and the lagoon: hake cheeks in pil-pil, pig's trotters, confit suckling pig, menestra and a tasting menu. It only serves lunch, opens on Sundays from 13:00 to 15:30 and is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Book.

16:30 · Marqués de Riscal. Elciego is about 7 km away. The winery, founded in 1858, is open every day from 10:00 to 19:00. The basic visit tours the winery and the vineyard and ends with a tasting of three wines with chorizo and salchichón: 90 minutes, €30 for adults, €14 for ages 11 to 17 and €4 for ages 3 to 10. Gehry's building is the hotel: the visit goes round it. Book the afternoon session on their website.

18:15 · Head home. In Vitoria around seven; in Logroño, earlier.

Other wineries and other plans

In Laguardia itself, Bodega El Fabulista shows its calados seven metres beneath the Samaniego palace, with grape treading and a tasting of two wines from €14, with sessions on Sunday at 11:30, 13:00, 16:00 and 17:30. Santa María de los Reyes has a Gothic portico that keeps its colour; it is now being restored, with scaffolding in front, and is seen on a 40-minute guided visit for €5. Without wine, the Laguardia lagoons, at the foot of the town, have a path along the shore with birds, and the dolmen of La Chabola de la Hechicera lies among vineyards on the way to Elciego.

With children and without a car

With children, the walk along the wall, the tower and the lagoons work well, and Marqués de Riscal has a reduced rate for them. Without a car, Álava Bus line 9 links Vitoria, Laguardia and Logroño, about ten departures a day, also at weekends. Elciego needs a car or taxi.