Many archaeological remains have been found in various parts of the Rioja-Alava region, such as the Poblado de la Hoya, in the municipality of Laguardia, which is one of the most important Bronze Age sites in the Basque Country, dating to the year fifteen hundred BC.
They are all vestiges of the rich prehistory of this land and together form a route of great cultural interest that can be visited in summer with family or friends.
Later, the medieval conflicts between the Navarrese and the Castilians meant that what we know today as Rioja Alavesa changed hands repeatedly. Despite having the river Ebro as a natural defensive barrier, the territory was coveted by many kingdoms. In 1461, it passed from Navarrese to Castilian rule, and in 1486, the town of Laguardia and its villages were definitively incorporated, by order of the Catholic Monarchs, into the Hermandad de Araba/Álava (Confederation of Araba/Alava).
The "very noble, loyal and crowned town" of Laguardia, the region's capital, was founded in the 10th century on top of a hill, where it stood tall and proud to defend the Kingdom of Navarre from the aggression of other kingdoms. It is a small, picturesque town of narrow, cobbled streets, with a wealth of historical monuments, particularly its old city walls and the fortified churches of San Juan Bautista and Santa María de los Reyes. The latter, built in the 14th century, has an exceptional carved stone portico and preserves its original 17th-century polychrome in excellent condition, thanks to being sheltered from the elements. The palace of the fable writer Samaniego, who was born in the town, is also worth mentioning. It was built in ashlar and has a beautiful neoclassical doorway. The same can be said of the 14th-century “La Primicia” house, where tithes and first fruits were collected. Both have wine cellars that are open to visitors today.
The other municipalities that comprise the Rioja Alavesa Wine Route also have important heritage sites, including the perfectly preserved historic centres of Elciego, Labastida/Bastida, and Labraza. The walls of the latter, awarded the prize for the Best Walled City in the World by the International Circle of Walled Cities, are lined with towers and machicolations and listed as a historical heritage site.
There are also many important civil buildings, such as the Casa de los Diezmos in Villabuena de Álava/Eskuernaga, the Casa del Indiano in Elvillar/Bilar, and the Casa de Manuel Quintano in Labastida/Bastida, who introduced Bordeaux wine-making techniques to 18th-century Spain. But there are also many emblazoned façades and ancestral homes in other municipalities in the region, which add to the immense monumental heritage of Rioja Alavesa.
The area that today contitute Rioja Alavesa has been habilited for more than 4,700 years, as evidenced by the megalitic contruction of La Chabola de la Hechicera, in Elvillar/Bilar, wich served as a collective pantheon, and the dolmens scattered throughout the municipalities of Laguardia, Leza, Villabuena de Álava/Eskuernaga, Elvillar/Bilar and Kripan.
