The municipality—which comprises not only the city but also the mainly agricultural lands of 63 villages around—is the largest in the Basque Country, with a total area of 276.81 square kilometres (106.88 sq mi), and it has a population of 253,093 (January 2021).

Vitoria-Gasteiz's vicinity is home to acclaimed wineries such as Ysios, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, and Marqués de Riscal, by Frank Gehry.

Ludwig van Beethoven dedicated his Opus 91, often called the "Battle of Vitoria" or "Wellington's Victory", to one of the most famous events of the Napoleonic Wars: the Battle of Vitoria, in which a Spanish, Portuguese and British army under the command of General the Duke of Wellington broke the French army and nearly captured the puppet king Joseph Bonaparte.

In 581 AD, the Visigoth king Liuvigild founded the city of Victoriacum, trying to emulate the Roman foundations, as a celebration of the victory against the Vascones near what is assumed to be the hill occupied by the primitive village of Gasteiz.

[6] In 1181, Sancho the Wise, King of Navarre founded the town of Nova Victoria as a defensive outpost on top of a hill at the site of the previous settlement of Gasteiz.

The existence of Gastehiz, apparently inhabited by Vasconic people,[7] can be traced back to the Middle Ages; it is certain that by the 11th century, prior to the foundation of Nova Victoria, the settlement was already walled.

When news came to Vienna in late July of that year, Johann Nepomuk Mälzel commissioned Ludwig van Beethoven to compose a symphony, the op.

At the start of the Spanish Civil War Álava and Vitoria were easily captured by the rebel Nationalists led by General Angel García Benítez, assisted by Colonel Camilo Alonso Vega.

[10] The 1937 Nationalist campaign in Vizcaya was supported by 80 German aircraft based at Vitoria,[11] where the Condor Legion fighter wing was concentrated.

[12] During the Spanish transition to democracy, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi was the scene of a police shooting on March 3, 1976 during a peaceful labour assembly.

Under the orders of Interior Minister Manuel Fraga, the police shot tear-gas into the church where 5,000 demonstrators and others had met, firing on them as they struggled their way out of the building.

In 1492, the year of the expulsion, the town council agreed to maintain and respect the Jewish cemetery, which became known as Judimendi, or "mountain of the Jews" in Basque.

Winters are much cooler than in lowland coastal areas, whilst summers are similar in terms of high temperatures, with cool nights due to the elevation.

The current municipal council composition is as follows: The economy of Vitoria-Gasteiz is diverse, and many manufacturing companies and logistic centers have operations there, including Mercedes-Benz, Michelin, Gamesa, and Heraclio Fournier, the latter being headquartered there.

Focusing on history and linguistics, the Álava campus is also home of the Faculty of Pharmacy, as well as some other technical, teaching and business related degrees.

European University Gasteiz, a private initiative with a focus on health and sport sciences and new technologies, opened in 2022 in the district of Salburua, after receiving official recognition from the Basque Parliament.

[32] The Basque Y high-speed rail network is planned to connect Vitoria-Gasteiz with the French border, San Sebastián and Bilbao within 35 minutes.

The medieval town is set in almond-shape around the hill foundation, which by its privileged position as the only elevation in the plain of Álava, became a defensive stronghold coveted by the kingdoms of Navarre and Castilla during the 11th and 12th centuries.

Because of that first defensive role, its narrow streets surrounding the oval resulted in compact rows of houses parallel both to each other and the medieval walls (of which only some sections and gates are preserved).

The entrance of the current Plaza de la Virgen Blanca was the site of Santa Clara, which was joined by the wall at the Convent of San Antonio.

The Old Quarter (Alde Zaharra/Casco Viejo), has many architectural jewels such as Bendaña Palace, the Fournier Museum of cards (erected in 1525 by Juan Lopez de Arrieta, on the site occupied before by the defensive tower built by Maeztu).

This was the case in the 15th century (when the church became collegiate), and finally in the 1960s, when it was decided to reverse the previous works of strengthening of the external walls and widen the windows, made purely for aesthetic reasons, which had severely damaged the stability of the building.

To solve the problem of the difference in height between the original kernel on the hill, and the plain below, the arches were erected and the Plaza De España or Plaza Nueva was built, which soften the transition from the old city to the 19th century neoclassical expansion of wide streets and gardens, the greatest examples of which are seen in the La Florida Park, and the Andre Maria Zuriaren Enparantza/Plaza de la Virgen Blanca, with its façade pulled viewpoints.

Finally, the new quarters of Vitoria-Gasteiz were built, in accordance with a development plan favouring parks, recreation areas and quality of life.