
The Oak of Guernica also survived the bombing. The oak, known as the Gernikako Arbola, is symbolic of the traditional rights of the Basque people as a whole. The trees are always renewed from their own acorns. One of these trees (the “Old Tree”) lived until the 19th century, and may be seen, as a dry stump, near the assembly house. A tree planted in 1860 to replace it died in 2004 and was in turn replaced; the sapling that had been chosen to become the official Oak of Guernica is also sick so the tree will not be replaced until the earth around the site has been restored to full health.
The town’s restaurants serve traditional Basque cuisine, with personal touches introduced by the chef in some cases. There is a wide variety of roast, skilleted and charcoal grilled meat, as well as fresh fish from the Bay of Biscay and local vegetables, all washed down with cider, local txakolí wine and wines from La Rioja. The most typical dishes are those made with the much-prized local kidney beans and green peppers.