Deportivo Alavés Matchday Guide: Mendizorrotza, El Glorioso and a Basque Fairy Tale

Warmth, history and an intimacy the big grounds can’t match. Mendizorrotza holds under 20,000, and the stands sit close to the pitch, so even a mid-table league game feels immediate and personal. Alavés are a proper community club — family-friendly, deeply rooted in Vitoria — but the atmosphere has a real edge when it matters, the ultras generating what locals affectionately call a “rock and roll” environment. The blue-and-white seats and the covered stands are a legacy of the 1999 rebuild that, by happy timing, set the stage for that magical European run. Basque derbies against Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad lift the ground to another level. Expect a proud, historic, welcoming matchday.

This is one of the easiest grounds to reach in Spain. Mendizorrotza sits in the southwest of Vitoria-Gasteiz, and the city’s railway station is only about a 10-minute walk away, so a train trip works beautifully — and the ground is central enough to walk to from most of the city. Local buses (lines such as 63, L2, L4 and L6) stop nearby if you’d rather ride. The nearest airport is Bilbao, around an hour away by road, from where a taxi or bus completes the journey. Given how compact and walkable Vitoria is, you won’t need a car. Our getting around Vitoria-Gasteiz guide has the train and bus details.

Vitoria-Gasteiz is an underrated gem — a green, walkable city with a beautiful medieval old town — and the pre-match is all the better for it. Fans gather in the bars around the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca and through the Casco Medieval for pintxos and the Basque bar-hopping ritual, while closer to the ground spots like Café Bar La Lonja are regular Alavés haunts with a pool table, screens and a proper matchday buzz. It’s a relaxed, friendly scene in a city that rewards a wander. Build in time to explore the old town before kickoff. Our Vitoria-Gasteiz sports bars guide points you to the best of the local spots.

Payment is card and phone only. Mendizorrotza is a stadium that’s more impressive inside than its modest exterior suggests — fully covered since the 1999 redesign, with a scoreboard built into the roof and the distinctive blue-and-white seating throughout. Its age and intimacy are the charm; this is a ground steeped in a century of Basque football, from the art-deco radio tower over the old terracing to the memories of those famous European nights against Inter and Kaiserslautern. For the best overall view, the central Tribuna Principal (west stand); for good value with a knowledgeable, supportive crowd, the Tribuna Preferencia opposite. Wherever you sit, you’ll be close to the pitch.

Tickets are sold through the official club website, with prices typically starting around €25–30 for lower-profile fixtures and rising to €70–100 or more for the big games. The visits of Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the Basque derbies against Athletic and Real Sociedad, draw the biggest crowds and sell fastest, so book those well ahead. For most other league games, availability is reasonable and the intimate setting makes any seat a good one. Entry is by digital ticket. Looking ahead, the club has plans to expand and modernise Mendizorrotza toward 30,000, so the ground may change in coming seasons. Our Deportivo Alavés tickets guide walks through the sale process.

The central location makes for an easy exit — the walk back into the old town or to the station takes only minutes, with none of the transport crush of the bigger cities. Vitoria-Gasteiz then offers a pleasant, low-key night out, its old-town bars and restaurants carrying the evening on. It’s a genuinely lovely city to spend time in, and an easy base for exploring the wider Basque Country. If you’re staying over, a hotel near the old town keeps you close to everything; our Vitoria-Gasteiz hotels guide covers the best-placed options.

Come by train — the station is a 10-minute walk from the ground, and the city is compact enough to walk everywhere.

Explore the old town — Vitoria’s medieval Casco is beautiful and the heart of the pre-match.

Try Café Bar La Lonja — it’s a regular Alavés supporters’ haunt for a pre-match drink.

Aim for the Tribuna Principal — the west stand gives the best overall view in this intimate ground.

Book the big games early — Barça, Madrid and the Basque derbies sell fastest.

Soak up the history — this is Spain’s third-oldest ground, and the 2001 UEFA Cup story runs deep.

Facts verified July 2026. With a stadium expansion planned and ticketing subject to change between seasons, confirm the latest details on the official Deportivo Alavés website before you travel.