Vitoria, the city that deals out fun

Vitoria has been associated with dealing out fun for 150 years and the city’s name has crept into casinos around the world. Here, some of the best playing cards are manufactured that dealers then put into the hands of millions of gamblers and players. They also manufacture that deck of cards we all have at home or in our txoko (kitchens and dining spaces where traditional gourmet clubs gather), which we sometimes take out during the sobremesa (chatting around the table after a meal) to play with friends.  

Heraclio Fournier was a visionary who bet everything on innovation in the design and manufacturing process. In 1870, the businessman opened his first printing workshop in Plaza España of the capital of Álava. As his business grew, he expanded his facilities to eventually occupy various locations across the city. One of them is situated on calle Iradier, next to Casa Pando, unmistakable with its blue dome and one of the most beautiful façades in the Ensanche (more modern expansion of the Old Quarter) of Vitoria.

Fournier represents the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of the city. His phone was the first to be installed in Vitoria. Like him, the city is the birthplace of visionaries that had the courage to launch world-famous businesses, such as the Knörr family, creators of the soft drink brand KAS. Or Juan Luis Arregui, Vitorian by way of adoption and founder of GAMESA, a leader in wind energy.