I recently took my 5- and 3-year-olds on a trip to Spain to visit family and see new cities. I loved how kid-friendly the country was, with strangers jumping in to help us whenever we needed.

After Spain’s 2008 debt crisis and a 2010 court ruling that limited the region’s ability to become its own nation, a renewed push for independence convulsed Catalonia.

Travel through Basque country in northern Spain, and you’ll encounter breathtaking coastal vistas, rocky landscapes and tranquil farms. You’ll also meet Basque people, whose history is one of ...