Bilbao, Spain — Where to Go
Bilbao Sightseeing Overview
Bilbao is Spain's sixth largest city, its biggest port and the main industrial center in the north of the country. Bilbao is also the largest and busiest city in the Basque region and was the seat of the Basque autonomous government in the Spanish Civil War, from 1936 until its capture by the Nationalists the year after.
Bilbao was established as a city on 15 June 1300, but it was the industrial era of the 19th and 20th centuries that brought it wealth and affluence and allowed the development of a prosperous modern city. Shipbuilding and iron and steel production have been among its most important industries.
Business was good for Bilbao up until the last decades of the 20th century, when industrial decline set in. A deep economic crisis developed but after investing heavily in tourism, culture and environmental and urban regeneration, Bilbao managed to turn itself around and become a world-famous success story.
Today, Bilbao is a striking city, whose regeneration owes a lot to the Guggenheim Museum, but there are plenty of other attractions drawing tourists to the city, such as the Fine Arts Museum, the Euskalduna Palace and the Maritime Museum. The wonderful Old Town is a must see, with its bustling streets lined with ancient mansions, small boutiques and bars, the arcaded Plaza Nueva and the gothic cathedral.
To get a good overview of the city, the trip on the 800m-long (2,624ft) funicular railway up Monte Artxanda is recommended, as the viewpoint at the top offers a wonderful panorama of the city and its estuary.
The marvelous 100-year-old transporter bridge spanning the River Nervión between Portugalete and Getxo to the north of Bilbao also offers great views of the estuary.
Bilbao Tourist Information
Bilbao Turismo
Plaza Ensanche 11
Tel: (94) 479 5760.
Website: www.bilbao.net/bilbaoturismo
Bilbao Turismo has several offices around town - at Plaza Ensanche 11, the airport, Plaza Arriaga and the Guggenheim Museum.
Bilbao Sightseeing
The Bilbao Card provides significant discounts at museums, shops, restaurants and shows, as well as on public transport. You can buy it at the following tourism offices: Plaza Ensanche 11, Avenida Abandoibarra 2, Bilbao International Airport and Plaza Arriaga. It's available for one, two or three days.
Bilbao Sightseeing
The Bilbao Card provides significant discounts at museums, shops, restaurants and shows, as well as on public transport. You can buy it at the following tourism offices: Plaza Ensanche 11, Avenida Abandoibarra 2, Bilbao International Airport and Plaza Arriaga. It's available for one, two or three days.
Key Attractions in Bilbao, Spain
Guggenheim MuseumBilbao
Bilbao's greatest tourist attraction is without doubt the US$100-million Guggenheim Museum. Designed by architect Frank Gehry, it is a vast titanium-clad structure in the center of Bilbao and has 11,000 sq m (118,403 sq ft) of exhibition space distributed amongst 19 galleries. It features the works of some of the most influential artists of the later half of the 20th century - Picasso, Motherwell, Rauschenberg, Still, Tàpies, Warhol, Klein and de Koonig.
Avenida Abandoibarra 2
Tel: (94) 435 9000.
Website: www.guggenheim-bilbao.es
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000 (Jul-Aug); Tues-Sun 1000-2000 (Sep-Jun).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Euskalduna Palace
Considered to be among the most significant contemporary architectural works made by Spanish architects, Euskalduna Palace was designed by Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios and represents the last ship built in the old Euskalduna shipyard. A symbolic representation of Bilbao's industrial heritage, this huge multifunctional complex, built in 1999 and located in the city center, holds a renowned conference center, voted the best in the world in 2003, and a magnificent auditorium. There are guided tours every Saturday at noon.
Avenida Abandoibarra 4
Tel: (94) 403 5000.
Website: www.euskalduna.net
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2000.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Fine Arts MuseumBilbao
Celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2008, the Fine Arts Museum Bilbao features an extraordinary variety of artworks from the 12th century to the present. The collection includes more than 6,000 works of art, from paintings, sculptures and drawings to engravings and decorative objects. It is divided into three parts; one for classic European art, with works by artists like El Greco, Murillo, Goya and van Dyck; the second for contemporary art, including works by Gauguin, Bacon, Chillida and Barceló; and the third for Basque art, showing works by Regoyos, Zuloaga, Echevarría, Iturrino and Arteta among others.
Museo Plaza 2
Tel: (94) 439 6060.
Website: www.museobilbao.com
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-2000.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Old Town (Casco Viejo)
Bilbao's Old Town is a labyrinth of narrow pedestrian streets branching out from the Plaza Nueva. The area has an atmosphere all of its own, created by locals and tourists strolling the streets, nibbling on pintxos (the Basque version of tapas), drinking and enjoying the street life. The St James Cathedral has honored Bilbao's official patron saint since 1643. Built at the end of the 14th century in gothic style, it has three naves with triforium and ambulatory. The building became a cathedral in 1949.
Ría de Bilbao Maritime Museum
Situated in the docks of the old Euskalduna shipyard in Abandoibarra, Bilbao Maritime Museum is dedicated to all things relating to the sea and navigation. The indoor section includes exhibitions, a media archive, an auditorium, a shop and a café. Outside you can visit the old docks of the Euskalduna Shipyards, where you can find shelter for vessels, the pump house and the unique Carola crane. There are several permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Muelle Ramón de la Sota 1
Tel: (94) 608 5500.
Website: www.museomaritimobilbao.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-2000.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Further Distractions
Vizcaya Bridge
The marvelous bridge of Puente Vizcaya spans the Nervión River from Getxo just to the north of Bilbao over to Portugalete on the west. More than 100 years old (it was built in 1893), it is 160m (524ft) long and 50m (164ft) tall and affords a superb view of the Bilbao Estuary and the Abra Bay. It transports cars and pedestrians across the river in a hanging gondola. It's also possible to take the lift up to the upper footbridge, from where excellent panoramic views can be enjoyed.
Getxo
Tel: (94) 480 1012.
Website: www.puente-colgante.com
Opening hours: Daily.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
UNESCO site: Y.
Bilbao Museum of Basque Archaeology, Ethnography and History
This Bilbao museum is well worth a visit. It features exhibits from the Basque region's prehistory, archaeology, ethnography and history. The permanent collection allows visitors to explore topics such as prehistorical Vizcaya, the maritime world in the region, fishing and trade, pastoral life, handicraft textiles, pottery, weapons and furniture.
Plaza Miguel de Unamuno 4
Tel: (94) 415 5423.
Website: www.euskal-museoa.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1100-1700; Sun 1100-1400.
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
