Basque Country
Bilbao, Spain
The Guggenheim transformed this industrial city into a cultural powerhouse — and the food scene might be even better.
Top Highlights
Guggenheim Museum
Frank Gehry's titanium-clad masterpiece is still jaw-dropping nearly 30 years after it opened. The building itself is the main attraction, but the contemporary art inside — particularly Richard Serra's massive steel sculptures — is worth the ticket price on its own.
Casco Viejo (Old Town)
Bilbao's original seven streets are compact and walkable, filled with pintxo bars, independent shops, and the Santiago Cathedral. The Sunday morning market here is excellent. This is where Bilbao's history lives.
Mercado de la Ribera
Europe's largest covered market, sitting on the river bank in the old town. The ground floor is a traditional fresh market; upstairs has been converted into a food hall with some of the city's best casual eating. Great for lunch.
Pintxo Culture
Bilbao's pintxo scene rivals San Sebastián's, and locals will argue it's better. The style is slightly different — more innovative, more avant-garde. Plaza Nueva in the old town is a good starting point.
Nervión Riverfront
The walk along the Nervión from the old town to the Guggenheim is Bilbao's best free experience. The river that once defined an industrial city is now lined with parks, sculptures, and modern architecture. It tells the whole story of Bilbao's transformation.
Why Bilbao
Bilbao is the greatest urban reinvention story in Europe. Thirty years ago, this was a declining industrial port city — grey, polluted, and losing population. Then the Guggenheim opened in 1997 and everything changed. Today, Bilbao is a confident, creative city that’s using world-class architecture and design to write its next chapter, without abandoning the gritty Basque character that makes it interesting.
The Guggenheim gets the headlines, but the real Bilbao is in the Casco Viejo — the original seven streets where old-school pintxo bars sit next to craft beer joints, where grandmothers shop at the Ribera market, and where the local athletic club (Athletic Bilbao) is almost a religion. The food here is extraordinary, the people are warm, and the city is compact enough to explore entirely on foot. Bilbao is also the natural gateway to the wider Basque Country — San Sebastián, the coast, and the wine region of Rioja are all easy day trips.
When to Visit
May through October offers the best weather, though Bilbao never gets as hot as southern Spain — summer temperatures peak around 25°C. It rains a lot here (this is green Spain), so always have a light rain jacket. The Aste Nagusia (Great Week) festival in August is a lively celebration worth timing your visit around.
Getting There
Bilbao airport (BIO) has good connections across Europe and is the main gateway to the Basque Country. The airport is 15 minutes from the city centre by bus. By train, Bilbao connects to Madrid and Barcelona, though the routes are slower than the AVE lines in the south. Buses to San Sebastián run every 30 minutes (1 hour).
Where to Base Yourself
Casco Viejo is the best base — it’s where the life is, the pintxos are, and it’s an easy walk to the Guggenheim along the river. Hotels here tend to be smaller and more characterful. Ensanche / Abando is the modern business district between the old town and the Guggenheim — more polished, with bigger hotels and wider streets. Good if you want a central position with easy access to both areas.
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