Bilbao the largest city in the Basque Country, is a vibrant and culturally rich destination. “The City of the Guggenheim”, as when this original museum was built in 1997, Bilbao was changed forever. To this day it is making an impact due to its groundbreaking structures created by prestigious architects, and it serves as an international reference point for modernity.
Although, curiously, its unique character comes from combining avant-garde with the traditional feel of its old town, full of charming streets and bars offering pintxos, proof that they are passionate about gastronomy around here. All this has earned Bilbao a place of honor on the list of Spain’s most interesting cities.
A visit to this city in the north of Spain could start with the Guggenheim Museum. It is one of the most surprising examples of 20th-century architecture as Frank Gehry used 33,000 ultra-thin titanium plates to create its curious curves. Inside, it shares the world’s most important private collection of modern and contemporary art with New York and Venice. Also, Bilbao has another of the best art galleries in Spain: the Museum of Fine Arts. The city’s commitment to creating a ground-breaking, imaginative image also includes the Euskalduna Conference Centre, Norman Foster’s metro stations, the Isozaki and Pelli towers, the Zubizuri bridge designed by Calatrava or new cultural centers such as La Alhóndiga by Philippe Starck, built over an old wine cellar.
The city of Bilbao is proof that gastronomy is an art in the Basque Country – one of the areas with the most Michelin Stars per person in the world. Plaza Nueva and its surrounding streets are full of busy bars serving their famous pinches: small, delicious bites of food. Here, foodies can find their place among the buzzing bars, family-run restaurants, and prestigious chefs. And they will also have the chance to visit the La Ribera Market, a beautiful building where you can have the produce that you purchase cooked for you, or where you can sample a selection of pintxos and Txakoli wine to the beat of live music.