Basque Country

Bilbao Cathedral is a Basque Gothic construction built between the 14th and 15th centuries, although its beautiful façade, later rebuilt, is neoclassical in style. With three naves, of which the main one is the tallest at 22.5 meters high, What most attracts attention are its stained glass windows, the celestial vault of the Sacristy and the cloister.

The Plaza Nueva is located in the heart of the old town of Bilbao. Inaugurated in 1851, it was designed by the architects Antón Echevarría, Avelino Goikoetxea and Silvestre Pérez and built with golden sandstone masonry stone. This square is the nerve center of Bilbao and has, nothing more and nothing less, an area of 3,400 meters and five entrances. Here you can find cafes and bars where you can go for pintxos or soak up the local atmosphere.

Neo-baroque style theater from the 19th century and built in honor of Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, a young musical prodigy from Bilbao who, when he died at the age of just 19, had already composed more than 20 works. So much so that he was known as the Spanish Mozart. This building located in Bilbao is noted for its main façade and its decorative elements, which take the Paris Opera House as a reference.

The Zubizuri bridge is one of the icons of Bilbao. It stands ten meters from the Ría del Nervión and was designed by the architect Calatrava. Its structure features a large white sailing ship. Its surface is glazed although it is now covered by a non-slip mat to prevent falls, especially on rainy days.

The Guggenheim Museum is a work of art in itself and one of the most important of the twentieth century. The first thing that strikes the eye about this museum is its exterior sculptures: Puppy, the famous floral dog, and Mama, the big spider with eight giant legs. But, what is also really pure art is the avant-garde architecture of the building that has become a symbol of the city. Designed by the Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, this monumental sculpture has a surface area of 24,000 square meters that houses large permanent collections of contemporary art and other temporary exhibitions. The average visiting time is usually 3 hours in total: 2 hours to see the interior and another hour for the exterior. OPENING HOURS TUESDAY TO SUNDAY 11:00 to 19:00h. In high season the museum opens at 10:00h. Mondays are closed except January 3, April 11 and 18, Mondays from June 13 to September 12, October 31, December 5 and 26, 2022. The Museum will be closed on December 25 and January 1. On December 24 and 31 the Museum will close its doors at 5 pm.

This bridge was inaugurated in 1972 and was built with the purpose of linking the center of the city with the suburbs. Today, the Salve Bridge forms a complex with the Guggenheim Museum and features a huge red gate, designed by the French artist Daniel Buren. Built with green concrete, it was the first bridge in Spain to include the cable stay system. Although it was formerly called "Príncipes de España", it is now popularly known as "the red bridge of Bilbao".

Bilbao viewpoint is famous for its views of the city and its red railings with the words Bilbao and Bilbo in repetition, which make it an essential visit and place for photos In its surroundings there is a lively booming leisure area that stands out for its restaurants specializing in Basque steak.

A traditional market opened in Bilbao in 1929 that entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1990 as the most complete municipal food market, being, at that time, the largest in Europe with no more and no less than 10,000 square meters with a multitude of stalls of fresh and local products. If you are looking for quality products, this is your place. In addition, its architecture an windows make this market a beautiful building that attracts visitors from all over. OPENING HOURS Monday: 8-14:30 Tuesday to Friday: 8-14:30 p.m. and afternoons 17-20 p.m. Saturdays: 8-15h. Sundays closed.

The Bilbao City Hall was built in 1892 by the architect Joaquín Rucoba, the same architect who designed the Arriaga Theater, also in Bilbao. This building is in the French Second Empire style and stands out for its facade decorated with sculptures by Fiat and the team formed by Garamendi, Basterra and Larrea. Located on the site of the former convent of San Agustín, destroyed during the First Carlist War, the large square in which it stands is the most striking feature. In it, in front of the town hall, stands an iron sculpture by the Basque sculptor Jorge Oteiza. This sculpture, eight meters high, six meters in diameter and weighing 16 tons, has the name of Ovoid Variant. Although it is popularly known as the "half-sided txapela" for its shape that resembles this Basque accessory, it is actually an empty geometric body made of Corten steel, the material used to make the hulls of the ships that sailed the Bilbao estuary.

This railway station that connects Bilbao with Santander is noted for its modernist façade with ceramic, glass and wrought iron elements that make it the most special station in the city.

Currently known as Azkuna Zentroa, it is an old wine warehouse built by the Bilbao architect Ricardo Bastida between 1906 and 1909. Converted into a leisure and culture centre, the interior was reconstructed by the architect Philippe Stark, but what makes this building so special are its 43 colorful columns, each with its own design, the work of Italian designer Lorenzo Baraldi.