Bilbao in a Day: an Itinerary For Exploring the City

Bilbao has been a dream of mine since my first visit to Spain. I had heard many times that this place was unique for many reasons. Endless rain, lush greenery, surreal buildings, cheap seafood, huge portions, the best pinchos, high standard of living, strange local language - I collected all these reviews like pearls. After visiting the Basque Country's largest city, I was able to gather my impressions into pearls. And they turned out to be beautiful and original!

Bilbao (Basque: Bilbo) is a very different Spain from what we are used to. There is no scorching sun, numerous markets, smiling trained traders, noisy crowds of tourists and a range of entertainment. But there is plenty of rain, impressive futuristic buildings, cultural sites and quality restaurants (including Michelin-starred ones).

Southern Spaniards come here to escape the summer heat, while travellers from all over the world come to experience the local architecture, sights and wondrous nature. The rainy climate and characteristic cloudy skies are brightened by the colourful houses, quaint buildings and smiling people. The people here exude peace and happiness. The promenade is full of young people and the parks and squares are filled with elderly people whose neat and stylish appearance is a pleasure to behold!

Unlike the southerners, they speak more calmly and quietly. This is despite the fact that they speak Basque, which is generally considered to be more rude and even a little strange. This is understandable: Basque, or "Euskara", is considered one of the most unusual languages in the world. It does not belong to any known language family and no attempt to link it to any of the known languages has been successful. 

To experience the Basque atmosphere and familiarise yourself with the modern and historic parts of the city, you can take this route. A pleasant tiredness, a burst of inspiration and a feeling of closeness to the city at the end of the day are guaranteed! :)

Bilbao is a city of contrasts! You'll realise this within the first few minutes of walking along the Nervión River, where the city's main attractions are located. Heading towards the Guggenheim Museum, you'll see the 16th-century church of Sant Antoni. On the opposite bank is the modernist Concordia station from the XX century. Also known as Bilbao Abando (first photo below). The name comes from Abando, the neighbourhood where the station is located. The colourful building, with its abundance of glass structures from the early XX century, resembles a huge but elegant music box. It was designed by Severino de Achucarro. 

Continuing on, you will come across the elegant Baroque Town Hall and, opposite it, an ultra-modern bridge made of glass and iron. Contrasts like these are everywhere and can be admired from any angle. The bridges in Bilbao often connect the banks, so you can always cross from one side to the other. 

There are also a lot of towers on the rooftops, which are very popular here. In this respect, Bilbao is similar to Madrid, where it seems that any building over 100 years old was necessarily built with an elegant tower.

Bridges of various designs are the city's calling card. These include the ancient San Antonio Bridge near the church of San Antonio, the avant-garde Pedro Arrupe Bridge in front of the Guggenheim Museum, and the elegant Subusuri / Zubizuri pedestrian bridge. The latter is considered the most bizarre and visited. Many compare it to the skeleton of a giant whale. It was built by Santiago Calatrava Valls, whose designs also include the Samuel Beckett and James Joyce bridges in Dublin, the David's Harp Bridge in Jerusalem and the String Bridge in Petah Tikva, three bridges in the Netherlands, the Alamillo Bridge in Seville, a bridge in Argentina.

It is impossible to imagine the city without La Salve, a bright and modern bridge near the Guggenheim. It creates a sense of celebration and is an integral part of the image of the new Bilbao. It was built in the 1970s, but its bright red arch was only added in 2007, commissioned by the Guggenheim Museum, which was celebrating its 10th anniversary that year.

This game will entertain you, sharpen your attention, help you compare architecture of different times and realize how many interesting objects there are in Bilbao!

For example, under the same La Salva bridge you can find a pillar painted by city artists, and on the other bank among modernist buildings - a futuristic glass house. This is the Bilbao Health Department / Basque Health Department Headquarters. The project was commissioned by the state in 2008 by Spanish architects Juan Coll-Barreu and Daniel Gutierrez Zarza.

So, the main symbol of Bilbao is the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art. The building is certainly impressive in its size and shape. Sheets of metal are assembled in undulating shapes, they flow from one to another like waves and perfectly harmonize with the river flowing nearby. You can look at it for a long time: each side opens a new view and funny associations arise. 

The museum was built by Frank Owen Gehry, one of the main deconstructivist architects of our time. The museum in Bilbao is one of five branches. The main Guggenheim museum is located in New York.

In 1937, the "copper king" Solomon Guggenheim founded a foundation to support modern art, and the foundation in turn built one of the most famous New York museums designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, branches of the Guggenheim Museum began to appear in various cities around the world, and Bilbao became one of these lucky ones.

Here are a couple of curious facts about the museum's design:

• The total area of the titanium covering of the museum amounted to more than 25,000 square meters.
• Even more natural stone was needed: 34,000 square meters of floor space.
• A total of 2,200 glass panels were used, of which only 200 pieces had a standard rectangular and non-curved shape. 
• The panels used for the exterior cover are very thin: they are only 0.38 cm thick.

The museum's surroundings have also been transformed into a creative space: Here you will find a 15-metre-long composition of 76 steel spheres by Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor (photo at the beginning of the article); an eight-metre-long metal spider "Maman" with a body basket containing spider eggs by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois; and finally, the charming "Puppy" - a 13-metre-long sculpture bed in the form of a terrier puppy by American artist Jeff Koons.

It is already impossible to imagine the Guggenheim without these objects! Since 1992, a giant puppy made of real flowers has enlivened the entrance to the museum. It's probably the most popular spot for tourists and children to take a souvenir photo. The colourful puppy is often "kissed" on the nose, like the Tower of Pisa.

Take a few hours to visit the museum. The interior of the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art is as unusual and avant-garde as its exterior.

Inside there are mostly works by talented painters of the XX century. Although there are major temporary exhibitions, I recommend checking the museum's website in advance. If you're a fan of Futurism and Abstractionism, you won't regret paying 13€ for an adult ticket. For under 26 and over 65, the price is lower at 6,5€

Labyrinths, paintings by Picasso, Miro and Malevich and other masterpieces are sure to expand your mind, if not turn your world view upside down. The museum is open every day from 11:00 to 19:00.

I recommend saving a visit to the old quarter for dessert. The Casco Viejo is the heart and soul of Bilbao. It is the place where the city was born and began to grow 700 years ago. Originally, the old quarter was walled and consisted of three parallel streets. As the population grew, the wall was demolished and the number of streets was increased to seven. Hence the unofficial name Casco - 'Seven Streets'. 

Since 1979, the old part of Bilbao has been a pedestrian zone. This is the place to go to admire the old buildings, to imagine the city's past and to taste pintxos in the old taverns and bars.

Unlike other major Spanish cities, Bilbao is also attractive because of its clean streets. I see a link here between a high standard of living and a corresponding level of social responsibility. This cleanliness and tidiness, combined with the local 'vibe', creates a very positive image. You can feel that the people love their city, cherish its past and care about its present and future.

The Cathedral of Santiago is the oldest Catholic church in the city, built in the Gothic style. According to some reports, it appeared here as early as the XIV century, right on the northern pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. At that time, only a fishing village stood on this spot, which later became the city of Bilbao. Inside the cathedral you can see medieval statues of saints, an ancient French organ and beautiful stained glass windows. And in the courtyard is a small garden.

I love visiting cathedrals, especially in Spain. But this is probably the first time outside of Barcelona where you had to pay 6€ to enter a church and it's not worth it in my opinion. To be fair, the cathedral is nice. But compared to the Cathedral of Barcelona, for example, it looks very simple. It does not cause a "wow" effect. 

But the square in front of the entrance to the cathedral is gorgeous! Here you can feel the spirit of the Basque Country: a fountain gurgles, bells ring, a street guitarist strums his strings. A very pleasant place to take a breather and enjoy the atmosphere.

The Plaza Nueva is a place you won't want to miss when you visit the Casco Viejo. It is a typical plaza in the centre, surrounded by a square of identical buildings with arcaded galleries. The galleries are full of different cafes and restaurants where it is so pleasant to enjoy local delicacies, a glass of wine or a cup of coffee.

Pinchos are the Basque version of tapas. We have already written all about tapas and recommended 3 tapas bars in Barcelona.

Tapas and pintxos are like brothers. They are similar, but there is a difference. Pinchos have historically always been a stand-alone treat and you always have to pay for them, unlike tapas. Pinchos are also traditionally served on a skewer (pincho is Spanish for 'skewer'). Firstly, this method of serving a sandwich is more convenient, nothing falls apart. Secondly, it is easier for the waiter to count the number of skewers left on the plate.

Rain is quite common in Bilbao, so trying to choose a rainy season is a mistake. It is wiser to stock up on waterproof footwear, raincoats, umbrellas and other weather essentials.

In winter, the temperature in Bilbao drops to -5°C, and in summer the air heats up to a maximum of +35°C. However, in combination with the local wind, even high temperatures are quite comfortable in Bilbao. I would recommend planning a trip between June and October, when rainfall is minimal and temperatures are between +20 and +25°C. In November the rains start and in winter Bilbao becomes a less welcoming city with cold rain, wind and humidity.

I hope you will now put Bilbao on your bucket list. And you too can enjoy this different, yet beautiful, Spain!

Text and photo: Katya Keso