The city of Bilbao, located in the Basque Country, is not yet widely popular with tourists. Someone is scared by the words “Basque Country”, someone, having studied the information about this place, prefers the warmer regions of Spain. But those who still go here get great pleasure from getting to know this region on a Bilbao walking tour, which is so different from the Catalonia and Andalusia we are used to.
First of all, it should be noted that, indeed, the climatic conditions in Bilbao are more severe than in other parts of Spain. But due to lower air temperatures and frequent rains, this part of the country is very green and picturesque.
Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao is one of the most famous cities in the Basque Country. Formerly an industrial center, it became attractive to tourists after the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in 1997. Built on the city embankment, it immediately attracts attention with its unusual architecture, which is a symbiosis of abstract forms and structures. The building is made of metal, glass, and sandstone.
The museum itself hosts exhibitions of contemporary Spanish and foreign artists. Since the museum belongs to the Guggenheim museum network, this allows it to constantly update the exposition. The museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day except Monday. An adult ticket costs 13 euros with an audio guide.
Quay
The embankment in front of the museum is a favorite place for walks by citizens and guests of the city. This place is included in most of the tours you can find on the Freetour website. In this place, you can let children go for a walk on numerous playgrounds without fear for them. There is also a huge sculpture of a spider, against the background of which tourists love to take pictures.
Another, very cute installation, located on the opposite side of the building, is a flower arrangement depicting a terrier puppy.
The ensemble of the designer part of Bilbao is complemented by a huge tower belonging to the Spanish energy company Iberdrola.
A little away from the Guggenheim Museum, on the site of the old shipyard, there is a maritime museum.
A large number of bridges of various designs are interesting for tourists in Bilbao. This is the famous Subusuri pedestrian bridge (“white bridge”), which fits perfectly into the futuristic composition of the new part of Bilbao, and the San Anton bridge, immortalized on the city’s coat of arms, and the Pedro Arrupe bridge, which is located directly opposite the Guggenheim Museum, and the Euscalduna bridge, connecting the shores opposite the Maritime Museum.
Old Bilbao
But in addition to the modern part of the city, the old districts of Bilbao are also interesting. The city is full of wonderful architectural buildings and churches. The Cathedral of Santiago and the Begonia Basilica deserve special attention. There are many museums of various subjects, for example, the Museum of Fine Arts.
Biscay Bridge
If you leave the city itself and go in the direction of the Bay of Biscay, no less interesting sights await you. The closest of them is the Biscay Bridge, which connects the cities of Portugalete and Las Arenas. The bridge is two towers that stand on opposite sides of the Nervion River, between which a central span of 160 m is installed. The transportation itself to the other bank takes place in a suspended gondola, into which cars enter and people enter. There are elevators in the towers of the bridge, when you climb them, you can see a wonderful panorama of the area. The crossing operates around the clock and all year round, every 8 minutes.
San Juan de Gastelugache
If you continue your journey along the ocean coast, you can see another landmark of the region – San Juan de Gastelugache.
San Juan de Gastelugache is one of the most interesting places in the Bay of Biscay. Located near Bilbao, this place is very famous in the Basque Country.
People, having visited Bilbao once, as a rule, return here again and again, because it is a really unusual and original city, in which it is pleasant to walk, discovering for yourself what you did not notice last time.