What to see in Bilbao, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including the museum of fine arts and the historic center.
Tourist information
Located on the banks of the Nervión River and surrounded by green hills, Bilbao is an amazing city and the largest city in the Basque Country, a region of northern Spain, with its cultural treasures and gastronomic riches.
In fact, Basque cuisine is among the best in Spain and in Bilbao there are the most renowned restaurants in the region.
In Bilbao there are famous buildings of high architectural value, such as the famous Guggenheim Museum and the Euskalduna Palace.
To see the wonderful old town, Casco Viejo, with its crowded streets lined with old buildings, small shops, bars and a Gothic cathedral.
What see
archaeological Museum
In this museum are exhibits from the prehistoric era found in the territory of the Basque Country region, archaeological remains and other valuable historical evidence. The material shown allows visitors to learn more about prehistory, the maritime world, fishing, trade, crafts and religious life in this region.
Euskalduna Palace
This palace was designed by Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios and represents the last ship built in the old Euskalduna shipyard. A symbolic representation of Bilbao's industrial heritage, this huge multifunctional complex, built in 1999 and located in the center of the city, contains a renowned congress center with a magnificent auditorium.
Fine Arts Museum
In this museum there is an extraordinary variety of works of art from the 12th century to today. The collection includes more than 6,000 works of art, paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings and decorative objects. It is divided into three parts, the first dedicated to European classical art, with works by artists such as El Greco, Murillo, Goya and Van Dyck, the second to contemporary art with works by Gauguin, Bacon, Chillida and Barceló, and the third to Basque art with works by Regoyos, Zuloaga, Echevarría, Iturrino and Arteta on display.
Guggenheim museum
Bilbao's biggest tourist attraction is undoubtedly the Guggenheim Museum. Designed by architect Frank Gehry, it is a vast titanium-coated structure located in the center of Bilbao with an exhibition area of 11,000 square meters distributed among 19 galleries. It presents the works of some of the most influential artists of the second half of the 20th century including Picasso, Motherwell, Rauschenberg, Still, Tàpies, Warhol, Klein and de Koonig.
Old Town
The historic center of Bilbao is a labyrinth of pedestrian streets that branch off from Plaza Nueva. The area has an atmosphere of its own, created by locals and tourists who stroll through the streets, nibbling pintxos, the Basque version of tapas, drinking and enjoying street life. The Cathedral of St James, built at the end of the 14th century in Gothic style in honor of the official patron saint of Bilbao, has an internal plan with three naves with triple lancet windows.
Maritime museum
Located in the docks of the old Euskalduna shipyard in Abandoibarra, Bilbao Maritime Museum is dedicated to all things related to the sea and navigation. The internal section includes exhibitions, a multimedia archive, an auditorium, a shop and a cafeteria. Outside it is possible to visit the old docks of the Euskalduna shipyards, where ships can be moored.
