Last updated September 2022
Bilbao is an amazing city. I had only ever heard of it in relation to The Guggenheim Museum, which is incredible and was my favourite attraction, but there much more to the city than just this! It is not the capital of The Basque Country, that is Vitoria, but it is a very well-known city, more so than Vitoria.
The city offers many museums, a pretty, quaint Old Town, beautiful New Town, is surrounded by beautiful green hills, the sea and more. And it offers a very different culture to the rest of Spain as it is in The Basque Country which for me makes it even more interesting. Expect to see a lot of words you won’t recognise, even if you studied Spanish in school. A lot of the information and street signs etc are in Basque.
So here are my Top 9 Things To Do in Bilbao:
- The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
- Fine Arts Museum (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao)
- Basque Museum (Museo Vasco)
- Old Town (Casco Antiguo) – Town Hall, bridges, streets, churches (Santiago Cathedral), Plaza Nuevo
- Funicular to Artxanda hill (Funicular Artxanda)
- Cultural Centre ( Azkuna Zentroa)
- Use the metro!
- A trip to Gexto
- Eat pinxtos
The Guggenheim Museum
This is definitely my favourite attraction in Bilbao but the city has a lot more than just this to offer. You can spend a few hours here, enjoying the installations both inside and outside the building. I loved it so much that I have dedicated a whole post to it, if you would like to learn more about it then you can read it HERE.
Museo de Bellas Artes
This museums offers a collection of art by Spanish artists, Italian and more. Be sure that you check the beautiful park beside it too, called Parque Doña Casilda de Iturrizar, see photo above.
Website:
https://bilbaomuseoa.eus/en/home/
Social media:
Museo Vasco
A museum dedicated to The Basque Country nestled in the beautiful Old Town. If you’d like to learn more about the culture of this fascinating region of Spain, then this is the place for you!
After visiting, if you’d still like to learn more about the region’s culture, you could also watch La Pequeña Suiza on Netflix. It’s a comedy film showing how difficult it can be for the region’s unique culture to be accepted.
Website:
https://www.euskalmuseoa.eus/eu/hasiera
Social media:
Old Town
The Old Town is a very good example of a Spanish Old Town; it has quaint little streets, a beautiful cathedral and many bars and restaurants. You can forget about your map while you are here and just wander the little streets and soak up the atmosphere. Its Town Hall is impressive too. Each Spanish city has a town hall but each town hall has its own unique architecture. Similarly, each Spanish city has its own bull ring (Plaza de Toros), this is another hugely important part of the composition of a Spanish city. Each bull ring has very different designs too!
Funicular Artxanda
Bilbao has its own funicular which takes you to the top of Artxanda Hill and offers wonderful views of the city. It really made me realise how green Bilbao is, or rather, how it is surrounded by green hills. I always like when I can see where a city ends so this appealed to me a lot. Also, coming from Ireland, I always like to see green countryside, it reminds me of home. They also have a railing made of big red letters spelling BILBAO which makes it a great place for a photo!
Cultural Centre (Azkuna Zentroa)
This centre is amazing! I would definitely recommend exploring it! It is free to enter which means you can admire the unusual columns without spending a penny, see photo below. The building is impressive even on the outside but on the inside it is even more so, it is very unique. There are a number of artistically decorated columns within the centre, of different colours and themes. I think the chicken one is most popular but I quite liked the one with grapevines as it was reminiscent of my home of that time, La Rioja. It’s fun to pick a favourite one! Let me know which one your favourite is in the comments!
The centre also houses a fantastic library which is huge and fun to walk around. There is also a cinema on the lower level and a gym upstairs and a pool on the top floor. The pool has a glass bottom which means that you can see people swimming if you decide to look up – it’s a bit funny! There is also a very nice casual restaurant on the Ground Floor that serves tasty pinxtos (similar to tapas, a small snack. The difference is that they are served on a small piece of toast. A delicacy in The Basque Country). The centre is certainly an interesting place that you can spend a lot of time exploring. It also houses a Tourist Information Office so you can even just quickly pop in to pick up a map if you are tight for time.
Website:
https://www.azkunazentroa.eus/en/
Social media:
Use the Metro!
It might be a little strange to list the metro as an attraction as it is functional, and in most cities, quite boring, but here in Bilbao it is very modern with a lot of glass and silver, making it sleek and bright. You know where the metro stations are as you will see a glass snake curve over the ground – well, that’s what it looks like me, it is a glass arm. The stations are very clean and are easy to use. We took the metro to Gexto and it was a fun trip – I will give you more details below. The metro goes both underground and overground which means you can see the sea on the way to Gexto.
Fun fact! The metro was designed by Sir Norman Foster, the same man who designed the famous glass dome of the Reichstag in Berlin – the parliament building. He also designed 30 St Mary Axe, the glass tower in London commonly known as The Gherkin, that has become a well-known part of the city’s skyline.
A trip to Gexto
Gexto is a beautiful neighbourhood beside the sea. You can spend a goodly amount of time exploring the area as there are different parts to see and a lot of lovely architecture. First, you must go over the old suspension bridge. Then, if you want to spend more time you can walk by the sea and admire the architecture, first, grand houses and then colourful seaside houses. It is very pretty to explore and it feels different to the city. You will also see symbols of a ship on lamp-posts and railings, if you keep your eyes peeled!
The suspension bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site so it is worth going over it. To go over the bridge you must buy a ticket and then hop into a carriage, then you are whooshed across to the other side of the river. It is a fun experience! The bridge’s name is The Vizcaya Transporter Bridge. It was built in 1893.
Eat pintxos
Pinxtos are typical to The Basque Country so you really need to try them while you are here. The good news is that this is no difficult task, there are bars and restaurants all around! Just note that most of the restaurants only open at 21:00 for dinner, this is later than in most other parts of Spain. Usually restaurants are open for dinner at 20:30 for dinner.
Pinxtos are small snacks, usually meat or fish served on a piece of bread. They are perfect to snack on while enjoying some local beer or wine.
To also note:
Bilbao also has things that are unique to all of The Basque Country and to all of Spain that might be of interest if it is your first time visiting this wonderful country.
Bullring – all cities in Spain have one. Their architecture really depends, some look like Roman amphitheatres, others are colourful and some, like in Bilbao, are quite modern looking.
You could and probably should also visit:
- Ribera Market – by the river, very near the Old Town
- Athletic Club Museum (Athletic Club Museoa)
- Archaeology Museum (Museo Arqueológico)
- Maritime Museum
- Bullfighting Museum
- Gaztelugatxe – a possible day-trip from Bilbao. It is used as a setting in Game of Thrones. It is a small island that is connected to the mainland by a stone bridge. I didn’t have time to visit it but I think it would be worth a visit.
So now you know what to expect when you go to Bilbao! I really would recommend Bilbao as a holiday destination, it is beautiful with a lot of interesting things to see and do. It is one of my favourite cities in Spain and I do hope I can return one day soon.
