Bilbao is one of the most visited cities in Spain, located in the province of Vizcaya in the Basque Country. This city is well known for hosting the Guggenheim Museum, but this work of art is not the only thing that we can enjoy on a visit to the city. This city has a beautiful old town and many spaces to discover.
Let's see some of the points that we can visit if we organize a small trip to the city of Bilbao. In several days we will be able to see the main thing and enjoy a city that mixes modernity with the old and that is visited by hundreds of people to discover all its corners.
Guggenheim Museum
We begin with one of the main attractions that takes many visitors to pass through the city of Bilbao. The Guggenheim Museum is already a work of art on the outside, without the need to go inside. If we look closely we will quickly know what this peculiar building simulates, since it seems to create the shape of a ship. This contemporary art museum was devised by architect Frank O. Gehry. It was built in 97 and since then it has been one of the main tourist attractions in Bilbao. We can appreciate each silhouette and angle from the outside, in addition to taking the relevant photographs. Its interior is open plan, with several floors where the various collections are exhibited, many of them sent from the Guggenheim Museum in New York. There are also permanent exhibits, such as the great dog Puppy by Jeff Koons or Mama by Louis Bourgeois, outside the museum.
The New Square
Plaza Nueva is located in the old town of Bilbao. It is a beautiful square in neoclassical style that began in the XNUMXth century. In the XNUMXth century it was filled with water and gondolas to honor the visit of an Italian king. But beyond these moments of prominence, it is a very central and busy square where it is possible to find bars in which to take those famous typical pintxos. It is a beautiful square because it is formed by semicircular arches that give it an elegant and symmetrical appearance.
Ribera Market
El Mercado de la Ribera is located next to the Bilbao estuary in a very colorful point that is also usually photographed. It is a commercial reference in the city and now also a very touristy place in which to enjoy buying quality products or getting to know Basque gastronomy. This building was built in the XNUMXth century on the old Plaza Vieja. The enclosure houses more than one hundred different shops divided into several floors. During the visit we can enjoy watching the hustle and bustle, buying food products of all kinds and seeing the daily life of the people of Bilbao in the market, without a doubt an experience that we should not miss.
Arriaga Theater
In the city center is the famous Arriaga Theater in neo-baroque style Opened in 1890. It was inspired by the Opera Garnier in Paris and today offers guided tours. Inside you can visit its different rooms, the coliseum and the Orient Express room. This theater can transport us to another era.
Neighborhood of the Seven Streets
Although this industrial city has grown rapidly in modern times, it all started around seven streets that today make up one of the most interesting neighborhoods in the city. The streets of Somera, Artecalle, Tendería, Belosticalle, Carnicería Vieja, Barrencalle and Barrencalle Barrena were the beginning of everything. This is an ideal area to enjoy taking a walk learning about the history of the city.
Cathedral of Santiago
In full old town, in the Plaza de Santiago, we found this religious building. It is a XNUMXth century Gothic style temple. It is a temple that in a way is linked to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, since in them you can see some winks towards the Camino de Santiago. If we look at the Puerta del Ángel we will find a typical Jacobean shell, a symbol of the pilgrims. It can be visited inside and includes an audio guide to learn all the details about the history of the cathedral. Another of the most important religious buildings in Bilbao is the Basilica of Begoña, also in the Gothic style.
Etxebarria Park
This park is one of the favorite places to stroll and enjoy some great outdoors. The park is in a sloping space on one of the hillsides that surround the city. In the eighties it was part of an industrial expansion project but it gave rise to this park that today is the largest in the city. Not only will we be able to enjoy a well-deserved rest in a green area, but we will also have the best panoramic views of Bilbao.