About the City - Attractions in Bilbao

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao  opened in 1997, premeditated by Frank Gehry – a remarkable building made of titanium, glass and limestone. The building was hailed to be the most significant at its time. Guggenheim Museum is located in the Basque city of Bilbao in northern Spain,featuring exhibition prearranged by the Guggenheim Foundation and by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao including selection from the permanent collection of the Guggenheim museum.This remarkable building adds to an area where the Nervión makes its marks with pleasant riverside walks. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is surrounded by promenades, parks and recently-built squares, where you can see the work of artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Eduardo Chillida, Yves Klein, Jeff Koons and Fujiko Nakaya. Premises around the museum has become an influential meeting point to enjoy art, live music, refreshments, sports or play in a children’s area with avant-garde swings with interactive fountain targeted at children. ArcelorMittal gallery is regarded to be the main attraction from the museum – visited by around one million people every year.

Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

Museo de Bellas Artes (Bilbao Fine Arts Museum) consists of two building. One built in 1945, the other in 1960s, Spain’s second largest collection after the Prado in Madrid. The art collections are displayed from the 13th Century to the present day, in chronological order. Numerous artists are perceptibly represented, along with Basque and foreign artists, such as Delaunay, Gauguin, Bacon and Alechinsky. The collection contains over 6,000 works including, sculptures, drawings, paintings, decorative arts and engravings.

Santiago Cathedral

The Cathedral-Church of Bilbao is dedicated to St James the Apostle, the patron saint of Bilbao since 1643. It was built in the fifteenth century, in a Gothic style, although its tower and facade are neo-Gothic. The buildings were renovated several times – the last renovation was in the year 2000. The Gothic cloister resembles the door of the angel (known as the Pilgrims and example of Late Gothic) and its tower. The temple was originally built during the 14th -15th centuries as Bilbao’s main parish church and was only declared cathedral in 1950 when the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bilbao was officially developed.

Azkuna Zentroa, Bilbao

Azkuna Zentroa is not only one of the most iconic building in Bilbao, also an innovative new cultural and entertainment, with wide variety of activities for all interests. The solitary European Centre to have ever won the “Global Awards for Excellence” – rewarding the finest rehearsal in all types of property development. Filling 43,000 square metres of the old wine warehouse of Bilbao, in which the designer Phillipe Stark has transformed into a huge area to stage the most diverse events: exhibitions, concerts, conferences, children´s workshops, sports activities of all kinds, a reading area, cafes, restaurants and shops. One of the biggest attractions of Azkuna Zentroa is the state of the art swimming pool with a transparent floor – Truly Amazing! There is also a sun terrace which transforms- into a solarium in summer and as an additional space during winter. A visit to Azkuna Zentroa must be on top of your list when visiting Bilbao.