Discover Bilbao, The Capital Of Basque Country

Discover Bilbao, The Capital Of Basque Country
Jana
Jana 
Published
| 3 min read

There are many interesting places to visit while you’re travelling through northern Spain. On the west coast, the stunning hilly nature and stormy sea are luring you on some adventurous hike. Going more to the centre of the region, you’ll be enchanted by wineries and nice, tiny villages. Finally, there are also important cities on the way, the culture and atmosphere of which you can’t miss. Bilbao, the capital of the autonomous Spanish region called Basque Country is one of these stops on your trip that will allow you to experience all the richness of the region. Here are a few tips of what you definitely can’t miss while visiting Bilbao.

The old and the new together

discover bilbao, the capital of basque country | the old and the new together

Bilbao is a big city whose history goes back to the 14th century. During the last decades, it was known mainly as a centre of Basque’s industry. What is really nice about Bilbao is the fact that the city has succeed to connect these aspects in a very interesting way. Every Bilbao district is different: the old factory buildings made from the red bricks strongly contrast with Bilbao’s old medieval district. Just a few streets further, you’ll meet new, modern-styled riverbanks, the main attraction of which is the famous Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Such a mix of styles create, alongside with the particular Basque culture, an unusual and extremely interesting city atmosphere.

Casco Viejo, the oldest district

discover bilbao, the capital of basque country | casco viejo, the oldest district

Let’s begin your visit at the oldest part of the city, Casco Viejo ( old town), which is situated in the northeast part of the city. Have fun by walking through tiny narrow streets full of old stone houses, bars and shops with local specialities. Lovely familiar bakeries, tiny art-nouveau cafés, as well as ice cream boutiques are almost on every single corner. You can’t leave Bilbao without entering these shops and buying some good homemade ice cream or having a nice pause with a good coffee and cake in some tiny bakery.

There is one boutique that is really worth trying – it is called Panaderia y Cafeteria Bertiz, and is located on Correo Kalea 16, just next old town’s most famous Plaza Nuevo. Bertiz makes fabulous fresh baguettes and sweet madeleines (a sort of tiny Spanish muffin). They also make a delicious hot chocolate - a real melted dark chocolate that is dense and sweet enough to please your senses. If you’re a real chocolate lover, try Bertiz’s special offer of four chocolate varieties to taste. But pay attention – the cups are really big!

Modern building of the Guggenheim Museum

discover bilbao, the capital of basque country | modern building of the guggenheim museum

After the gourmet stop, continue through the streets to the riverbanks. You’ll soon reach the newest part of Bilbao. Cross the river by the modern architecture styled bridge for pedestrians called Puente Zubizuri and you’ll end up next to the famous building of Guggenheim’s Museum of Modern Art. This stunning architectural gem was built in 1997 by Frank Gehry, the Canadian-American architect in order to renovate the industrial part of the city. The building is made from a combination of stone, titanium and glass, and is full of irregular, rounded shapes that reflect the river beneath. It is said that the Guggenheim Museum is one of the most interesting modern buildings in the world. In addition, it hides a large collection of contemporary artists from all over the world. Here you can find video installations and interesting modern paintings and statues. Once in Bilbao, you can’t miss this cultural wonder. The museum is opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm. The entrance fee for an adult is 13 EUR (14.5 USD).

Authentic Basque tapas bars

discover bilbao, the capital of basque country | authentic basque tapas bars

Bilbao is not only a city full of culture and history, but also a place with an animated nightlife. Similarly to everywhere else in Spain, you’ll also find an enormous number of tapas bars here. In fact, tapas are small varied dishes that you share while drinking some good beer or wine. The most popular tapas here are surely pickled olives, which are extremely huge and tasty, a large scale of small open-faced sandwiches called “pintxos”, as well as a dish called “tortilla de patata” that is, in fact, a special Spanish potato omelette. In every bar you go to, you’ll find at least three varieties of this famous tortilla – the most common ones are those with cheese and ham, mashed fish or fried vegetables. Although you can find tapas bars everywhere in the city, the best place to go is surely the modern part of the city, just next to the Guggenheim Museum. The district uniquely connects the fresh atmosphere of young students and the familiar milieu of old residents. One great bar that you should not miss is called Casa Agorria and is situated at Máximo Aguirre Kalea 30. Here is an extremely friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and their pintxos are just delicious! So, grab a place here and order a slice of tortilla de patata. It’ll go perfectly with the glass of local red wine called “Txacori”. You’ll have surely the best evening ever!

The beauties of Bilbao

Bilbao, the capital city of the autonomous Basque Country in Spain, is an extremely interesting city. It connects its old industrial history with stunning modern architecture. Bilbao offers a nice and relaxed atmosphere, rich culture, as well as an animated nightlife. Here is a small list of things that you should definitely not miss while visiting it.

Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Hi, my name is Jana and I am a Czech girl currently living in Paris. Student of cinema and dance, I love to meet new people all over the world, to speak with them in different languages and to...Read more

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