Must-see attractions in Bilbao

  • Top Choice
    Museo Guggenheim Bilbao

    Shimmering titanium Museo Guggenheim Bilbao is one of modern architecture's most iconic buildings. It played a major role in helping to lift Bilbao out of…

  • Top Choice
    Itsasmuseum

    On the waterfront, this interactive maritime museum brings the watery depths of Bilbao and Basque maritime history to life. Start with a 10-minute video…

  • Top Choice
    Museo de Bellas Artes

    The Museo de Bellas Artes houses a compelling collection that includes everything from Gothic sculptures to 20th-century pop art. There are three main…

  • Casco Viejo

    The compact Casco Viejo, Bilbao’s atmospheric old quarter, is full of charming streets, boisterous bars and plenty of quirky and independent shops. At the…

  • Azkuna Zentroa

    Take a neglected wine storage warehouse, convert it into a leisure and cultural centre, add a shot of Bilbao style and the result is the Azkuna Zentroa …

  • E
    Euskal Museoa

    One of Spain's best museums devoted to Basque culture takes visitors on a journey from Palaeolithic days to the 21st century, giving an overview of life…

  • Museo Athletic Club

    A must for all AC Bilbao fans, this high-tech museum delves into the club's legendary past, with gear and trophies dating back to 1905. Interactive…

  • Funicular de Artxanda

    Bilbao is a city hemmed in by hills and mountains, resting in a tight valley. For a breathtaking view over the city and the wild Basque mountains beyond,…

  • A
    Arkeologi Museo

    This two-storey museum takes you deep into the past, beginning with 430,000-year-old fossils found in the Sierra de Atapuerca. On the 2nd floor, along the…

  • B
    Basilica de Begoña

    This 16th-century basilica towers over the Casco Viejo from atop a nearby hill. It's mainly Gothic in look, although Renaissance touches, such as the…

  • L
    Las Siete Calles

    Forming the heart of Bilbao's Casco Viejo are seven streets known as the Siete Calles (Zazpi Kaleak in Basque). These dark, atmospheric lanes – Barrenkale…

  • C
    Catedral de Santiago

    Towering above all in the Casco Viejo (although strangely invisible in the narrow streets) is the Catedral de Santiago, which has a vaulted cloister and…

  • E
    Estadio San Mamés

    Bilbao's modern football stadium, home of local team Athletic Bilbao, overlooks the river to the west of the city centre. Opened in 2013, it has a…

  • Z
    Zubizuri

    The most striking of the modern bridges that span the Ría del Nervión, the Zubizuri (Basque for 'White Bridge') has become an iconic feature of Bilbao's…

  • P
    Plaza Nueva

    The main square of the old town, Plaza Nueva is lined with pintxos bars tucked inside the arch-lined colonnades. The neoclassical square opened in 1851…

  • F
    Fuente del Perro

    Designed by Juan Bautista de Oureta and Miguel de Maruri in 1800, this neoclassical fountain is located at a natural spring where market animals used to…

  • I
    Iglesia San Nicolás de Bari

    This landmark church by the northern entrance to the Casco Viejo was consecrated in 1756. Dedicated to St Nicholas of Bari, the patron saint of sailors,…

  • P
    Parque de Doña Casilda de Iturrizar

    Planted with maples, lindens, cedars, palms and 70 other species of trees, the Parque de Doña Casilda de Iturrizar was completed in 1920. The centrepiece…

  • P
    Plaza de Federico Moyúa

    With its fountains and spinning traffic, Plaza de Federico Moyúa is the heart of the Ensanche. It's home to the regal Hotel Carlton, once the hotel of…

  • C
    Concordia Train Station

    The Concordia train station, with its art nouveau facade of wrought iron and tiles, was built in 1902 and for many years provided colour and interest in a…