Bilbao, Spain Hotels and City Guide

Bilbao - Attractions

Bilbao Attractions

Bilbao has been a prominent port in Spain for many years - but of recent has gained popularity as one the country’s more interesting tourist destinations. With plenty of museums featuring fabulous collections of artwork and items of cultural and historic value, Bilbao is great for art lovers. On the other hand, travellers looking for a leisurely shopping spree or sightseeing excursions are always welcome at the Old Town - where most the city’s great monuments as well as a collection fashionable boutiques are located. The nights are just as lively as the days. Discos and pubs located in the Old Town area are great for drinks and dancing the night away.

Guggenheim Museum
Calle Abandoibarra 2, Bilbao
Tel: +34 94 4359 000

When it comes to Bilbao’s attractions, none is more prominent than the world-famous Guggenheim Museum, located at the intersection of the Puente de la Salve bridge and the Nervión River. This internationally-acclaimed Frank Gehry design features a 50-metre-high atrium - more than one and a half times the height of the rotunda of Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum in New York. The Guggenheim’s architecture is not the only reason to visit it, as the museum also features the works of many artists from the latter half of the 20th century - big names such as Picasso, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Clyfford Still, Robert Motherwell, Antoni Tàpies, Ives Klein, and Willem de Koonig among them.

Museo de Bellas Artes
Plaza del Museo 2, Bilbao
Tel: +34 94 4396 060

One of Spain’s most important art museums, Museo de Bellas Artes features both medieval and modern works including masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, Zurbarán, and El Greco. The Money Changers by the Flemish painter Quentin Massys and The Lamentation Over Christ by Anthony van Dyck are among the more prominent works by non-Spanish artists displayed at the museum. In its modern wing, the Museo de Bellas Artes houses paintings by famous 19th and 20th century artists such as Gauguin, Picasso, Léger, Sorolla, and Mary Cassatt.

Museo a Euska / Museo Vasco
Plaza Miguel de Unamuno 4, 48005 Bilbao
Tel: +34 94 4155 423

Among the city’s most interesting places to visit, the museum is devoted to Basque archaeology, ethnology and history. The museum showcases everything from ship models and shipbuilding tools to exhibits showcasing 16th century-Basque commercial life and reconstructions of rooms illustrating political and social life.

Bilbao Bullfighting Museum
Housed within the Vista Alegre Bullring
Tel: +34 94 4448 698

Opened in 1995 and housed in the Vista Alegre Bullring, the museum features historical memorabilia such as original posters advertising bullfights (some dating back to the 19th century), the costumes, capes and swords of renowned bullfighters, and stuffed heads of famous bulls.

The Old Town

The Old Town holds a prominent place in the history of Bilbao, and today is an important shopping centre where the old and new harmoniously blend into a single activity hub. It is also where most of the city’s great monuments are found - a must-see attraction when in Bilbao.

Calle Pozas and Calle Barrencalle

Alleyways located in the Old Town, Calle Pozas and Calle Barrencalle are dotted with bars and bodegas - great for experiencing Bilbao’s nightlife.

Disco Rock Star
Gran Via 89, Bilbao
Tel: +34 94 441 1060

Disco Pub Crystal
Calle Buenos Aires 5, Bilbao

Hotels in Bilbao, Spain