A Walk Along the River

From the ultra-modern Conference Centre and Concert Hall Palacio Euskalduna Jauregia, walk east along the riverbank, which is filled with beautiful sculptures and some very impressive modern architecture. You will pass the Guggenheim Museum and Santiago Calatrava’s stunning Zubi Zuri Footbridge, which spans the Nervión river between the Guggenheim and the Ayuntamiento.

Arriaga Theatre

The original theatre, created by Joaquin Rucoba (also known as the Spanish Mozart), burned down in 1914 and a second one was built, resembling the Opera House in Paris. Today, it remains the major cultural venue of Bilbao. Beautifully located on the banks of the Nervión river, the theatre is host to world-class opera, classical music concerts, and ballet. Besides shows, you can also take a guided tour behind the scenes and see the opera costume collection and the stunning stalls.

• Web:

  www.teatroarriaga.eus

• E-mail:

  informacion@teatroarriaga.eus

• Address:

  Arriaga Plaza 1, Bilbao

• Phone:

  +34 944 79 20 36

Artxanda Viewpoint

If you want to escape the city streets, this is the right place for you to take in a breath of fresh air and look down at Bilbao from above. At the Artxanda viewpoint, you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the city and the beautiful mountains that surround it. There is a small funicular railway that functions as a fast mode of transportation to reach the top of the hill.

• Address:

  Enekuri Artxanda Errepidea 70, Bilbao

• Subway:

  Bilbobus 72,26,11,22,71

Azkuna Zentroa — Alhóndiga Bilbao

This old warehouse has been renovated to become one of Bilbao's most vibrant cultural venues. There are activities for everyone, from exhibitions to cinemas, kids' activities, concerts, lectures and a library–the 43,000 square meter space has it all. If you get hungry during your visit, it provides several opportunities for refreshments to your liking. In 2015, the building, previously known as Alhóndiga Bilbao, was renamed Azkuna Zentroa in tribute to the late mayor of Bilbao, Iñaki Azkuna, who changed the industrial Bilbao into a cultural masterpiece.

• Web:

  www.azkunazentroa.eus/en

• E-mail:

  info@azkunazentroa.eus

• Address:

  Arriquíbar Plaza 4, Bilbao

• Phone:

  +34 944 01 40 14

• Opening hours:

  Daily 9am–9pm

Basilica of Begoña

You will find the Basilica of Begoña at Calle Virgen de Begoña on the top of a hill. The church construction started in 1511 and it is widely held that the Virgin Mary appeared at that exact spot. You can see that the church is still important to the sailors of Bilbao. There are still ships which are named after the church, Virgen de Begoña or just Begoña–the patron saint of Biscay. Experience history first-hand when you walk through the doors of this basilica.

• Address:

  Begoñako Andra Maria Kalea 38, Bilbao

• Phone:

  +34 944 12 70 91

• Opening hours:

  Mon–Sat 8:30am–1:30pm / 5pm–8pm; Sun 9:30am–2pm / 5pm–8pm

Basque Archaeological, Ethnographic & Historical Museum

The Museo Arqueológico, Etnográfico e Histórico Vasco, or simply The Basque Museum, is a cosy little museum in Plaza Unamuno, at the heart of the Old Town. This is a great place to visit on a rainy day before or after an aperitif of pintxos and drinks in the nearby bars of Casco Viejo. Learn about the ins and outs of Basque history, culture, and language in this three-storey museum and let yourself in for a journey from the Paleolithic to the present day. Most of the signs are in Basque and Spanish, although rooms have leaflets in English with translations of some of the signage.

• Web:

  www.euskalmuseoa.eus

• E-mail:

  prentsa@bbmuseoak.eus

• Address:

  Unamuno Miguel Plaza 4, Bilbao

• Phone:

  +34 944 15 54 23