Bilbao Travel Guide

Travel guide to Bilbao, Spain with comprehensive information about events, shopping, and major Bilbao sporting events to help you enjoy your visit more.

Bilbao Overview

One of the most important ports in northern Spain, as well as being a major entry point for tourists visiting the country, Bilbao has changed beyond recognition in recent years from an industrial city into a modern, attractive city with plenty for visitors to see and do.

Surrounded by the rolling countryside of the Basque region, and within easy reach of a number of top coastal resorts, Bilbao is a great short break destination with plenty to do and see.

Whether you visit Bilbao for a few days exploring the city and its pleasant old town - the Casco Vieja, or decide to tour the whole of Northern Spain and the Basque region more comprehensively, the friendly people and great scenery of the area will instantly capture your affection and make you want to return again and again.

Top Bilbao Attractions

Perhaps the main attraction in Bilbao is the spectacular Guggenheim Museum designed by American architect Frank Gehry. This spectacular building, clad in titanium, and designed in the trademark Gehry Curvilinear style is described as one of the greatest structures in the world.

Inevitably, any exhibits within the gallery struggle against the exterior of the building, and one of the biggest criticisms that people have made regarding the design is that it overshadows the content. Gehry is thought to have suggested that the Guggenheim foundation consider staging more impressive exhibitions.

Just along the coast from Bilbao, you can visit San Sebastian - one of the most fashionable and upmarket destinations in Europe. Once the resort of choice for Spanish monarchs, the town now attracts holidaymakers from all over the world with its exquisite mix of stunning beaches, amazing cuisine, and luxury hotels.

Shopping in Bilbao

As one of the major Spanish cities, Bilbao offers great shopping, which is certainly one of the main attractions that it has for visitors. With a number of excellent shopping malls selling everything from locally produced handicrafts and wines from across Spain through to international fashion goods, Bilbao is a great place to stock up on anything - especially as prices are so much lower than in the UK, and because there are no import limits for private usage of goods, you can buy as much as you want to.

Bilbao Sporting Events

While Athletico Bilbao are not one of the most fashionable clubs in Europe, the team are very popular in their home town, and it can be nigh on impossible to get tickets for matches against major sides such as Real Madrid or FC Barcelona.

There is a strong following for bullfighting in Spain, and whilst the sport may not be to everyone's taste, it is an important part of local culture, and if you would like to learn more about Spain and its people, the bullring is as good a place to begin as the flamenco club.