Tourist attractions in Bilbao Spain include Guggenheim museum, the Cathedral of Santiago, Casco Viejo, Artxanda funicular, and the Doña Casilda Iturrizar park.
Guggenheim Museum (www.guggenheim-bilbao.es) is a museum of modern and contemporary art, famously designed by Frank Gehry…
…with a wonderful location next to the central Nervion river.
When completed in 1997, the building was hailed as a masterpiece of deconstructive architecture, with radical, organic shapes.
The unique shapes have, in fact, the purpose of giving a representation of a ship, which is a fitting theme for Bilbao, a celebrated maritime powerhouse.
The architectural highlights of the museum include the building’s titanium panels, fitted to be reminiscent of fish scaling.
As for the art collections available for viewing, you’ll be able to enjoy artworks from Spanish and selected international artists.
To get to the art museum, a good alternative transportation is the Bilbao tram, with the closest tram stop (“Guggenheim“) being only about 100 meters from the building.
Casco Viejo (www.cascoviejobilbao.biz) is a Medieval, historical city center, and one of the more colorful parts of Bilbao.
The district offers…
- an enjoyable maze of narrow, idyllic streets,
- full of taverns,
- shops, and
- famous monuments.
At the historical district, you can discover several of the most important buildings and sights in Bilbao, such as…
- Plaza Nueva square,
- Zamudio gate,
- la Ribera marketplace, and
- Teatro Arriaga operahouse.
Casco Viejo is best known, however, for its outdoor markets.
The largest such marketplace here has over 500 sellers, each providing their own selection produce, including fruits, vegetables, and fresh fish.
Tourist attractions in Bilbao Spain also include Santiago Cathedral, located within the Casco Viejo.
The church became a cathedral as late as 1950, despite there having been earlier versions of the church as early as the 14th century…during times when Bilbao was still a small fishing village.
Architecturally, the church has several styles, most notably with neo-gothic style being applied to the main entryway and the church tower.
Construction work on the church began in 1397. Due to many factors, however, the building was completed many, many centuries later (during 19th century, to be exact).
Of the tourist attractions in Bilbao, Artxanda funicular (www.bilbao.net/Funicular) is a cable-railway, connecting Bilbao city center to the top of the Artxanda mountain nearby.
Within the top of the mountain, you can find…
- a park,
- restaurants,
- a hotel,
- a sporting complex, and
- some of the best panoramic views you’ll be able to find in Bilbao.
To locate the funicular’s departure point, you need to go to the northern side of the Zubizuri bridge, a short walk from the Guggenheim Art Museum.
The funicular makes the journey to the top (a distance of 770.34 meters)every 15 minutes, through the day.
Finally, Doña Casilda Iturrizar park is a public park, centrally located in Bilbao.
The park, which is maintained in a traditional English gardening style, is located within the district of Indautxu.
A local nickname for the park is “Parque de los Patos” (“Park of the Ducks”)…because of the many ducks that make their nest within the central pond of the park.
Among the highlights in the park, you’ll enjoy its unique cybernetic waterfountain, which, in turn, is surrounded by a vast green area, often used as an event venue for concerts.