Guided tour of Bilbao

This is undoubtedly the perfect tour to experience the most avant-garde Bilbao has become after the changes it has undergone in recent years. To see this for ourselves, we will cross the 19th-century Ensanche de Abando district via Gran Vía towards Plaza Moyúa, home to the famous Hotel Carton, the Chávarri Palace, and the iconic Doña Casilda Park, the city’s green lung.

We will also pass by avant-garde buildings such as the Euskalduna Conference Center, the Iberdrola Tower, the Isozaki Towers, and the Deusto Library, which stand tall in 21st-century Bilbao. Following the backbone of the Nervión estuary with its Euskalduna, Calatrava, and City Hall bridges, we will approach the Arenal, the city’s social center and former fishing port.

On the way, we will stop at the Guggenheim Museum (tickets not included), designed by Frank O. Ghery as an icon of modernity and avant-garde. On a walk around the museum, we will discover amazing sculptures such as Jeff Koons’ “Puppy” and Louise Bourgeois’ disturbing “Mamma” spider. Another place we won’t miss is the Basilica of Begoña (admission included), home to the patron saint, the Virgin of Begoña, our “amatxu” (mother).

Back in Bilbao, we will walk towards the old town, the Seven Streets, discovering some of the landmarks of its history, such as the Baroque church of San Nicolás, or the areas where Don Diego López de Haro, founder of Bilbao, used to walk. A visit to the Cathedral of Santiago, located in the center of the medieval town, or the Yohn Palace, known as the Stock Exchange, in the area near the Fuente del Perro fountain and the Plaza de Unamuno, meeting places for the traditional “txikiteros,” is a must.

We will discover the magnificent Arriaga Theater, named in honor of the “Mozart of Bilbao,” and we will end up in the Plaza Nueva, where you can taste the famous Basque pintxos.