Bilbao

About Bilbao

Bilbao, the capital of the province of Biscay or Bizkaia, is also the largest city in the Basque Country. Once an industrial powerhouse, Bilbao has undergone a remarkable transformation. The banks of the Nervión river are home to numerous businesses and factories, which during the Industrial Revolution brought heightened prosperity to the region. The Nervión divides the city in two: the old city and the new. To the east lies the charming narrow streets of the Old Town, or Casco Viejo (or Zazpi Kaleak) district. Casco Viejo is packed with traditional restaurants, Basque cider houses or 'sagardotegis', and pintxo bars. The area is also home to historic landmarks like the St. James' Cathedral and the sprawling Mercado de la Ribera. On the other side of the river lies the more modern half of the city. This section includes the late 19th-century bourgeois expansion of Bilbao, where you'll find iconic buildings like the cutting-edge Palacio Euskalduna and the world-renowned Guggenheim Museum, designed by architect Frank Gehry. While the Guggenheim is an impressive attraction not to be missed, overlooking the rest of the city would be almost criminal.