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Bilbao

Travoley
Bilbao

Bilbao

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Bilbao Travel Guide

  • About Bilbao
In less than 20 years, Bilbao has transformed itself from a nondescript industrial town into one of Spain’s coolest destinations. Often described as “gritty” and “authentic”, this northern port is more than just a big-nosed character actor to Madrid or Barcelona’s glamorous film star.Until the late 1990s, Bilbao relied on its commercial prowess over its looks. It was where fish came in and iron went out. Gourmands and art lovers would arrive by ferry, before swiftly disappearing to glamorous San Sebastian.That all changed in 1997 when The Guggenheim arrived. The famous art museum, built along the once rundown riverside, didn’t just transform Bilbao, but the world.Now, any attempt to revitalise a city with high-end architecture or art is referred to as The Guggenheim effect – homage to the extraordinary revolution Frank Gehry’s building wrought on the city. Half Sydney Opera House, half spaceship, Bilbao is worth visiting for the museum alone.Its success inspired even more spending in the city: the metro stations were designed by Norman Foster, while Zubizuri Bridge was created by superstar architect, Santiago Calatrava. Still Bilbao isn’t slowing down, and work has already begun on ambitious plans to redevelop the grimy Zorrotzaurre district.For visitors, the city’s heart still remains in the medieval streets of the Old Town. Known locally as Las Siete Calles (The Seven Streets), the narrow cobbled walkways hold the 14th-century Santiago Cathedral at their centre and are bordered by the covered market.It’s here that visitors snack on delicious pintxos (tapas on sticks) that locals say are every bit as good as the ones in San Sebastian, no matter how many Michelin stars their neighbour gets.With stunning beaches just down the road, decent surf on the Basque coastline and a burgeoning working class arts scene in the barrios (neighbourhoods) of San Francisco and La Vieja, Bilbao may not trump Barcelona, but it no longer has to look up to anyone.
  • Bilbao History
It was not until the 20th century that Bilbao picked up its paintbrush and decorated its own destiny with artistic aplomb.Before then though, this gritty port was already a palette of colourful history that swirled with wars and was brushed with Basque pride.It began on 15 June 1300, when Bilbao became a chartered town. Clues confirm the city had been settled before this, mainly along the Ibaizabal-Nervión estuary of the Bilbao La Vieja neighbourhood.After becoming chartered, Bilbao grew rapidly. It became the main port of the Kingdom of Castile and, in 1372, Juan I of Castile decided to strike while the iron was hot and allow free transportation of the metal through the town.By the 16th century, Bilbao wasn’t just the economic centre of the Biscay region, but its capital city too.Bilbao found itself under attack during the Carlist Wars of the 1800s. It survived to tell the tale and went on to become the seat of the Basque autonomous government in the Spanish Civil War in 1936, before being besieged by the Nationalist army, who destroyed all the city’s bridges in May 1937.Reconstruction began in 1940s and the iron industry picked back up, but the discontent continued in the name of regional pride.In 1959, the Basque nationalist and separatist group, Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), was formed here. ETA killed, kidnapped and injured thousands of people in their quest for independence.Still, the industrial era of the 19th and 20th centuries continued to bring Bilbao wealth. But the city’s aesthetics paid the price.Business was good until the last decades of the 20th century, when industrial decline set in. A deep economic crisis developed, but after investing heavily in tourism, culture and regeneration, Bilbao turned itself around and became a success story.
  • Did you know?
Cava has been called ‘Bilbao water’ here since the early 20th century. Steel wool and sand were sprinkled into Bilbao’s first flagstones to stop people slipping in the rain. The city commissioned a new font for its street signs in 2000 called the Bilbao Alphabet.
  • Weather in Bilbao
Undoubtedly the best time of year to visit Bilbao is in August when the weather is hot and dry and the biggest festival of the year, Aste Nagusia, dominates the month. Several other festivals happen at this time of year too and it is the best season to hit the beach. That said, winters are rarely too cold in Bilbao, usually dropping to 5°C (41°F) at the lowest. Museums and sites of interest are open all year round and early spring is a choice time to visit if you don’t like things too hot.

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