Attractions in Bilbao
- Museo Guggenheim / Guggenheim Museum
- Museo de Bellas Artes / Fine Arts Museum
- Palacio Euskalduna / Euskalduna Concert Hall & Conference Center
- Teatro Arriaga / Arriaga Theatre
- Casco Viejo / Old Quarter
- Iglesia de Begoña / Begoña Church
- Funicular de Artxanda / Artxanda Cable Car
- Catedral de Santiago / Santiago Cathedral
- Mercado de la Ribera / Ribera Market
- Puente Calatrava / Calatrava Bridge
Top Festivals
Carnaval / Carnival
Held in February, bilbaínos dive into the energetic Carnival festivities, which indlue parades, music, costumes, parties and more.
Semana Santa / Holy Week
Bilbao's Holy Week celebrations, held in March or April during the week leading up to Easter, are a wonderful opportunity to take in the solemn processions and religious fervor.
Aste Nagusia / Big Week
Aste Nagusia is Bilbao's largest and most anticipated annual celebration. Starting on the first Saturday after August 15, the festivities of Aste Nagusia include parades, music, numerous cultural events, fireworks and plentiful food and drink.
Food & Drink
Bilbao is a great place to sample both traditional and avant-garde Basque cuisine, which international foodies having been raving about for years. The city is also famous for its spirited pintxos (tapas) culture. Head to Las Siete Calles (Seven Streets), the social nucleus of the Old Quarter, where you can bar hop your way through glasses of wine and spreads of pintxos just like a local.
Weather
Thanks to its proximity to the Cantabrian Sea, Bilbao enjoys an oceanic climate with generally mild temperatures and moderate rainfall. The coolest month, January, has an average high of 13ºC (55ºF) and the warmest month, August, has an average high of 26ºC (79ºF).
Getting There
By plane
Bilbao's international airport, which services national and European flights, is located just 5 kilometers away.
By bus
Regional, national and European bus routes operate out of the Termibus Bus Station (c/ Gurtubay, 1), located conveniently in the center of the city.
By train
The Estación de trenes de Bilbao-Abando (Plaza Circular, 2) connects Bilbao with a wide range of Spanish destinations.
By ferry
A ferry operates a few routes each week out of Bilbao's port that connects Bilbao with Portsmouth, England.
Getting Around
While the city is quite accessible by foot, Bilbao has two forms of public transport. The city's underground metro system, one of the cleanest and most modern in Europe, hits all the main spots throughout Bilbao and extends out to the city suburbs. There is also a network of urban buses that cover the city along with night buses, called Gautxoris, that run all night during the weekend.
Fast Facts
| Population | Approx. 355,000 (city proper) |
| Autonomous Community | País vasco (Basque country) |
| People | Bilbaínos |
| Languages | Spanish and Euskara (Basque) |
| Location | Spain's northeast corner, 14 km from the Cantabrian coast |
| Tourist Office | Plaza del Ensanche, 11 Tel (+34) 944 795 761 |