Top 14 Things to Do in Bilbao: A Weekend City Break in Northern Spain

Bilbao has pulled off one of Europe’s most impressive reinventions, and I’ve watched it happen over three decades of visits to the Basque Country. Back in the early ’90s, this was a gritty industrial city that most visitors bypassed entirely on their way to San Sebastián’s beaches or the wine country. Shipyards, factories, pollution, a river you wouldn’t want to fall into – Bilbao wasn’t exactly selling itself as a tourist destination.

Then came the Guggenheim in 1997, and everything shifted. Suddenly the world noticed this city tucked into the Basque hills, and Bilbao had the confidence to build on that momentum. The riverfront transformed, contemporary architecture sprouted alongside medieval streets, and the city remembered it had one of Spain’s greatest food cultures all along.

What strikes me these days is how Bilbao’s managed to become more polished without losing its authenticity. It’s not trying to emulate San Sebastián’s refined Belle Époque glamour or Barcelona’s cosmopolitan sheen. The Basque identity remains fierce – you’ll see it in Athletic Bilbao flags hanging from balconies, hear it in the rapid-fire Euskera spoken in the markets, taste it in every pintxos bar where tradition matters as much as innovation. The industrial past remains visible, the working-class roots still show through and locals aren’t apologising for any of it.

Things to do in Bilbao
Visit the Guggenheim Museum

The city works brilliantly whether you’re here for cutting-edge museums or medieval lanes, Michelin-starred restaurants or chaotic market stalls, contemporary architecture or ancient pilgrimage routes. When it comes to things to do in Bilbao, you’re looking at a city that’s kept its industrial soul whilst embracing culture and design as drivers of its future. Here’s what genuinely deserves your attention.

Best Things to Do in Bilbao

Right, thirteen attractions is quite a list for a city Bilbao’s size, but it justifies the number. Some are globally famous – you’ve heard of the Guggenheim whether you’re an art enthusiast or not. Others reveal different layers of Basque culture and the city’s transformation over recent decades. Mix them according to your interests and the time available.

The Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim is unavoidable, literally – Frank Gehry’s titanium curves dominate the riverfront and have become Bilbao’s defining image. Opened in 1997, it sparked what urban planners now call the “Bilbao Effect” – using signature architecture to transform a city’s fortunes. Whether that’s reductive or not, the museum certainly worked as a catalyst.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Visit the Guggenheim Museum
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The building itself is extraordinary – those titanium panels reflect light differently throughout the day, creating constantly shifting forms depending on weather and time. Some angles look almost organic, others distinctly industrial. It’s simultaneously elegant and confrontational, which feels appropriate for Bilbao.

Inside, the permanent collection includes Richard Serra’s ‘The Matter of Time‘ – massive steel sculptures you can walk through that create disorienting perspectives as you navigate their curves. Temporary exhibitions rotate regularly, bringing major international shows to the Basque Country. Even if contemporary art isn’t your passion, the spatial experience of the building itself justifies admission.

Outside stand two of Bilbao’s most photographed works: Jeff Koons’ floral ‘Puppy’ (which sounds kitsch but actually works remarkably well) and Louise Bourgeois’ enormous spider ‘Maman’. Both have become part of the city’s visual identity whether locals like it or not.

The museum gets absolutely mobbed in summer and at weekends. Early morning visits offer the best experience – fewer crowds, better light, more space to actually contemplate the art rather than shuffle through in a queue.

Casco Viejo (Old Town)

After the Guggenheim’s futurism, Bilbao’s Casco Viejo provides necessary context – this is where the city actually began. Known as the “Seven Streets” (Las Siete Calles), the medieval core retains its labyrinthine layout of narrow lanes, small plazas and centuries-old buildings that have survived fires, floods and wars.

This is where you’ll find proper Bilbao life rather than tourist attractions. Locals do their shopping at small traditional shops, argue about football in bars that haven’t changed décor since Franco’s era, and engage in the serious business of pintxos crawls that can last entire afternoons.

Casco Viejo Bilbao
Visit the Casco Viejo of Bilbao

Plaza Nueva, a neoclassical square from the 1840s, functions as the Casco Viejo’s social hub – arcaded cafés fill with locals on Sunday mornings, whilst evenings bring out students and groups debating everything from Basque politics to Athletic Bilbao’s latest performance. The Gothic Santiago Cathedral anchors one end of the quarter, marking Bilbao’s position on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.

Getting lost here is inevitable and entirely the point. Some of those lanes are barely wide enough for two people to pass, opening suddenly into squares you’d never find deliberately. Street performers add to the atmosphere at weekends, though quality varies wildly between genuine talent and enthusiastic amateurs with accordions.

Lift in the Casco Viejo

Another interesting thing to do is to take the lift in the Casco Viejo on Calle de la Esperanza, next to the sports centre behind La Iglesia de San Nicolás. You can’t miss it. It’s that giant concrete structure that rises up incongruously from the old town. When you alight at the top walk along the passageway and turn left into Park Extberri and enjoy the fine views of Bilbao and the greenery.

Mercado de la Ribera

Situated right on the riverbank, the Mercado de la Ribera is one of Europe’s largest covered markets and an Art Deco landmark from the 1920s. The building alone justifies a visit – that distinctive façade with its curves and windows creates an architectural statement that announces “this matters” before you’ve even gone inside.

Inside it’s sensory overload in the best possible way. Stalls display salt cod in various states of preparation (the Basques take their bacalao seriously), Idiazábal cheese aged in caves, Iberian ham hanging from hooks, seasonal vegetables from Basque farms, and fresh fish from the Cantabrian Sea that was probably swimming yesterday morning.

Even if you’re not shopping, wandering through provides an education in Basque ingredients and the seriousness with which food is approached here. Vendors will explain the difference between various cod preparations, recommend the best peppers for particular dishes, or debate the merits of different txakoli producers with the intensity most people reserve for religion or politics.

The market’s also got bars where you can order pintxos and txakoli whilst watching the commerce unfold. Locals come for morning coffee and a bite before work, making it an excellent spot for observing actual Bilbao routines rather than tourist patterns.

Recent renovations added spaces for concerts and cultural events, though some purists grumble that it’s becoming too polished. The essential market character remains intact – this is still where serious cooks come for quality ingredients.

Vizcaya Hanging Bridge

You also have to go and see the Hanging Bridge which connects Portugalete to Getxo. You can either take the train from Aband or San Mames to Portugalete or you may opt for the other side of the river by taking the metro to Areeta. Not surprisingly, the bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Industrial Heritage category. It is as remarkable a piece of engineering as you will find anywhere. It has got a giant Eiffel tower like frame that spans both sides of the river. A small ferry for cars and people hangs from it by cables. You get on and are carried suspended over the river as the cables slide along to the other side.

Vizcaya Hanging Bridge
Visit the Vizcaya Hanging Bridge

It’s entertaining and a little surreal just to watch! It was opened in 1893 and is the oldest of its type in the world. In fact only a handful of these type of bridges were ever built. It operates 24 hours a day every day of the year. If you’ve got a good head for heights you can take the lift to the top and walk across the upper gangway and take the lift down again at the other side. The views are striking but you are 50 metres above the river so don’t suffer from dizziness.

Santiago Cathedral

The Cathedral of Santiago sits at the heart of the Casco Viejo, Bilbao’s oldest building and a key stop on the Camino de Santiago. Built primarily in the 14th and 15th centuries, it’s modest by Spanish cathedral standards – no soaring Seville-style grandeur here, just solid Gothic construction that’s survived centuries of floods, fires and the occasional siege.

The approach is part of the experience – you emerge from narrow medieval lanes into the small plaza, and suddenly there’s this Gothic façade with its slender spire. Inside maintains a serene atmosphere, ribbed vaults creating that classic Gothic sense of verticality, stained glass filtering coloured light across worn stone floors.

The cloister is particularly lovely – quiet, contemplative, offering respite from the Casco Viejo’s intensity. Whether you’re following the pilgrimage route or just exploring the old town, it’s worth ducking inside for ten minutes. The building’s witnessed eight centuries of Bilbao’s history, which gives it a weight that no amount of contemporary architecture can match.

Zubizuri Bridge and Modern Architecture

If the Guggenheim sparked Bilbao’s architectural transformation, the Zubizuri Bridge shows how deeply that commitment runs. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, this white arch with its glass walkway connects the city centre to the modern business district. Locals remain divided on it – some love the bold statement, others find it impractical (the glass walkway gets slippery when wet, which in Bilbao means frequently).

Regardless of aesthetic opinions, it’s become part of Bilbao’s skyline. Walking across at dusk when the white structure glows against darkening sky, with the Guggenheim visible downriver, you get a sense of how thoroughly the city’s embraced contemporary design.

The nearby Isozaki Towers, designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, add to the architectural drama – two residential towers that look like they’ve been transported from a science fiction film. Combined with Norman Foster’s metro designs (those distinctive glass entrances scattered throughout the city) and various other projects, Bilbao’s become a showcase for international architecture.

For anyone interested in urban transformation and design, simply walking the riverfront from the Casco Viejo past the Guggenheim to the business district tells the story of Bilbao’s reinvention more clearly than any museum exhibition could.

Museo de Bellas Artes

Whilst the Guggenheim captures international attention, the Museo de Bellas Artes is where locals go when they want serious art without the tourist crowds. Located in Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park, this museum houses one of Spain’s finest collections spanning from medieval altarpieces to contemporary Basque artists.

The holdings are genuinely impressive – El Greco, Goya, Zurbarán alongside major Basque artists like Zuloaga and Chillida. The museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions that bring in significant international loans, yet somehow maintains a more intimate atmosphere than the Guggenheim’s institutional scale.

Many Bilbaínos will quietly tell you this is the city’s true cultural treasure, and having visited both numerous times, I understand the sentiment. There’s something refreshing about art displayed in a traditional museum setting after the Guggenheim’s architectural theatrics – you focus on the works themselves rather than being overwhelmed by the building.

It’s also considerably less crowded, which means you can actually spend time with pieces rather than being swept along by tour groups. The admission price is reasonable, and the location in the park means you can combine it with a pleasant walk.

Mount Artxanda

For perspective on Bilbao – both literally and metaphorically – head up Mount Artxanda. A funicular railway from the city centre takes just three minutes, delivering you to viewpoints offering sweeping vistas of the river, the Guggenheim’s titanium curves, the Casco Viejo’s terracotta roofs and the green Basque hills beyond.

Mount Artxanda
Funicular to Mount Artxanda

On clear days (less common than you’d hope given Bilbao’s weather) you can see to the Cantabrian coast. The summit has walking paths through pine woods, viewing platforms at different angles, and restaurants where you can enjoy traditional Basque food whilst taking in the panorama.

What strikes you from up here is how Bilbao sits cradled between mountains and sea, its geography shaping both its industrial past (the river provided access for shipping) and its compact urban form. The view contextualises the city in ways that street-level exploration can’t quite achieve.

Sunset visits are particularly atmospheric when the city lights begin flickering on and the river catches the last light. The funicular runs until late, so you can time it for golden hour without rushing.

Bilbao Riverfront and Abandoibarra

The Abandoibarra district’s transformation encapsulates everything about Bilbao’s reinvention. I remember when this was derelict shipyards and warehouses, toxic industrial wasteland nobody visited willingly. Now it’s landscaped parks, contemporary sculpture, striking architecture including the Iberdrola Tower, and the Guggenheim as centrepiece.

Walking the riverfront promenade from the Casco Viejo through Abandoibarra to the newer districts, you’re essentially walking through the city’s recent history – from medieval core through 19th-century expansion to cutting-edge contemporary development. Joggers, cyclists, families with children, elderly couples – everyone uses this space now, which says something about how thoroughly the city’s reclaimed it.

The promenade connects seamlessly with other districts, making it ideal for orientation walks when you’re first getting to know the city. Various sculptures punctuate the route, some successful, others questionable, but all contributing to Bilbao’s commitment to public art.

Evenings are particularly pleasant when the riverside bars fill up and the architecture catches the fading light. It’s hard to imagine this was industrial wasteland thirty years ago, though some longtime residents will tell you they miss the grittier, more authentic Bilbao. Progress always involves trade-offs.

San Mamés Stadium

Athletic Club de Bilbao and its San Mamés stadium – nicknamed “the Cathedral” by supporters – represent something fundamental about Basque identity. The club maintains a unique policy: only players of Basque heritage can wear the shirt. In an era of global football where money buys talent from anywhere, this stubborn commitment to local identity is remarkable.

It also means Athletic can’t compete financially with Barcelona or Real Madrid, yet somehow remains competitive through excellent youth development and fierce local pride. Attending a match at San Mamés reveals that passion – the atmosphere is genuinely electric, with supporters creating noise levels that rattle your chest.

Even if you’re not particularly interested in football, the cultural significance makes it worth experiencing. The connection between club and community runs deeper than anywhere else in Spanish football, perhaps anywhere in Europe. Those red and white stripes mean something beyond sport here.

If you can’t attend a match (tickets can be difficult for big games), stadium tours offer behind-the-scenes access to the pitch, changing rooms and trophy collection, providing context about one of football’s most storied clubs and its role in Basque identity.

Basque Cuisine and Pintxos Culture

Right, this is where Bilbao genuinely excels. The Basque Country has one of the world’s great culinary traditions, and Bilbao showcases it from humble pintxos bars to Michelin-starred temples of gastronomy.

Pintxos – those small bites typically served on bread, often skewered with toothpicks – are both snack and art form here. Hopping from bar to bar in the Casco Viejo or along Calle Ledesma constitutes a quintessential Bilbao experience. You’ll encounter classics like bacalao al pil-pil (salt cod with garlic and olive oil creating this extraordinary emulsion), gilda skewers (anchovy, olive, chilli – simple perfection), and increasingly creative modern variations.

The ritual matters as much as the food. You order a drink – txakoli, beer, wine – then point to pintxos displayed across the bar counter. You pay as you go, leaving toothpicks on your plate so the bartender can count them later. You eat standing, chatting with strangers, debating the merits of different bars’ offerings, then move on to the next place.

At the fine dining end, restaurants like Azurmendi and Nerua have gained international acclaim. The Basque commitment to culinary innovation whilst respecting tradition creates food that’s simultaneously comforting and challenging.

Having led groups through Basque Country for years, I’ve watched visitors’ reactions to the food culture shift from curiosity to obsession over a single weekend. It gets under your skin. You start planning return visits before you’ve even left, mentally cataloguing bars you want to revisit and dishes you need to try again.

Day Trips from Bilbao

Bilbao’s location makes it an excellent base for exploring the wider Basque Country. North along the coast, fishing villages like Bermeo and Mundaka offer dramatic Cantabrian Sea views and seafood that’s about as fresh as it gets. The islet of Gaztelugatxe, crowned by a hermitage reached via 241 winding stone steps, became famous as Dragonstone in Game of Thrones – though honestly, it was spectacular long before HBO discovered it.

East towards San Sebastián, the coast becomes increasingly scenic. Stop at Getaria for grilled fish, Zarautz for surfing beaches, or continue to San Sebastián itself for refined Belle Époque elegance and one of Spain’s most celebrated food scenes.

Inland, the Rioja Alavesa wine region lies within easy reach – vineyard tours and tastings amongst some of Spain’s finest producers. The towns of Laguardia and Elciego have remarkable architecture including Gehry’s Marqués de Riscal winery hotel.

Cultural excursions include Gernika, whose ancient oak tree symbolises Basque freedoms and whose bombing inspired Picasso’s masterpiece. Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Basque capital, has a beautiful medieval quarter and excellent museums.

Each destination adds depth to understanding the Basque Country beyond Bilbao’s urban appeal. The landscapes shift dramatically within short distances – green hills, rugged coastline, vineyard plains – showcasing the region’s geographical diversity.

Aste Nagusia Festival

Bilbao’s ‘Aste Nagusia’ (Great Week) in August is when the city loses its mind in the best possible way. Nine days of concerts, parades, fireworks, street theatre, bullfights (controversial but traditional) and generalised celebration that transforms the entire centre into one enormous party.

The festival’s symbolically led by ‘Marijaia’, this figure representing joy whose effigy appears throughout the city before being ceremonially burned on the final night. It’s pre-Christian origins overlaid with Catholic traditions overlaid with contemporary celebrations – layers of Basque culture compressed into nine chaotic days.

If your visit coincides with Aste Nagusia, brilliant – you’ll see Bilbao at its most exuberant and unguarded. Just book accommodation well in advance because the city fills completely. If you’re not there for the festival, other events throughout the year include Semana Santa processions, the Bilbao BBK Live music festival, and neighbourhood celebrations that reveal community spirit without the overwhelming crowds.

Game of Thrones Locations

Whilst Girona provided urban backdrops, Bilbao’s surroundings contributed some of Game of Thrones’ most dramatic coastal scenery. Gaztelugatxe became Dragonstone, that islet with its winding staircase creating iconic shots of Daenerys arriving at her ancestral seat. The location’s been popular with locals for generations, but HBO’s attention has brought international visitors in numbers the tiny hermitage was never designed to accommodate.

Further along the coast, Itzurun Beach in Zumaia appears in scenes of Daenerys’ return to Westeros. The distinctive rock formations – flysch layers created over millions of years – create otherworldly landscapes that translated perfectly to fantasy television.

These locations offer genuine spectacle beyond their screen appearances. The Basque coastline is dramatically beautiful regardless of any television connections, though the Game of Thrones factor has certainly increased visitor numbers. If you’re heading to Gaztelugatxe, go early or late to avoid peak crowds, and be prepared for those 241 steps up to the hermitage.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bilbao

How do I get to Bilbao?

Bilbao Airport has connections to major Spanish and European cities, with budget airlines serving numerous routes. From the airport, buses run to the city centre (about 40 minutes). From Madrid, you can fly (1 hour) or take buses (around 4.5 hours). The nearest high-speed rail connection is Vitoria-Gasteiz, 60 km away, with connecting services to Bilbao. From San Sebastián, buses take about 75 minutes and offer scenic coastal views.

How far is Bilbao from San Sebastián?

About 100 km – roughly 75-90 minutes by bus depending on traffic and route. Driving the coastal road takes similar time and offers spectacular views, though the inland motorway is quicker if you’re in a hurry. The two cities make natural combinations for a Basque Country trip.

How many days should I spend in Bilbao?

Two to three days covers the main attractions comfortably – Guggenheim, Casco Viejo, museums, pintxos crawls and perhaps Mount Artxanda. A longer stay allows for day trips to the coast, wine country or other Basque destinations. If you’re seriously interested in the food scene, you could justify a week just exploring bars and restaurants.

When is the best time to visit Bilbao?

Spring and early autumn offer pleasant weather without summer crowds. May and September are particularly nice – comfortable temperatures, good light, festivals without overwhelming tourist numbers. Summer’s lively, especially during Aste Nagusia in August, though accommodation prices rise and attractions get crowded. Winter is mild by European standards but rain is common (bring waterproofs regardless of season – this is the Basque Country).

Where should I stay in Bilbao?

First-time visitors should consider the city centre near the Guggenheim or the Casco Viejo for easy access to major attractions. The Abando district around the train station offers good connections and plenty of accommodation options. Deusto and Indautxu provide more local atmosphere if you want to experience residential Bilbao. The city’s compact enough that location matters less than in sprawling metropolises – you’re never far from anything that matters.

What is Bilbao known for?

Bilbao’s famous for the Guggenheim Museum and its role in urban transformation (the “Bilbao Effect”), its extraordinary food culture centred on pintxos and Michelin-starred restaurants, its fierce Basque identity expressed through language and traditions like Athletic Bilbao’s local-only policy, and its successful reinvention from industrial city to cultural destination. It represents how architecture, culture and food can drive economic revival whilst maintaining regional character.

Is Bilbao worth visiting?

Absolutely, though it offers a different experience from Spain’s more famous cities. It’s grittier than Barcelona, less refined than San Sebastián, more industrial in character than Madrid. But that’s precisely its appeal – Bilbao feels genuine rather than polished for tourists. The combination of world-class museums, medieval quarters, exceptional food and strong cultural identity creates something distinctive. Whether you’re here for two days or using it as a base for exploring the Basque Country, there’s substance beyond the Guggenheim’s famous curves.

Final Thoughts

Bilbao’s transformation from industrial city to cultural destination is genuinely impressive, but what makes it work is how the city’s retained its character through that change. It hasn’t become some sanitised heritage theme park or relied solely on the Guggenheim to define itself. The industrial past remains visible, the Basque identity is fierce, and the food culture operates at a level that justifies the region’s culinary reputation.

The contrast between medieval Casco Viejo and contemporary Abandoibarra, between traditional pintxos bars and Michelin-starred restaurants, between Athletic Bilbao’s stubborn localism and the Guggenheim’s international appeal – these tensions create energy rather than contradiction. Bilbao’s comfortable being several things simultaneously without trying to smooth out the rough edges.

When it comes to things to do in Bilbao, you’ve got enough variety to satisfy art enthusiasts, food obsessives, architecture buffs and anyone interested in urban transformation. The city’s managed to grow and change whilst maintaining the qualities that made it distinctive in the first place, which is considerably harder than it sounds.

Whether you’re here for the Guggenheim’s titanium curves, the chaos of pintxos bars, the roar of San Mamés, or simply to understand how an industrial city reinvented itself without losing its soul, Bilbao delivers. Just bring waterproofs – this is the Basque Country, and the weather has opinions.

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