Bilbao holidays and city breaks

A thriving metropolis, Bilbao is capital of the province of Biscay, located in the beautiful Basque Country. Perhaps best known for the magnificent and ultra modern Guggenheim Museum, the city has many other fascinating architectural marvels like the Euskalduna Conference & Music Centre, Calatrava airport and Norman Foster's Underground.

Bilbao is a very dynamic and bustling city which is a great choice destination for visitors. With Bilbao’s population of 1 million, it ranks as the 5th largest urban area in all Spain.

A very privileged setting means that the city lies within a fertile area with mountains, forests and a lovely coastline with pristine beaches. A busy port area has brought wealth and employment to the region and Bilbao is an important commercial hub as far back as the 14th century when the city was founded.

Once only famous for its shipyards and sooty chimney stacks, the city has undergone a pretty radical transformation since the opening of Frank Gehry's contemporary masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum, in 1997.

Nowadays, even the old city "Casco Viejo" has lots of character and is atmospheric and fun, the newer part of the city is choc full of amazing modern buildings, lovely green areas and plenty of lively bars and restaurants.