Bilbao is often recognised for its wine and Basque culture, but Murali Podila thinks the Guggenheim Museum is pretty stunning too.

With around 200,000 passengers going to Bilbao on the Pride of Bilbao, the ferry sure has something mystifying about it. Founded as a village around 1300, Bilbao is now a bustling metropolis filled with culture and architecture at the heart of the Basque country.

The old city, or ‘Casco Viejo’, is made up of winding streets that are full of life with bars, restaurants, food markets and monuments including the Catedral de Santiago.

On the West Bank of the ‘ría del Nervión’ or the Nervion River, contemporary Bilbao has revitalised the city with a series of major rebuilding projects.

There is no doubt that the main attraction of this city is The Guggenheim museum. Opened in 1997, and designed by Frank Gehry, its spectacular design represents Bilbao’s drive towards being one of Spain’s major tourist destinations. In addition to that, the fine arts museum displays both contemporary and old age Basque art.

Bilbao’s development is also been enhanced by flaunting new designs by internationally recognised architects. The Metro in Bilbao, designed by Sir Norman Foster, is almost an attraction in itself. It features many original entrances to the stations and the inside of the station offers large spaces with natural light coming in.

Along with the Metro, the Zubizuri Bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, is an arch bridge that connects the new and old Bilbao and leads you to the Guggenheim museum.

Despite a recent history of financial uncertainty, Bilbao has emerged as a dynamic city focused firmly on development.

Image credit: Erika Barahona-Ede for the FMGB Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa

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