Bilbao can be explored from a variety of cultural perspectives: through the avant-garde architecture of the Guggenheim Bilbao, the architectural history of the Teatro Arriaga and the historic Casco Viejo. There are also art collections with different focuses, a museum dedicated to the history of Athletic Club and a GR hiking trail in the Artxanda Forest Park. When planning your stay, you can first consider whether buildings, art, urban history or outdoor activities are your main interest.

Architecture and historic sites

The Guggenheim Bilbao building was designed by Frank Gehry and is an example of 20th-century avant-garde architecture. The Teatro Arriaga, in turn, was designed by the city architect Joaquín Rucoba and built between 1886 and 1890. The two buildings offer different historical reference points: the Guggenheim can be considered in the context of a 20th-century architectural movement, while the Arriaga has a precisely dated construction history and a named architect. This makes it possible to explore Bilbao’s architecture from more than one historical perspective.

Casco Viejo, also known as Siete Calles, is a historic district of Bilbao. It shifts the focus from an individual building to a named historic urban area. Different scales can therefore be considered side by side: individual buildings with their own architectural or construction history, and a district regarded as Bilbao’s historic centre.

Art and museum history

At the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the architecture can be considered separately from the exhibition programme. The museum combines displays from its permanent collection with temporary exhibitions. These offer two different ways to explore its content: the museum’s collection and its changing exhibitions. The Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao has a different focus. Its collection includes old, modern and contemporary art, works from the Spanish and Flemish schools, and works by Basque artists. The collection therefore offers a range of perspectives, such as art period, artistic school or the origins of the artists.

The Museo Arqueológico de Vizcaya y Etnográfico Vasco complements these perspectives on art with archaeological and ethnographic history. It opened on 3 July 1921 in the cloister of the former Colegio de San Andrés. The date and location give a specific historical context for the museum’s opening. AC Museoa offers another, differently focused approach: using original objects, audiovisual media and interactive games, it presents more than a century of Athletic Club history. While the art collections cover different periods, schools and artists, this museum focuses on the history of a club and uses a range of ways to share it.

Cafés and outdoor activities

There is also a specific place with a food and drink connection beyond museums and architectural history: the arcades of Plaza Nueva are home to numerous cafés. The square adds a different dimension to the cultural themes and can be considered when deciding what interests you in Bilbao.

For a change from art and history, there is a GR hiking trail that crosses Artxanda Forest Park. Hiking is therefore one of the options described. The Funicular de Artxanda is an attractive means of transport; its history in Bilbao stretches back more than 100 years. While the hiking trail offers a connection with nature, the funicular adds a transport-related aspect with a long history in Bilbao. When planning your trip, you can weigh up different interests, from culture and urban history to cafés and hiking, without needing every activity to fit the same focus for your visit.

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For the regional travel overview: Bizkaia.