Best things to do in Bilbao

Bilbao Essentials

Bilbao’s landscape showcases a dramatic transformation from an industrial port to a global hub of avant-garde design. The city is anchored by Frank Gehry’s titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum and Santiago Calatrava’s Zubizuri footbridge. Beyond modern icons, the historic Casco Viejo features the neoclassical Plaza Nueva and the 19th-century Arriaga Theatre. Cultural landmarks like the Philippe Starck-designed Azkuna Zentroa and the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum complement the city's architectural evolution, while the Artxanda Funicular provides panoramic views of the Nervión River valley.

Ardfern / CC BY-SA 3.0

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Museum of modern and contemporary art renowned for its innovative architecture by Frank Gehry, featuring works by artists such as Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko, and Richard Serra.

Zarateman / CC0

Puppy

A 12-meter-tall sculpture of a West Highland Terrier by Jeff Koons, positioned outside the Guggenheim Museum. The steel structure is covered in a living tapestry of approximately 38,000 flowering plants, including marigolds, begonias, and petunias, maintained via an internal irrigation system.

Jose Luis Filpo Cabana / CC BY 3.0

New Square

Plaza Nueva may refer to:

Tony Hisgett / CC BY 2.0

Campo Volantin Bridge

The Zubizuri, also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in…

Fred Romero / CC BY 2.0

Azkuna Centre

Azkuna Zentroa, previously known as Alhóndiga Bilbao, is a multi-purpose venue located in the city of Bilbao, Spain.

AsturiasVerde / Public domain

Bilbao City Hall

The Bilbao City Hall is the seat of the Bilbao City Council, the local ayuntamiento of Bilbao, Spain.

Javi Guerra Hernando / CC BY-SA 4.0

Arriaga Theatre

The Arriaga antzokia in Basque or Teatro Arriaga in Spanish is an opera house in Bilbao, Spain.

Валерий Дед / CC BY 3.0

San Mamés Stadium

San Mamés is an all-seater football stadium in Rafael Moreno Pitxitxi Kalea, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain.

Zarateman / CC0

Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is an art museum located in the city of Bilbao, Spain.

Ardfern / CC BY-SA 3.0

Artxanda Funicular

The Artxanda Funicular is a funicular railway in the city of Bilbao in Spain's Basque Country.

Eduardo López Urrutia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Maman

Maman is a bronze, stainless steel, and marble sculpture in several locations by the artist Louise Bourgeois.

Ardfern / CC BY-SA 3.0

Doña Casilda Park

The city’s largest green space, beautiful park right in the heart of Bilbao, it is a perfect place where to escape from an everyday bustle.

Zarateman / CC BY-SA 4.0

Bilbao-Concordia Station

Built in 1902, this Belle Époque railway station is a landmark of Modernist architecture. Its distinctive facade features a vibrant combination of wrought iron, glass, and colorful ceramics, offering views across the river toward the Old Town.

Fred Romero / CC BY 2.0

Tulipanes

A large-scale sculpture by Jeff Koons located on the Guggenheim’s riverside terrace. Part of the Celebration series, these seven multicolored tulips are crafted from high-chromium stainless steel with a mirror-polished, transparent color coating.

Kamahele / CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Tall Tree & The Eye

Designed by Anish Kapoor, this sculpture consists of 73 reflective stainless steel spheres anchored along three irregular axes. The installation is engineered to create complex, infinite reflections of the Guggenheim Museum's architecture and the surrounding water.