Bilbao - history & modernity

Bilbao is a beautiful city located on the Nervión river in Basque Country and is a capital city of province Biscay. This very interesting place is the bold combination of history and modernity. That's why we like Bilbao so much. The best way to get to know the city is to walk. I spend in Bilbao only a half day, but I had chance to see and visit the most important spots in this beautiful place. My first steps were directed to Museo Guggenheim, which is definitely must see! The Guggenheim Museum was opened in 1997 and from the very beginning became the biggest tourist attraction of the city and made it famous all over the world. When you get to the right place you will see a futuristic building, designed by the outstanding architect Frank Gehry, an American architect born in Toronto, Canada and residing in Los Angeles. Around the museum there are several artistic constructions captivating with an innovative form such as Mamá, Puppy, Fire Fountain and Tall Tree & The Eye. Inside the museum of contemporary art in Bilbao, you will find exhibitions that also surprise with their novelty. Not only the Guggenheim Museum shows us modern character of Bilbao but also the bridges connecting the city districts located on both sides of the Nervión river. One of the most popular is Puente Zubizuri designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It constitutes a footbridge connecting two important promenades along the river - Paseo Campo de Volantín and Paseo de Uribitarte. If you will be tired of modern part of city you should go to the old part. The biggest attraction of the old town of Bilbao is a walk in a neighborhood which is called Siete Calles (Seven Streets). You will find there several historic churches like the Gothic cathedral of Saint Jacob (Cathedral de Santiago), beautiful buildings and many nice squares with a lot of green and flowers. You will also see many bars with tradition and history on the walls, where, of course, you can try pintxos with a glass of wine " txikito". Another interesting place to visit is Azkuna Zentroa or La Alhóndiga (old name). Originally it was a wine warehouse designed by Basque architect Ricardo Bastida and inaugurated in 1909 but in the 1970, the Alhóndiga was abandoned. Several projects were suggested during many years but all were scrapped. In 1994 it was decided to renovate it and build a sports and culture centre. The Basque Government decided to declare the building "Public Property of Cultural Interest". Now it is a multi-purpose venue and was opened to the public in 2010. The venue, labeled as a "Culture and Leisure Centre", you can find there a cinema, a library, showrooms, shops, restaurant, etc. For the evening walk I will recommend Gran Vía Don Diego López de Haro which is the main avenue of the city and belongs to the representative district of the city called Ensanche de Bilbao. You will find here many exclusive shops, elegant tenement houses, spacious squares, lots of greenery and beautiful palaces. Bilbao is definitely one of the most interesting places in this part of Spain, for me mostly because is so different from big cities like Madrid, Sevilla or Barcelona. My favorite thing about Bilbao is this amazing connection of modern and history which we can not observe very often in other places. If you ever decide to go to Basque Country, Bilbao is my number two on my must see list just after San Sebastian (about this place in next post). Enjoy!