Bilbao

Now a symbol of the city, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao constitutes one of the most ambitious cultural projects of the 20th century. It is a contemporary art museum designed by the Canadian architect Frank O. Gehry. Its permanent collection includes works by the prominent artists of the past four decades. In addition, it organises interesting exhibitions. After filling up on art, you can do the same thing with some good pintxos (local tapas). The museum’s terrace has some surprising views of Bilbao that blend perfectly with the restaurant’s local cuisine.

A good way to discover the history of Bilbao and its architecture from another perspective, or to surprise your mate  (we promise not to reveal that the idea wasn’t yours), is to take a boat ride along its famous estuary. Taking advantage of the fact that this waterway cuts through the centre of the city, you can climb on board there and admire the Guggenheim, before passing through Zorrozaurre and the Portugalete Bridge. The trips last an hour if you only make the city centre run, or two hours if you prefer to go as far as the sea. In addition, some tickets allow you to get on and off as often as you like on the same day.

Do you want to see something in Bilbao that has set a Guinness record? This market, near the Church of San Antón, boasts of being in the Guinness Book of Records as the most complete in the world and the largest in Europe. The Mercado de la Ribera was built in 1929, and was designed by architect Pedro de Ispizua. It’s a kind of ship anchored next to the estuary, in which to purchase all kinds of delicacies from its 59 stalls, in addition to eating breakfast, having lunch in its restaurants, sampling a brunch, consuming some pintxos and tapas, or even letting the resident chefs prepare what you’ve just bought. All this is accompanied by an interesting and attractive offer of cultural activities, such as exhibitions, fashion shows, films, storytelling, children’s theatre, jazz concerts and all kinds of workshops.