{"id":38734,"date":"2022-10-26T10:21:39","date_gmt":"2022-10-26T08:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/?p=38734"},"modified":"2024-04-12T15:29:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T13:29:32","slug":"best-things-to-do-bilbao","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/touristear.com\/en\/best-things-to-do-bilbao\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Things to Do in Bilbao in 1 or 2 Days Itinerary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What to see and do in Bilbao in 1 or 2 days<\/strong> is something we have been asked many times. For this reason, we prepared a 2-day trip itinerary to Bilbao<\/strong> and will tell you everything we saw during these days so you can choose your preferred places and plan your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have been to Bilbao a few times, but this time I think we visited it more relaxed and enjoyed the city more, probably because we had a plan of what we wanted to see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bilbao can also be a good starting point for your road trip to the north of Spain<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Bilbao,<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What to visit in Bilbao? Where to Start<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On your first visit to Bilbao, the first thing you have to do is visit the Guggenheim Museum. But Bilbao is much more. Read on,<\/strong> and I’ll tell you all about it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Visit the Guggenheim Museum is a must-do<\/strong> in Bilbao on your first trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This museum brought life back to Bilbao; in it, you find works of art of all kinds, some very curious. It was designed by the famous architect Frank Gehry, known for creating buildings with almost fantastic shapes worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, look at the temporary exhibitions; we saw “Francis Bacon, from Picasso to Vel\u00e1zquez.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A must is to do the Free Walking Tour in Bilbao<\/strong><\/a> with a guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After visiting the museum, walk around this beautiful area. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"View<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

First, along the bank of the Guggenheim to the Zubizuri bridge. One of the pedestrian bridges over the Nervi\u00f3n estuary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this is your first time in Bilbao, a visit to the Guggenheim is a must!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Guggenheim<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Iberdrola Tower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is a 165-meter-high skyscraper located near the Guggenheim Museum. It was inaugurated in 2011 and is the eighth-tallest building in Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La Salve Bridge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It was previously called Puente de Pr\u00edncipes de Espa\u00f1a (Bridge of Princes of Spain) until the change of its name in 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is so called because the fishermen entering the city by the estuary began to sing the Salve to the Virgin of Bego\u00f1a, which can be seen right from the bridge’s height.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is located next to the Guggenheim Museum and includes a staircase with direct access to the museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zubizuri Bridge<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Continuing along the Guggenheim’s shore, you’ll reach the Zubizuri Bridge, also called the Calatrava Bridge. One of the pedestrian bridges over the Nervi\u00f3n estuary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its name means “white bridge” in Basque and has an interesting controversy behind its construction. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The bridge was designed by Santiago Calatrava, a very famous architect in Spain and abroad. Among his works is, for example, the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia<\/strong><\/a>. The citizens wished to have a Calatrava work adorning Bilbao.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out that the glass used for the floor of the bridge was so slippery when it rained (which happens quite a lot in Bilbao) that many pedestrians fell while crossing the river. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After evaluating several options, the floor was finally covered with anti-slip strips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artxanda Funicular<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you finish your visit to the museum, cross to the other side and take the Artxanda funicular<\/strong>. It is straightforward to reach and very well indicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Artxanda funicular takes you through the mountain, to an elevated part of the city, from where you can enjoy beautiful views of Bilbao. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"bilbao,<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You can see how the new integrates with the old, surrounded by mountains and the Nervi\u00f3n estuary that meanders through the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can walk around Artxanda, have a drink in one of its bars, and then go down again on the funicular, or you can do the guided tour that includes the funicular ride<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The price of the funicular is 0,90\u20ac each way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bego\u00f1a Neighborhood<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you have visited the funicular and enjoyed one of the viewpoints of Bilbao, you can go to the Bego\u00f1a neighborhood. I’ll tell you about our visit; we were lucky they were having a party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we arrived in the Bego\u00f1a neighborhood<\/strong>, it was crowded, although we were lucky and managed to park without too much difficulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we approach the church of Bego\u00f1a, we see that they are celebrating. We didn’t know it was the day of their big feast day on October 11.<\/strong> There were stalls selling glazed doughnuts, typical sweets, and tasty savory things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We ordered a talo each. A talo is a corn tortilla, crepe-like, filled with typical local products. Fer ordered a loin steak and I ordered a sausage steak, with a txakoli and a cider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the talos are made on the spot, and you can see how they made them. Very curious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bego\u00f1a Church<\/a><\/strong> is in late Gothic style and is a landmark of Bilbao. We could not enter because they were celebrating mass, and there was no room inside the church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We could peek through an open side door, and the truth is that it looked very nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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