Bilbao On Your Own

OVERVIEW

Spend hours independently exploring Bilbao, a seaside city in the heart of Basque Country that has been dramatically revitalized since the Guggenheim Museum opened a few decades ago. You will be dropped off next to the Old Quarter, a pedestrian-friendly area founded more than 700 years ago. Bilbao’s most historical churches, monuments and plazas are there and not to be missed. If you wish to dine like a local, most every restaurant serves sparkling txakoli wine and pintxos, the Basque version of tapas. Fresh seafood is typically among the ingredients. Nearby, you will also find within easy walking distance from the Frank Gehry-designed Museum, whose wildly expressionistic titanium-clad exterior sets the tone for the collection of modern art inside. Built on the site of a former shipyard, the Euskalduna Concert Hall and Convention Centre is another contemporary masterpiece well worth visiting. For a counterpoint, you might cross the circuitous Nervión River to browse the Archaeological Museum.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore Bilbao on your own and focus on the attractions that sound most interesting.
• Be dropped off in the city center near the Old Quarter and at walking distance from the Guggenheim Museum
• Enjoy the freedom of wandering about at your own pace with no schedule to follow.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.