How to spend a weekend in Bilbao, the Basque country’s artistic capital

What would Bilbao be without the Guggenheim? The Frank Gehry masterpiece of a museum may have brought the city worldwide fame, but it remains just a single block in the Basque Country’s largest cosmopolitan area. Bilbao’s history as an industrial centre permeates its present, infusing the city with a matter-of-factness and a no-nonsense attitude, but the post-museum evolution was a letting down of hair, leading to a burgeoning art scene. This scene fused inextricably with the signature Basque dedication to the table, from the pintxo bar to the charcoal grill. 

Allow Bilbao’s authenticity to surprise you – visit the Guggenheim, yes, but then stroll past street murals by the likes of SpY and visit an abundance of galleries that highlight Basque artists and contemporary envelope pushers. Explore the dark, crooked streets of the old town and breathe in the fresh air of Plaza Nueva, ringed by some of the city’s best pintxo bars. Hopping from bar to bar is still very much a local activity in Bilbao, and you’ll see seniors mixing with young people in fringes and hiking boots – the real population of this dynamic city.