B is for Bilbao – the beating heart of the Basque country

The funicular railway glides you up to the look-out point of Mount Artxanda. Spread out below you is a panoramic vista of Bilbao, the intriguingly cosmopolitan and diverse capital of the Basque country. From here you can see the juxtaposition of the old and the new that records both Bilbao’s history and its vision for the future. The historic Old Town, the neo-classical architecture, the organic curves of the Guggenheim Museum’s titanium panels, the Iberdrola Tower, are all held in a bowl of green hills, dissected by the Nervion River that feeds into the Bay of Biscay. You can see why the Bilbainos call their city ‘El Boxto’ or ‘The Hole’.

Basque culture and cuisine are distinctive, its traditions proudly independent and unique. For example, the Basque language ‘Euskara’ bears no relation to Spanish; in fact, it’s unrelated to any other European language, or indeed to any other known language. For an overview of Basque history and culture, the Basque Museum is well worth a visit, and Bilbao is also home to other fine museums, including the Bellas Artes Museum, which houses an impressive collection of over 10,000 artworks from the 13^th century to the present.

Bilbao is the beating heart of the Basque country. It’s an architecture lover’s delight, with neo-classical buildings and wide, traditional plazas. Check out La Ribera market, a feast of gastronomy housed in a wonderful art deco building. All this jostles for attention with modern classics like Sir Norman Foster’s new Metro system, a community centre (Alhondiga) designed by Phillippe Starck, and of course, Frank Gehry’s fabulous Guggenheim. Getting lost in the Casco Viejo, the Old Town is not a bad idea; here, among the thronging shops and restaurants, you’ll find many little bars offering some of the city’s best ‘pintxos’, the Basque country’s answer to tapas.

Exploring Bilbao on foot, by bike or on water is a fascinating experience. What will be your story of this vibrant gateway to the Basque country?