Just returned from our trip that ended in Bilbao. We had intentions of traveling to San Sebastian but never made it. The weather was not the most pleasant, rain and cold. But we can't say enough about Bilbao. It is one of the most beautiful cities we have visited in Spain. It doesn't get much credit because, we think, it is so close to it's sister city of San Sebastian, and we guess people prefer the beach. We love small towns, not that Bilbao is small. We love just walking around and finding what we are not looking for, that is discovering the city with no preconceived agenda. Seemed like everywhere we looked and every street we turned on had beautiful and neat looking apartments. It didn't seem crowded with tourists either, which is a big plus for us. Anyway just thought we would give it a plug for anyone thinking of going there. We had eight days there and loved every one of them, except for the rain and cold.
Posted by
Green Bay
21159 posts
Yes, it surprised me too when I visited years back. The Guggenheim was brand new then. Reminded me of Pittsburgh, in that it had a river, hills, and steel plants. But way nicer than Pittsburgh.
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4088 posts
Yes -- plus a too-often overshadowed beaux-arts museum, a deep river valley setting, a huge amount of industrial trade history (not every tourist's aim, I understand) and a peculiar aerial tram across the river ( plus a funicular up one bank). The modern airport offers a number of international connections. I recommend walking tours sponsored by the municipal tourist office.
And look, I got through all this without mentioning the Guggenheim, one of the truly inspired buildings of our era. http://www.bilbaoturismo.net/BilbaoTurismo/en/tourists
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I don't know if you've seen my Basque country trip report, but I agree with you. Bilbao was definitely the highlight of my trip. The Old Town was both larger and nicer than the one in San Sebastian, and the newer "downtown" was also interesting. I saw three great museums (the Guggenheim, the Bellas Artes, and the Museum of Reproductions) and the transporter bridge north of the city referred to above (the first in the world, and one of the few still operating).
San Sebastian is lovely, but Bilbao was definitely more interesting - for me, at least.
Posted by
Washington DC
28085 posts
I agree. San Sebastian is pretty and pleasant (except for the mob scene if you're looking for lunch nin the historic district), but Bilbao was much more interesting to me. Some really good side-trips are available from SS to coastal towns, though.