About Bilbao
Bilbao is the capital of Bizkaia, one of the provinces of the Basque Autonomous Community. It is located 14 kilometres upstream from the mouth of the Nervión estuary, on the Bay of Biscay.
The Greater Bilbao area is home to around half of the population and business activity of the Basque Country. It is at the intersection of the important European north-south axis and the emerging Atlantic transversal axis.
Over recent years, Bilbao has undergone a historic reinvention process to tackle the challenges of the 21st century. The opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997 was the driving force of an unprecedented environmental, urban development and economic transformation citywide.
Selected as one of the urban best practices to be present at the Shanghai World Expo, Bilbao has involved architects of the ilk of Gehry, Foster, Pelli, Isozaki, Hadid, Calatrava, Moneo, Siza, Starck, Legorreta, Soriano, etc., in its regeneration process.
Its streets are spaces open to art, where you can enjoy a unique experience, with works by Salvador Dalí, Eduardo Chillida, Jorge Oteiza, Manolo Valdés, Jeef Koons, Louise Bourgeois, Marcus Lüpertz, William Tucker, Nestor Basterrexea, Vicente Larrea,…
Bilbao has an intense cultural life, with its highlights including eleven museums, over twenty galleries and exhibition centres, many different concerts, including BBK Live and the annual Bilbao Orkesta Sinfonikoa season, the ABAO opera season, first rate drama performances, the ZINEBI and FANT film festivals, etc.