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Highlights of Bilbao
Urban Regeneration Walking Tour
Before the 2000s, Bilbao was an industrial, not so-good looking town. It had no tourist attractions nor was it very well-known, but today it has completely transformed from its previous identity. Bilbao decided to enter the new millennium as an urban city, and took various steps to achieve their goal. The Guggenheim, residential buildings, concert halls and new bridges are just some of the renovations Bilbao has undergone in order to become a modern city.
The Guggenheim
The Guggenheim Museum is much more than just a museum-it is the symbol of Bilbao’s transformation from an industrial city to a blossoming urban city filled with modern art. After the Guggenheim was opened in 1997 people from all over the world started flocking to this shimmering, titanium building, and since then it has developed into an international art and culture center. The building was designed by Canadian architect Frank Gehry to resemble the shape of ships and flying fins. The outside is covered in what looks like giant fish scales, and it is said that Gehry loved fish as a child. The museum is surrounded by other big sculptures such as a giant spider that you can go underneath, and a huge dog made out of flowers. Bilbaínos like to say that the Guggenheim is the dog house for the flower dog! The inside of the museum is no less spectacular, with 19 galleries of different shapes and sizes to ensure that any piece can fit.
Las Siete Calles
The Seven Streets of Bilbao used to form the medieval neighborhood that was behind city walls until the 19th century. There are exactly seven streets, and it is a popular place to go for shopping, eating, and browsing the flea market. The streets were created in the 1400s and are one of the oldest remaining parts of Bilbao.