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.