Bilbao is the capital of Biscay and the largest city in the Basque Country —around 345,000 people in the city, close to a million in its metropolitan area. Its recent history is that of the 'Guggenheim effect': it went from a declining industrial city to a global icon of design and culture.
Gehry's Guggenheim Museum is its symbol, on the riverbank, but Bilbao is much more: the medieval Old Town with its Seven Streets, the Modernista La Ribera Market, the Artxanda funicular with the best views and, on the estuary, the Bizkaia Bridge, the oldest transporter bridge in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
And then there's the food: Bilbao and its surroundings are one of Europe's gastronomic capitals, from the pintxos of the Old Town to the grill houses. Half an hour away, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe offers one of the most striking sights in the north. The city is seen in one or two days and pairs with the Basque coast and San Se