And it is that, really, there is nothing better than Bilbao
It's okay that Madrid is the capital, that Barcelona is beautiful and that Malaga is out of this world, but hey! Let no one detract from this northern town that has discreetly crept into all the noteworthy tops.
1. THE 'BILBAO EFFECT'
"This used to smell bad, it was dirty and you couldn't see it because of the contamination", is a phrase that the locals repeat while their chests swell seeing how beautiful the villa has been . For many it is already difficult to remember that Bilbao thanks to the impressive change it has given in a short time.
Urban planners, architects and city managers from all over the world study and talk about the 'Bilbao effect' and how this city, which in the 1990s was in the midst of a horrific social and economic crisis, was transformed in less than a decade into reference of modernity for its cultural activity and its quality of life.
The river, the "beach" of Bilbao
two. COMFORTABLE AND PRACTICAL
Bilbao is not a big city, in fact, does not reach 350,000 inhabitants yes But this gives her one of the characteristics that arouses the most happiness among those who know her: you can walk everywhere . Although the city's public transport network is one of the best and most well-cared for in the country (with tram, metro - the cleanest in Europe, no more no less ! -, neighborhoods, and an extensive line of buses or municipal bikes always nearby) there is nothing comparable to pateártela. In half an hour , if you manage not to fall into vice and make a stop here and another there, you will go from end to end.
But its comfortable size does not detract from the big cities. Bilbao does not lack anything: international airport, first class museums (the well-known Guggenheim or the Museum of Fine Arts, among others), theaters, art galleries, urban markets, concert halls with a plan for each night like the Kafe Antzokia or Satellite T , super interesting cultural initiatives that are regenerating the artistic panorama of the city and neighborhoods that were once forgotten (you just have to take a walk around Old Bilbao or Zorrozaurre to see the change) and top-tier music festivals like the Bilbao BBK Live or BIME , have made this northern city an unmissable stop at any time of the year.
You can go anywhere on foot
3. NOWHERE DO YOU EAT AS GOOD AS IN BILBAO
We said that about "if you manage not to fall into vice" because it won't be easy. Bilbao is one of the cities with the best food in the world. Until relatively recently it was difficult to find fast food chains in the city itself, and here the issue of food is taken very seriously. This is the Basque Country, the place with the most Michelin stars per capita in the world, what did you expect?
There's something for everyone: celebrity chefs at the **Nerua or the Mina , unbeatable menus of the day for less than 15 euros such as those at ** Ágape or El Perro Chico ** and pintxo bars that don't even reach 2 euros so you won't stop salivating like those at ** El Globo, El Santa María or the ** Irrintzi ** will make you put the bikini operation on hold until next Monday. Don't worry, it will have been worth it.
Tapas in Bilbao: World Heritage
Four. ANCIENT BUT MODERN
Traditional and cosmopolitan at the same time, it has managed to safeguard the identity of its more than 700 years without turning its back on innovation. Through the streets of your Old Town , Historical-Artistic Monument and the nucleus that gave rise to the city, you will find an imposing market of art deco supplies , Gothic cathedrals and late-Renaissance palaces, but also the coolest shops and cafes, such as Malmo Gallery either bohemian lane .
And it is that the contrasts of the city are very remarkable. Just by changing the bank of the Ría and leaving the Casco behind, the views change radically and it doesn't take long to find buildings designed by leading names in contemporary world architecture such as La Alhondiga of Philippe Starck , the Frank Gehry's Guggenheim waves Cesar Pelli and Isozaki towers , which have forever changed the city's skyline.
Old Town
Contrasts are served
5. IT HAS NO BEACH, BUT ALMOST
Yes, it is undeniable that having an urban beach gives cities a special touch, but in Bilbao nobody complains: is the estuary . Backbone of the town, since it left behind its brown pantone - industrialization, taking a walk along any of its banks is a delight. Now fully regenerated and clean, see people paddle surfing, canoeing or rowing it has become part of the day-to-day landscape.
If this were not enough, another of the characteristics that make Bilbao a place like few others is that it has a direct metro to beaches that are well worth a visit: Azkorri, La Salvaje or Plentzia they wait just 30 minutes by train, that's nothing!
A little canoeing?
6. GREEN ON ALL SIDES
'Botxo ' is the affectionate nickname with which its neighbors call Bilbao. This word means 'hole' and it is that the city is enclosed between mountains. That's why, no matter where you look, there is always green . Going up the mountain is a plan that any professional Bilbao has in mind: go to the Pagasarri on Sunday before the vermouth or go for a walk to Artxanda , both on foot and on its centenary funicular as soon as the thermometer reaches 15 degrees, are perfect alternatives to enjoy nature just a stone's throw from the city.
Leaving Bilbao a little, this wonder
7. IT DOESN'T RAIN SO MUCH
Mild winters and pleasant summers What more can you ask for in life?
Ok, yes, it rains, but it is the price to pay for having so much green around.
The city appreciates the sun like nobody else and four rays of light fall at nothing, the houses empty, the terraces multiply in a matter of seconds and the streets are packed with people willing to recharge with vitamin D. But as there have been years of 300 days of horizontal rain, the plans are not parked even if the sirimiri turns into hail. Also, seriously, it doesn't rain as much as it used to, someone come tell someone from Bilbao that climate change doesn't exist!
No, it doesn't rain that much in Bilbao
8. HE IS IN BIZKAIA
Bilbao is in the province of Bizkaia, one of the most beautiful regions in Spain and that means that it is very close to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, of the Pozalagua caves in Karrantza , of the coastal towns of Elantxobe, Mundaka and Ondarroa, from Gernika and from the Oma Forest, among many other wonders.
Leaving Bilbao a little, THIS too
9. THE BILBAINS
One of the most marked characteristics of those in Bilbao is the pride they feel for their city and their ability to show it off whenever the opportunity arises. If we also add to this that the city has been away from the tourist circuits for a long time for various reasons, we will quickly see that the local is always willing to lend a cable to the tourist, going out of their way to make you feel welcome and wanting to come back . It is not uncommon that when a person from Bilbao sees someone with a map on the street, he himself approaches to ask how he can help, offering a couple of tips on what to see and where to go without anyone asking him. And it is that in this city the people are so nice and welcoming that, if you are not careful, they will take a round from you.
Satisfied lady contemplating her domains