Main Attractions

Bilbao is a beautiful city with leafy and wide pedestrian avenues and some of the best shops and restaurants. Its tourist attractions, ranging from historical plazas, buildings and concerts halls, appeal to all visitors.

All the main tourist attractions are relatively concentrated in the city centre and easily accessible from the Holiday Inn Express Bilbao Hotel, located only 10 km from the city centre. So join us and enjoy the sightseeing in Bilbao!

Bilbao's main tourist attractions include:

Euskalduna Palace

Inaugurated in 1999, the Euskalduna Palace is a very unique building standing in the heart of the city of Bilbao and hosts a conference centre, a concert hall and others facilities (cafe, restaurant, shopping centre, etc.). Designed by architects Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios, the building represents a vessel permanently under construction in the old Euskalduna Shipyard.

Contact Details: Avenida Abandoibarra 4, Tel: 944 035 000

Arriaga Theatre

This impressive theatre was built in 1890 by Joaquin Rucoba and Octavio de Toledo and was rebuilt in 1914 after fire damage. Standing in Bilbao's Old Quarter, the theatre is known for its impressive architecture which is reminiscent of the famous Paris Opera House. Today, the building functions as the City Theatre, housing different cultural events.

Contact Details: Plaza Arriaga 4, Tel: 944 163 533

Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Museum is Bilbao's most famous museum of modern and contemporary art. Located alongside the Nervion River, it is a magnificent building with a vast titanium-clad structure designed by architect Frank Gerhy. The building hosts the work of some of the most influential artists, such as Picasso, Warhol and Klein, and is the Bilbao's greatest tourist attraction.

Contact Details: Avenida Abandoibarra 2, Tel: 944 359 000

Fine Arts Museum

This old building built by Fernando Urrutia in 1945 features an extraordinary variety of artworks from the 12th to 20th century. The collection includes more than 6,000 works of art, from paintings, sculptures and drawings to engravings and decorative objects by artists like El Greco, Goya, Gauguin, Bacon, Picasso and Velazquez.

Contact Details: Museo Plaza 2, Tel: 944 396 060

Old Quarter - Casco Viejo

The medieval Old Town, formed by a lot of narrow pedestrian streets full of monuments, bars, cafes and shops, is the most eventful part of Bilbao anytime of the day.

Plaza Nueva

Situated in Bilbao's Old Quarter, the Plaza Nueva is the first square in Bilbao designed by the architect Antonio de Echevarria in 1849. Its historic stone arches supported by doric columns give this place a lot of character. The Plaza Nueva is a popular meeting spot and is best known for its extensive selection of shops, bars and restaurants where people like to relax on the terraces.

Plaza Circular

This Square, located in modern Bilbao, features a central statue of Don Diego Lopez de Haro, Bilbao's official founder in the early 12th century, standing on a column. The Plaza is surrounded by major modern business buildings whose one of the main tourist attractions is the BBVA-ren Dorrea bank tower. This tower is the city's tallest skyscraper measuring around 85 metres / 279 feet, and was built in 1968 and has become a popular place to meet.

Gran Via

Gran Via is the main artery in Bilbao's Ensanche. Grand tree lines run along the avenue, which hosts the most important bank offices and shops, from large shopping malls to elegant shops and boutiques.

Riverside Market

The market was designed by Pedro de Ispizua y Susunaga in 1929 and features an eclectic style and a beautiful architecture with outstanding windows. The market is well-known for its high-quality fish and seafood. Its interior structure and facilities have been modernised after the 1983 summer flood.

Bilbao Bullring

The Bilbao Bullring is an enormous and impressive bullring, opened in the early 1960s. With many fiestas and bullfighting events from March to early October, this large arena has a capacity of around 15,000 and also features a museum, the Museo Taurino.

Contact Details: Martin Aguero 1, Tel: 944 448 698 Bilbao

City Hall

Dating from 1892, the elegant Bilbao City Hall is located in the Plaza Erkoreka. A beautiful adorned building famous for its 'Arab Room', a richly decorated chamber which can be used for civil marriage ceremonies. Guided tours are available but need to be booked in advance.

Contact Details: Plaza Erkoreka Ernesto 1, Tel: 944 204 200

Basque Museum

The Basque Museum features collections that celebrate Basque culture and history. A Baroque-style building situated in the Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) of Bilbao and was built to house a church and Jesuit School by the name of Colegio de San Andris.

Contact Details: Plaza Miguel de Unamuno 4, Tel: 944 155 42

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