Things to do in a weekend in Bilbao

Discover what to see in Bilbao in two days

Today, the challenge is to select a route that will take us to get to know the most emblematic places of Bilbao in the shortest time possible and take advantage of the weekend in Bilbao the most.

From Lock Here Now we want to provide you with all the information you need to be able to move through the city of bilbao and don’t miss anything.

Main plans to do in Bilbao

Museo Guggenheim Bilbao

Distance to our locker close to Guggenheim- 250 meters

The museum of contemporary art, designed by canadian architect Frank. O. Gehry and opened in the year 1997, is one of the places that you must visit in Bilbao.

The imposing exterior of this museum, as reflected in its neighbor, the estuary of Bilbao is one of the icons of Bilbao “modern” that has left far behind industrial stage of just a few decades.

This building, which has established itself as one of the creations deconstructivist more spectacular, with an approximate area of 24,000 m2.

Location: Abandoibarra Etorb., 2, 48009 Bilbo, Bizkaia

Puppy, a giant dog breed West Highland terrier, stands guard at the gates of the museum.

Its author, Jeff Koons, gave life to Puppy in the year 1992 with the goal of instilling confidence. This “dog”, the most famous of Bilbao, measures more than 12 feet and weighs more than 15 tons.

We note that Puppy is Bilbao!

Mom, a giant spider of 9 metres in height, has little to envy to Puppy in size is concerned.

This spider created by Louise Burgeois is admirably balanced on legs surprisingly fine. Burgeois is internationally known for its ability of reflection and its ability to portray deep themes in works spectacular.

This enormous spider is a tribute to his mother.

Burgeois he adored her but I also felt that it was too controlling and possessive with her. “Mom” is intended to convey this feeling.

The exterior of the Guggenheim are surrounded by life.

Puente Calatrava o Zubizuri

Distance to LockHereNow Gugenheim: 600 meters

To get to this bridge, we will have to go under Mom in the direction of the Bridge of The Save (in green color with red arcs) and continue in this direction, about 500 meters.

The Calatrava bridge or Zubizuri it was opened in 1997, a few months before the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao.

This bridge, built to connect the suburbs with the neighborhood of chestnut trees, it was very slippery to its beginnings.

The bridge is paved in glass and until we chose to cover the width of the walkway with carpeted non-slip, there were numerous falls.

Location: Zubizuri, 48001 Bilbo, Bizkaia

Visit Bilbao TownHalll

To reach the town hall of Bilbao, we will move forward in the same direction along the same shore. We will leave the Zubizuri bridge to find the next bridge, the puente del Ayuntamiento.

This bridge, a drawbridge because of the inland waterway traffic characteristic of the Bilbao of the TWENTIETH century, it served to link the city centre with the road climbing to the district of Begoña.

Our next step will be to cross the bridge to the other side of the river, where we can see the City of Bilbao.

This building, located at the site of the old convent of St. Augustine, was built in 1892 by Joaquin Rucoba. Joaquin lived 10 years in Bilbao, the stage of which would be built also the Arriaga Theatre, our next stop.

Distance to LockHereNow: 1.2 kilometers

Location: Ernesto Erkoreka Plaza, 12, 48007 Bilbo, Bizkaia

Arriaga Theatre

We will move forward in the same direction that we have been doing up to now, along the river, this time on the other side of the shore.

We separated only 600 metres to get to the doors of the theatre’s most famous Bilbao, the Arriaga theatre.

This building is neo-baroque, was built at the end of the NINETEENTH century by Joaquín Rucoba.

One of the stories of this building is that in 1983, the year of the great flood in Bilbao, suffered serious damage.

Three years later, the theatre would open its doors.

Distance to LockHereNow Old Town: 500m

Location: Arriaga Plaza, 1, 48005 Bilbo, Bizkaia

Other plans to do at the city

Following proposals to take advantage of the weekend in Bilbao

Discover the strets of Old Town

Old quarter is one of the places most well-known of all Bilbao, also known as the 7 streets or Zazpikaleak (in basque).

One of its entrances is located next to the Arriaga theater, specifically in calle Bidebarrieta.

This neighborhood is the oldest of the city and is typically qualify as the neighborhood “original” of Bilbao.

Could you give us the feeling that in this neighborhood at the time stood for many years. It is made up of 7 blocks originating and each one bears the name of ancient crafts and trades predominant originally in the same, for example in Carnicería Vieja was the first slaughterhouse of the city.

Now, its time to enjoy the Pintxos

Might be a good time for some pintxos in the Plaza nueva (New square), built in the NINETEENTH century thanks to the spirit of enlightenment of the time.

The cathedral of Santiago de Bilbao, in the gothic style in the beginning and gothic revival after its remodeling, is another place worth a visit.

In the streets of the old town you will find many options to enjoy the best basque cuisine.

The best pintxos in the old town

The Ribera market is the largest covered market in Europe and can be found next to the estuary of Bilbao and the bridge of San Antón.

This bridge is an emblem of Bilbao as it appears both in the coat of arms of the city as in the coat of arms of the football club of the city, the Athletic Club.

Without a doubt a good tourism in Bilbao has to end, replacing forces with pintxos traditional as gildas.

In the market for Rivera to shelter from the rain , in the different positions dining enjoy from the pintxos are more traditional and simple to the more haute cuisine, these little bites make the delight of locals and tourists, creating an unique atmosphere that you can’t not enjoy.

Store your bags in our lockers in Bilbao

If your last days of sightseeing you check in early , forget about your suitcases and keep enjoying Bilbao.

To add a cultural touch to your weekend in Bilbao, don’t miss the guide to art and museums in Bilbao, where you’ll discover the city’s most iconic spaces and must-see collections.

If you’re planning your weekend adventures in Spain, after exploring Bilbao, don’t miss out on indulging in a relaxing brunch in Madrid to recharge and enjoy the city’s culinary delights.