Bilbao

The City of Bilbao is located on the Atlantic coast in the North of Spain, in the Province of Bizkaia (Biscay) and the Basque Country. Its population of nearly one million inhabitants is spread across thirty municipalities including the larger Bilbao, Barakaldo, Getxo, Portugalete, Santurtzi and Basauri.

The City of Bilbao is the fifth most populated metropolitan area in Spain, behind Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville. On a European scale, it occupies the 36th place among European metropolis, with a population similar in size to that of Dublin, Liverpool and Florence.
 
As a commercial centre, the GNP of the City of Bilbao amounts to half of the Basque Country's GNP. As the economics of the area have changed from local towards global markets, the City has undergone an extensive programme of redevelopment since the early 1990s. This includes the communications infrastructure, from roads and metro networks to intelligent telecommunications, extensive urban and environmental regeneration and cultural projects.

Following the opening of the spectacular Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao has engaged a number of prestigious architects whose projects include the Euskalduna Conference Hall, the Pasarela Zubizuri, the new terminal at the Airport, the new Alhóndiga (Corn Exchange), the underground Metro, the restored Tranvía (tram system), the Isozaki-Atea gate and the Abandoibarra revolution.

The Port of Getxo
Bilbao is a city with an open and friendly culture, having been the centre of merchant shipping and fishing throughout its history, based around the El Abra Port and the Port of Getxo. For that reason Bilbao has always been a city of hospitality.
 
Getxo is a traditional, residential resort, on the river mouth of the El Abra, where the bourgeois of Bizkaia built their mansions at the turn of the century. Getxo's original fishing village, the "Puerto Viejo" (Old Port), has been preserved alongside the new yachting harbour, the "Puerto Deportivo", and contrasts with the modern and contemporary waterfront development.

Tourism in Bilbao
The city offers a brilliant choice for the art lovers with six different museums and a new Maritime Museum planned. A prestigious opera season promotes performances by the Bilbao and Euskadi Symphonic Orchestras. Theatre is prominent across the city and a rich choice of small clubs hosts every musical style and alternative shows.

Bilbao is the centre of Basque gastronomy. The culture of the "poteo" (a small glass of wine here and there, with delicious "pintxos" or tapas) is typical of one of the city's biggest charms: its people and its manners.   For those who love shopping, Bilbao offers a wide range of distinctive quality shops which combined with its architectural heritage, bridges, viewpoints, buildings, squares and gardens will fascinate all visitors to the capital of Bizkaia.