Bilbao Introduction Walking Tour (Self Guided), Bilbao
Officially founded in 1300 AD by the Lord of Biscay, Bilbao began as a small port settlement. Its sheltered estuary allowed ships to load wool, iron, and other goods bound for northern Europe, while merchants imported salt, wine, and luxury items. The name "Bilbao" likely comes from the Basque words bil, meaning "settlement," and bao, meaning "estuary"-a fitting description for a town that grew where the NerviĂłn River meets the Bay of Biscay.
During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, Bilbao expanded into a bustling mercantile center. The city’s Consulate, established in the 16th century, regulated trade and gave Bilbao’s merchants considerable influence throughout the region. Maritime trade also brought cosmopolitan influences from Flanders, England, and beyond.
The 19th century marked Bilbao’s industrial leap. Rich iron deposits in the surrounding hills powered blast furnaces, shipbuilding, and factories. Banks and railways soon followed. The Spanish Civil War left deep scars: in 1937, Bilbao fell to Franco’s forces after heavy bombardment. Under the dictatorship, the city endured repression, even as its industries continued to drive the economy.
By the late 20th century, Bilbao faced crisis. The collapse of the steel and shipbuilding industries left behind unemployment, pollution, and a decaying waterfront. Reinvention came in the 1990s through ambitious urban renewal projects. The most dramatic symbol of this new era arrived in 1997 with the opening of the Guggenheim Museum. Its gleaming titanium curves along the riverfront became an icon of contemporary architecture and marked Bilbao’s transformation from industrial powerhouse to cultural capital.
Bilbao is a city of contrasts, shaped by centuries of commerce, war, industry, and innovation. The left bank of the river once echoed with factory noise and housed the working class. Across the water, the right bank holds the heart of the Old Town-the "Seven Streets"-where 700 years of architecture blend Gothic, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Neo-Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance styles.
To experience Bilbao’s soul, you must walk it. From the elegance of Gran VĂa to the hidden alleys of the Old Town, from the buzzing Ribera Market to the tranquil riverbanks, each step tells a part of the city's story. The Catholic Monarchs once called Bilbao “Very Noble” and “Very Loyal,” and after centuries of change, it remains both. Now, with map in hand and curiosity in tow, you’re ready to discover why some might say - Bilbao is truly remarkable.
During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, Bilbao expanded into a bustling mercantile center. The city’s Consulate, established in the 16th century, regulated trade and gave Bilbao’s merchants considerable influence throughout the region. Maritime trade also brought cosmopolitan influences from Flanders, England, and beyond.
The 19th century marked Bilbao’s industrial leap. Rich iron deposits in the surrounding hills powered blast furnaces, shipbuilding, and factories. Banks and railways soon followed. The Spanish Civil War left deep scars: in 1937, Bilbao fell to Franco’s forces after heavy bombardment. Under the dictatorship, the city endured repression, even as its industries continued to drive the economy.
By the late 20th century, Bilbao faced crisis. The collapse of the steel and shipbuilding industries left behind unemployment, pollution, and a decaying waterfront. Reinvention came in the 1990s through ambitious urban renewal projects. The most dramatic symbol of this new era arrived in 1997 with the opening of the Guggenheim Museum. Its gleaming titanium curves along the riverfront became an icon of contemporary architecture and marked Bilbao’s transformation from industrial powerhouse to cultural capital.
Bilbao is a city of contrasts, shaped by centuries of commerce, war, industry, and innovation. The left bank of the river once echoed with factory noise and housed the working class. Across the water, the right bank holds the heart of the Old Town-the "Seven Streets"-where 700 years of architecture blend Gothic, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Neo-Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance styles.
To experience Bilbao’s soul, you must walk it. From the elegance of Gran VĂa to the hidden alleys of the Old Town, from the buzzing Ribera Market to the tranquil riverbanks, each step tells a part of the city's story. The Catholic Monarchs once called Bilbao “Very Noble” and “Very Loyal,” and after centuries of change, it remains both. Now, with map in hand and curiosity in tow, you’re ready to discover why some might say - Bilbao is truly remarkable.
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Bilbao Introduction Walking Tour Map
Guide Name: Bilbao Introduction Walking Tour
Guide Location: Spain » Bilbao (See other walking tours in Bilbao)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
# of Attractions: 9
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Author: DanaOffice
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
Guide Location: Spain » Bilbao (See other walking tours in Bilbao)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
# of Attractions: 9
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Author: DanaOffice
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
- Catedral de Santiago (Santiago Cathedral)
- Mercado de la Ribera (Ribera Market)
- Plaza Nueva (New Square)
- Estacion de Bilbao Concordia (Bilbao-Concordia Railway Station)
- Zubizuri (White Bridge)
- Puppy
- Museo Guggenheim Bilbao (Guggenheim Museum Bilbao)
- Parque Casilda Iturrizar (Casilda Iturrizar Park)
- Gran VĂa (Grand Avenue)
1) Catedral de Santiago (Santiago Cathedral) (must see)
Santiago Cathedral holds the honor of being Bilbao’s oldest surviving monument and the city’s chief religious landmark. Dedicated to Saint James the Apostle, its very name is tied to the famed Way of Saint James, for Bilbao once sat along one of the pilgrimage routes leading to Santiago de Compostela. The first church here rose in the 14th century, only a few years after the port town was founded, and like the city around it, the building has been reshaped by fires, floods, and the passage of time. What survives is a layered mix of Gothic foundations and later renovations, each leaving its own mark.
At its heart, the cathedral is Gothic through and through. Pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and a soaring spire dominate the old town skyline. Laid out in a Latin cross plan and consecrated in 1379, it holds three naves, an ambulatory around the presbytery, and a cloister that once gave the clergy respite from the bustle outside. Sixteen chapels fill the interior, some small and intimate, others richly adorned with altars and statues, each speaking to different eras of devotion. The cloister garden, enclosed by vaulted bays, still offers a measure of peace amid the surrounding Casco Viejo.
The centuries brought new details without erasing the Gothic core. In the 19th century, architect Severino de Achucarro added a Neo-Gothic façade, spire, and rose window. The main entrance is flanked by Saints Peter and Paul, while the 16th-century Angel Gate depicts Saint James guiding pilgrims. To the south, a broad portico built over an old necropolis in 1580 doubles as structural support and as another showcase of Gothic stonework.
For today’s visitor, the cathedral is not just about worship-it is a cornerstone of Bilbao’s story. Rising in the heart of the medieval quarter, it links the city’s modest beginnings as a 14th-century port to its present as a cultural hub. Pilgrims still pause for blessings, and travelers can wander through chapels and cloisters where stone and sculpture preserve centuries of faith, memory, and resilience.
At its heart, the cathedral is Gothic through and through. Pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and a soaring spire dominate the old town skyline. Laid out in a Latin cross plan and consecrated in 1379, it holds three naves, an ambulatory around the presbytery, and a cloister that once gave the clergy respite from the bustle outside. Sixteen chapels fill the interior, some small and intimate, others richly adorned with altars and statues, each speaking to different eras of devotion. The cloister garden, enclosed by vaulted bays, still offers a measure of peace amid the surrounding Casco Viejo.
The centuries brought new details without erasing the Gothic core. In the 19th century, architect Severino de Achucarro added a Neo-Gothic façade, spire, and rose window. The main entrance is flanked by Saints Peter and Paul, while the 16th-century Angel Gate depicts Saint James guiding pilgrims. To the south, a broad portico built over an old necropolis in 1580 doubles as structural support and as another showcase of Gothic stonework.
For today’s visitor, the cathedral is not just about worship-it is a cornerstone of Bilbao’s story. Rising in the heart of the medieval quarter, it links the city’s modest beginnings as a 14th-century port to its present as a cultural hub. Pilgrims still pause for blessings, and travelers can wander through chapels and cloisters where stone and sculpture preserve centuries of faith, memory, and resilience.
2) Mercado de la Ribera (Ribera Market) (must see)
Ribera Market, stretched along the Nervión in Bilbao’s Old Town, has been the city’s pantry for more than six centuries. Its story begins in the 14th century, when farmers and fishermen crowded the riverbank with stalls, feeding the young port and earning it the reputation of being the “nerve center” of town. By the 1800s, the bustle had grown so constant that writer Emiliano de Arriaga described it as “a well-stocked market with whatever the most refined gourmet could desire.” To match this abundance, an iron-and-glass hall was raised, giving the trade a permanent home.
The leap into modernity came in 1928, when architect Pedro de Ispizua drew up a Rationalist design that opened the market to light and air. Completed in 1929, it spanned more than 10,000 square meters, at the time the largest covered food market in Europe and eventually a Guinness record holder. Reinforced concrete replaced stone, while broad stained-glass windows, latticework, and Art Deco details softened its industrial bulk. From the river it resembled a floating pavilion, a deliberate nod to the estuary that had always sustained the city’s trade. Its terraces connected naturally to the San Antón Bridge and the Seven Streets, weaving the market into the daily rhythm of the Old Town.
The stalls never fell silent. Through wars, recessions, and renovations, the ground floor continued to smell of salt and fish, the first floor of cured meats and pastries, the upper level of fruit, vegetables, and flowers brought in from nearby villages. The 21st century added a new layer: wine counters, pintxo bars, and even jazz drifting through the arcades, without erasing the essential character of the place.
Ribera Market is less about shopping lists than about history you can taste. Each stall, each beam of stained glass, tells part of Bilbao’s journey from medieval riverside fair to modern urban hub. To walk inside is to see how a city feeds itself-not just with produce, but with continuity, character, and the stubborn energy of its people.
The leap into modernity came in 1928, when architect Pedro de Ispizua drew up a Rationalist design that opened the market to light and air. Completed in 1929, it spanned more than 10,000 square meters, at the time the largest covered food market in Europe and eventually a Guinness record holder. Reinforced concrete replaced stone, while broad stained-glass windows, latticework, and Art Deco details softened its industrial bulk. From the river it resembled a floating pavilion, a deliberate nod to the estuary that had always sustained the city’s trade. Its terraces connected naturally to the San Antón Bridge and the Seven Streets, weaving the market into the daily rhythm of the Old Town.
The stalls never fell silent. Through wars, recessions, and renovations, the ground floor continued to smell of salt and fish, the first floor of cured meats and pastries, the upper level of fruit, vegetables, and flowers brought in from nearby villages. The 21st century added a new layer: wine counters, pintxo bars, and even jazz drifting through the arcades, without erasing the essential character of the place.
Ribera Market is less about shopping lists than about history you can taste. Each stall, each beam of stained glass, tells part of Bilbao’s journey from medieval riverside fair to modern urban hub. To walk inside is to see how a city feeds itself-not just with produce, but with continuity, character, and the stubborn energy of its people.
3) Plaza Nueva (New Square) (must see)
Work on Bilbao’s New Square began in 1828, with King Fernando VII laying the first stone in person. The plan was to crown the plaza with his statue, but his death in 1833 left the honor unclaimed. A pond filled the gap until 1890, when López de Haro-the city’s 14th-century founder-finally claimed the pedestal. After years of hesitation and revision, the square itself opened in 1851.
The idea had been brewing since the late 1700s, when city leaders wanted a space that could match the grand plazas of Madrid or Salamanca. Architect Antonio de EchevarrĂa delivered with a design that was as orderly as it was ambitious: a neoclassical rectangle framed by arcades, giving the old quarter a stage for modern civic life. Its name, “New Square,” underscored the break with the rambling medieval markets of the Seven Streets.
Askao, SombrererĂa, Fueros, and Correo Streets define its edges, while 64 arches frame the interiors with bars, shops, and offices. The Basque government once held court here, until 1890 when the Royal Academy of the Basque Language made the square its home. Throughout the 19th century, New Square embodied Bilbao’s leap into modernity. Commerce thrived under the arches, while the open space saw political rallies, concerts, and festivals that pulled the community together.
The tradition hasn’t faded. Sundays bring a flea market where locals bargain over coins, stamps, antiques, and even birds or flowers. Wi-Fi arrived in 2008, a small reminder that the square continues to adapt, just as pintxos bars keep the flavors of Bilbao rooted in place. Two centuries on, New Square remains both ordered geometry and lived-in history-the kind of plaza that tells its story as much through the chatter under the arches as through the symmetry of its stones.
The idea had been brewing since the late 1700s, when city leaders wanted a space that could match the grand plazas of Madrid or Salamanca. Architect Antonio de EchevarrĂa delivered with a design that was as orderly as it was ambitious: a neoclassical rectangle framed by arcades, giving the old quarter a stage for modern civic life. Its name, “New Square,” underscored the break with the rambling medieval markets of the Seven Streets.
Askao, SombrererĂa, Fueros, and Correo Streets define its edges, while 64 arches frame the interiors with bars, shops, and offices. The Basque government once held court here, until 1890 when the Royal Academy of the Basque Language made the square its home. Throughout the 19th century, New Square embodied Bilbao’s leap into modernity. Commerce thrived under the arches, while the open space saw political rallies, concerts, and festivals that pulled the community together.
The tradition hasn’t faded. Sundays bring a flea market where locals bargain over coins, stamps, antiques, and even birds or flowers. Wi-Fi arrived in 2008, a small reminder that the square continues to adapt, just as pintxos bars keep the flavors of Bilbao rooted in place. Two centuries on, New Square remains both ordered geometry and lived-in history-the kind of plaza that tells its story as much through the chatter under the arches as through the symmetry of its stones.
4) Estacion de Bilbao Concordia (Bilbao-Concordia Railway Station)
Bilbao-Concordia Railway Station, also called Santander Station, rolled into service in 1902 as the end point of the narrow-gauge line linking Bilbao with Santander and the Cantabrian coast. The project came from engineer ValentĂn Gorbeña, a man already familiar with reshaping Bilbao through the Kadagua Railway and the city’s 19th-century expansion. Its name-“Concordia”-stems from the pact that rescued the railway from bankruptcy, a reminder that Bilbao’s growth often came with equal parts risk and resilience. What the city gained was not just a functional station but one of the most striking Belle Époque landmarks along the NerviĂłn River.
The façade remains the showpiece: a Modernist composition touched by Art Nouveau, where iron, stone, and glass come together in a theatrical display. At its heart is a great circular stained-glass window that still dominates the view from the riverbank. Surrounding details-floral motifs, wrought-iron balconies, and decorative tiling-turn the exterior into something closer to civic art than railway engineering. Inside, broad platforms and sweeping iron canopies evoke the confidence of the early 20th century, while capitals carved with Hermes, the god of commerce, tie the station’s identity to Bilbao’s mercantile lifeblood.
The building spans two levels: the ground floor originally filled with offices, ticket counters, and a cafeteria, while the upper floor carried the tracks and platforms. For decades it shared duties with the larger Abando Station, channeling passenger traffic up and down the Cantabrian coast. Modernization has trimmed its role, but its historic character has never been stripped away.
Today, Bilbao-Concordia is as much admired for its architecture as for its trains. The stained glass, the ironwork, and its riverside presence all make it one of the city’s most photographed landmarks, a station that still carries the optimism of its steam-age beginnings.
The façade remains the showpiece: a Modernist composition touched by Art Nouveau, where iron, stone, and glass come together in a theatrical display. At its heart is a great circular stained-glass window that still dominates the view from the riverbank. Surrounding details-floral motifs, wrought-iron balconies, and decorative tiling-turn the exterior into something closer to civic art than railway engineering. Inside, broad platforms and sweeping iron canopies evoke the confidence of the early 20th century, while capitals carved with Hermes, the god of commerce, tie the station’s identity to Bilbao’s mercantile lifeblood.
The building spans two levels: the ground floor originally filled with offices, ticket counters, and a cafeteria, while the upper floor carried the tracks and platforms. For decades it shared duties with the larger Abando Station, channeling passenger traffic up and down the Cantabrian coast. Modernization has trimmed its role, but its historic character has never been stripped away.
Today, Bilbao-Concordia is as much admired for its architecture as for its trains. The stained glass, the ironwork, and its riverside presence all make it one of the city’s most photographed landmarks, a station that still carries the optimism of its steam-age beginnings.
5) Zubizuri (White Bridge) (must see)
The Zubizuri, literally the “White Bridge” in Basque, has been dividing opinions and delighting photographers since 1997. Also called the Campo VolantĂn Bridge, it was drawn up by Santiago Calatrava, Spain’s star architect with a taste for sculptural drama. At the time, Bilbao was desperate to shed its image as a soot-covered port and present itself as a city of design and culture. The bridge was one of the opening moves in that makeover, spanning the NerviĂłn River and linking Campo VolantĂn district with the Uribitarte district-an elegant shortcut for pedestrians heading toward the new Guggenheim Museum that would soon steal headlines worldwide.
The structure looks more like a piece of engineering theatre than a simple crossing. A sweeping white arch leans overhead, its thirty-nine cables holding a curved deck that measures 246 feet from end to end. Calatrava added a walkway paved with translucent glass tiles, hoping for a luminous effect at night. The idea worked visually, but less so underfoot; the glass proved treacherous in wet weather, leading to the addition of non-slip mats. The fix dulled some of the sparkle but ensured fewer lawsuits.
Controversy aside, the Zubizuri quickly became one of Bilbao’s defining images. Its clean lines and glowing presence at night have earned it countless appearances in travel guides, postcards, and amateur photo albums. Alongside the Guggenheim, it has come to symbolize the city’s 1990s rebirth-what commentators call the “Bilbao Effect,” when bold architecture was used to reboot civic pride and international reputation.
Crossing the Zubizuri today means more than moving from one bank to the other. It means stepping onto a stage set by a city intent on proving that modern infrastructure could double as public art. White steel, river views, and a touch of controversy all combine in a bridge that manages to be both a practical route and a statement of Bilbao’s ambition.
The structure looks more like a piece of engineering theatre than a simple crossing. A sweeping white arch leans overhead, its thirty-nine cables holding a curved deck that measures 246 feet from end to end. Calatrava added a walkway paved with translucent glass tiles, hoping for a luminous effect at night. The idea worked visually, but less so underfoot; the glass proved treacherous in wet weather, leading to the addition of non-slip mats. The fix dulled some of the sparkle but ensured fewer lawsuits.
Controversy aside, the Zubizuri quickly became one of Bilbao’s defining images. Its clean lines and glowing presence at night have earned it countless appearances in travel guides, postcards, and amateur photo albums. Alongside the Guggenheim, it has come to symbolize the city’s 1990s rebirth-what commentators call the “Bilbao Effect,” when bold architecture was used to reboot civic pride and international reputation.
Crossing the Zubizuri today means more than moving from one bank to the other. It means stepping onto a stage set by a city intent on proving that modern infrastructure could double as public art. White steel, river views, and a touch of controversy all combine in a bridge that manages to be both a practical route and a statement of Bilbao’s ambition.
6) Puppy
Puppy, a West Highland terrier on an architectural growth spurt, has been sitting outside the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao since 1997. At 43 feet tall and weighing in at 16 tons, he is less statue and more living spectacle. Conceived in 1992 by Jeff Koons, the American artist who delights in making the monumental feel domestic, the dog first toured Germany before settling in Bilbao during the city’s headlong dive into cultural reinvention. His skeleton is steel, his skin a textile mesh stuffed with soil, and his coat-38,000 flowers that bloom, fade, and are replanted twice a year-requires a small army of gardeners to keep in shape. Beneath the fur of begonias, pansies, and impatiens runs an irrigation system fit for a botanical laboratory, making sure the dog never wilts under the Basque sun.
Koons’s idea was as simple as it was audacious: take the familiar comforts of a pet and the kitsch of greeting cards, then blow them up to a scale that makes the ordinary extraordinary. The result was a figure meant to inspire confidence, joy, and perhaps a touch of disbelief. Against the sharp titanium folds of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim, Puppy became the soft counterpoint-the bouquet that barked.
Bilbao quickly embraced the floral canine as part of its public face. Locals treat him like a seasonal clock, noting when his coat shifts from the warm hues of autumn pansies to the riot of summer petunias. Visitors crowd around his paws for photographs, knowing the image will be slightly different each year. More than decoration, Puppy has become a constant in a city defined by reinvention: a giant terrier who greets everyone at the museum gates, bright-eyed, blooming, and never quite the same twice.
Koons’s idea was as simple as it was audacious: take the familiar comforts of a pet and the kitsch of greeting cards, then blow them up to a scale that makes the ordinary extraordinary. The result was a figure meant to inspire confidence, joy, and perhaps a touch of disbelief. Against the sharp titanium folds of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim, Puppy became the soft counterpoint-the bouquet that barked.
Bilbao quickly embraced the floral canine as part of its public face. Locals treat him like a seasonal clock, noting when his coat shifts from the warm hues of autumn pansies to the riot of summer petunias. Visitors crowd around his paws for photographs, knowing the image will be slightly different each year. More than decoration, Puppy has become a constant in a city defined by reinvention: a giant terrier who greets everyone at the museum gates, bright-eyed, blooming, and never quite the same twice.
7) Museo Guggenheim Bilbao (Guggenheim Museum Bilbao) (must see)
Bilbao in the early 1990s was a city looking at its reflection in the Nervión River and seeing only rust and smoke. Shipyards had gone quiet, steel mills had closed, and the waterfront felt more like a graveyard than a gateway. The Basque government decided it needed something that would not just patch the city’s decline but flip the narrative entirely. In 1997 King Juan Carlos I cut the ribbon on what would become the most audacious chapter in Bilbao’s history.
Frank Gehry, coaxed by museum director Thomas Krens to deliver something “daring,” sketched out a vision that made even seasoned architects blink. The result was a swirl of titanium, glass, and limestone that seemed less a building than a piece of sculpture dropped onto the riverbank. Calvin Tomkins of The New Yorker dubbed it “a fantastic dream ship,” and the comparison stuck. Some saw a vessel, others a fish; Gehry himself insisted it was about light-panels that shimmered and changed mood with every cloud and ray of sun. At its core lies a rose-shaped atrium, an airy hub from which nineteen galleries stretch outward like petals.
Inside, the museum covers 120,000 square feet of exhibition space, mixing classical stone halls with vast titanium chambers fit for giants of modern art. Works by Richard Serra, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Jenny Holzer line the galleries, while outside, Jeff Koons’ flower-covered Puppy and Louise Bourgeois’ towering spider, Maman, greet visitors before they step through the doors.
Since opening, the Guggenheim has rewritten Bilbao’s script. What was once an industrial afterthought became a cultural headline. The building itself became as famous as the works it housed, a symbol of reinvention that pulled the city onto the global stage. For millions who visit each year, the museum is more than a collection-it’s proof that architecture, given the right mix of nerve and imagination, can change the course of a city.
Frank Gehry, coaxed by museum director Thomas Krens to deliver something “daring,” sketched out a vision that made even seasoned architects blink. The result was a swirl of titanium, glass, and limestone that seemed less a building than a piece of sculpture dropped onto the riverbank. Calvin Tomkins of The New Yorker dubbed it “a fantastic dream ship,” and the comparison stuck. Some saw a vessel, others a fish; Gehry himself insisted it was about light-panels that shimmered and changed mood with every cloud and ray of sun. At its core lies a rose-shaped atrium, an airy hub from which nineteen galleries stretch outward like petals.
Inside, the museum covers 120,000 square feet of exhibition space, mixing classical stone halls with vast titanium chambers fit for giants of modern art. Works by Richard Serra, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Jenny Holzer line the galleries, while outside, Jeff Koons’ flower-covered Puppy and Louise Bourgeois’ towering spider, Maman, greet visitors before they step through the doors.
Since opening, the Guggenheim has rewritten Bilbao’s script. What was once an industrial afterthought became a cultural headline. The building itself became as famous as the works it housed, a symbol of reinvention that pulled the city onto the global stage. For millions who visit each year, the museum is more than a collection-it’s proof that architecture, given the right mix of nerve and imagination, can change the course of a city.
8) Parque Casilda Iturrizar (Casilda Iturrizar Park)
Lady Casilda Iturrizar Park, often called the “green lung” of Bilbao, owes its creation to the generosity of Lady Casilda, a wealthy widow and philanthropist remembered for sharing her fortune with the city. After her death in 1900, part of her legacy funded the development of the park, which opened in 1907 on land she donated. At the time, it was Bilbao’s only true green space, offering much-needed relief from the rapid growth of the industrial city.
Designed in the romantic style of the early 20th century, the park followed the model of an English garden. Many of its trees, now over a century old, still stand today. Its most famous feature is the duck pond, home to water birds and peacocks, which earned the park the nickname “Duck’s Park.” The layout included wide avenues, flowerbeds, and ornamental fountains, as well as a cybernetic fountain surrounded by a shaded pergola. Over time, statues, monuments, and pavilions were added, turning the park into a civic as well as recreational landmark.
The park soon became a favorite meeting place for locals. Families, couples, and students made use of its shaded corners and lawns, while festivals and concerts brought cultural life to its open-air stage. Located beside the Fine Arts Museum and the Euskalduna Palace, the park became closely linked with Bilbao’s cultural institutions.
Although the park lost some land in the 20th century due to construction and roads, later redevelopment projects restored its appeal. Today, Lady Casilda Park remains one of Bilbao’s best-loved spaces, combining natural beauty, leisure, and history while honoring the legacy of the woman who gave it to the city.
Designed in the romantic style of the early 20th century, the park followed the model of an English garden. Many of its trees, now over a century old, still stand today. Its most famous feature is the duck pond, home to water birds and peacocks, which earned the park the nickname “Duck’s Park.” The layout included wide avenues, flowerbeds, and ornamental fountains, as well as a cybernetic fountain surrounded by a shaded pergola. Over time, statues, monuments, and pavilions were added, turning the park into a civic as well as recreational landmark.
The park soon became a favorite meeting place for locals. Families, couples, and students made use of its shaded corners and lawns, while festivals and concerts brought cultural life to its open-air stage. Located beside the Fine Arts Museum and the Euskalduna Palace, the park became closely linked with Bilbao’s cultural institutions.
Although the park lost some land in the 20th century due to construction and roads, later redevelopment projects restored its appeal. Today, Lady Casilda Park remains one of Bilbao’s best-loved spaces, combining natural beauty, leisure, and history while honoring the legacy of the woman who gave it to the city.
9) Gran VĂa (Grand Avenue)
Grand Avenue López de Haro wears Bilbao’s ambitions on its sleeve. Named after the city’s medieval founder, this grand boulevard was the centerpiece of an 1876 plan to push the city beyond its cramped medieval quarter. The timing was perfect: iron and maritime trade were filling Bilbao’s coffers, and leaders wanted boulevards that would match the city’s new prosperity. Construction got underway in the late 1870s, and by the early 20th century Grand Avenue was already the stage where Bilbao’s civic and commercial life played out.
The buildings along the avenue are a catalog of Bilbao’s self-confidence during its industrial golden age. Neoclassical façades, French-style mansions, and modernist flourishes line the route, while banking powerhouses like the Bilbao Bank building and the BBVA bank headquarters underline the city’s role as a financial capital. The mile-long avenue begins at Circular Square near Abando Station, cuts through Moyúa Square, and continues toward San Mamés, linking together districts that once marked Bilbao’s leap from provincial port to modern metropolis.
Over time, Grand Avenue grew into more than a thoroughfare-it became Bilbao’s prime shopping and strolling ground. Side streets like Buenos Aires, PrĂncipe, and Villarias filled with department stores, boutiques, and gourmet shops, while the stretch between Circular Square and MoyĂşa Square gained its own personality with cross streets such as Astarloa. RodrĂguez Arias and other parallel streets added further energy, while MoyĂşa and Sacred Heart squares branched off into yet more busy avenues.
Today, Grand Avenue is less about horse-drawn carriages and more about storefronts, cafés, and the hum of daily life. For anyone walking its length, the avenue doubles as a timeline, showing how Bilbao reinvented itself from an industrial powerhouse into a modern European city that still knows how to put on a grand display.
The buildings along the avenue are a catalog of Bilbao’s self-confidence during its industrial golden age. Neoclassical façades, French-style mansions, and modernist flourishes line the route, while banking powerhouses like the Bilbao Bank building and the BBVA bank headquarters underline the city’s role as a financial capital. The mile-long avenue begins at Circular Square near Abando Station, cuts through Moyúa Square, and continues toward San Mamés, linking together districts that once marked Bilbao’s leap from provincial port to modern metropolis.
Over time, Grand Avenue grew into more than a thoroughfare-it became Bilbao’s prime shopping and strolling ground. Side streets like Buenos Aires, PrĂncipe, and Villarias filled with department stores, boutiques, and gourmet shops, while the stretch between Circular Square and MoyĂşa Square gained its own personality with cross streets such as Astarloa. RodrĂguez Arias and other parallel streets added further energy, while MoyĂşa and Sacred Heart squares branched off into yet more busy avenues.
Today, Grand Avenue is less about horse-drawn carriages and more about storefronts, cafés, and the hum of daily life. For anyone walking its length, the avenue doubles as a timeline, showing how Bilbao reinvented itself from an industrial powerhouse into a modern European city that still knows how to put on a grand display.
Walking Tours in Bilbao, Spain
Create Your Own Walk in Bilbao
Creating your own self-guided walk in Bilbao is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Bilbao's Old Town Walking Tour
Bilbao's old town, also known as The Seven Streets, is the medieval heart of the city. Indeed, this ancient neighborhood, a place where the city began and which had been fortified by walls until the late 19th century, today consists of seven main streets and many narrow alleys – called cantons (kantoi, cantón) – that connect them.
Often regarded as a jewel of Basque architecture and... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Often regarded as a jewel of Basque architecture and... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
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