One of the largest parks in Bilbao since the 1980's, Parque Extebarria is located right in the city's old town, the Casco Viejo. This large green space is a favorite among the locals and visitors to Bilbao to relax and spend some time outdoors in nice weather. The park is especially popular among joggers and cyclists. Visitors can see the remnants of Bilbao's industrial past at the massive chimney that stands to this day. With beautiful views over the city, the park is a popular spot for evening strolls.
The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum houses one of Spain's most important modern art collections that includes work by the best Basque painters along with an excellent display of Gothic art as well as fine examples of the Dutch and Flemish schools. The museum also hosts classical music concerts and its cinema offers a program of Spanish and foreign language films. The Chillida Hall can be used to organize business meetings and conferences.You'll find it in the midst of the peaceful and pretty Doña Casilda Park.
You'll find this park alongside Bilbao's Gran Vía and you can escape from the traffic to spend some peaceful time walking along the pathways amongst an amazing diversity of majestic trees. It was laid out between 1912 and 1920 along the lines of an English country house gardens and it boasts four ponds. The most popular sites are the duck pond and the pergola pond, with its spectacular cybernetic fountain that offers a veritable sound and light show during the summer. Next door, you can visit the impressive Museo de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum). All parks in Bilbao are open 24 hours a day.
A good way to get to know a community is buy investigating its roots. The Museo Vasco, commonly known as the Basque Museum, is the right place for this endeavor. The permanent collection is dedicated to Prehistoric times and Archaeology in Vizcaya province and the Ethnography and History of the Basque Country. In the Pre-History section, special emphasis is placed on the ancient world of trade, old tools, early fabric-weaving, ceramics, weapon making and furniture. The Basque Sea hall is livened up by fun sound effects: shrill seagulls and furious waves. The Pastoral Culture hall, with bleating sheep and clanging cowbells in the background, will take you back in time. Finally, the Consulate hall, has an incredible model of the entire Vizcaya region. The museum also organizes temporary exhibits. In the shop you will find books, traditional Basque music and reproductions of items. Check website for more details.
Created in 1927, this old museum exhibits full-size reproductions of original sculptures in plaster, of some of the best known works in the history of Art. The collections range from Ancient Art (Mesopotamic and Egyptian civilizations) to Classic Art (ancient Greek, Classical, Hellenic and Renaissance). Museo de Reproducciones Artísticas is well-known among artists and painters in Bilbao, as a lot of them have been there for drawing, painting and modeling lessons from Manu, dubbed 'El Ruso'. The museum also has a video library and a photographic laboratory. In the audiovisual room you can learn to sculpt using the 'grafting' method. The newly restored La Iglesia del Corazón de María is used to organize art exhibitions. Check website for more details.
Some 33 kilometers from Bilbao along the Bilbao-Irún motorway, you'll come across the Duranguesado region: an impressive natural landscape of valleys and fascinating mountains, set in the Urquiola Natural Park. This beautiful landscape situated in Abadiño has all the charms of a natural paradise and captivates all those who visit it. The Urkiola Park is a wonderful area of 5,800 hectares (14,332 acres) that was declared a Natural Park in 1989 CE. It is a vast area of land with numerous species of vegetation, among which the beeches and oaks that surround the summit of Puerto de Urkiola are plentiful. Alongside, there is a medieval roadway that joins the plateau with the Bermeo port, where the Santos Antonios Shrine is found. You can also take advantage of the varied opportunities for sport that the reserve offers.
Bodegas Itsasmendi is a winery and vineyard on the rambling hills which roll down to the Bay of Biscay. The vineyard, which spans 35 hectares (84.48 acres), is a beautifully rustic, green vista while the winery itself has state-of-the-art equipment. Take a tour of the winery with a group of friends and go in for a tasting of their heady wines. If you are a group of more than 30 people, make sure to book a slot in advance. More details can be found on their website.
Castillo Concejuelo; houses one of the largest collection of Rolls Royce in the world. Located inside a 14th century castle the museum has a total of 63 cars on display out of which 43 cars are Rolls Royce. One of the main attractions of the museum is the 1956 Rolls Royce Phantom IV. The private castle and the museum is open to the public on Sundays.
One of the largest parks in Bilbao since the 1980's, Parque Extebarria is located right in the city's old town, the Casco Viejo. This large green space is a favorite among the locals and visitors to Bilbao to relax and spend some time outdoors in nice weather. The park is especially popular among joggers and cyclists. Visitors can see the remnants of Bilbao's industrial past at the massive chimney that stands to this day. With beautiful views over the city, the park is a popular spot for evening strolls.
The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum houses one of Spain's most important modern art collections that includes work by the best Basque painters along with an excellent display of Gothic art as well as fine examples of the Dutch and Flemish schools. The museum also hosts classical music concerts and its cinema offers a program of Spanish and foreign language films. The Chillida Hall can be used to organize business meetings and conferences.You'll find it in the midst of the peaceful and pretty Doña Casilda Park.
Many sailors reached the banks of this wharf, because of which San Nicolás de Bari (patron saint of sailors) hermitage was built. It was converted into a temple in 1940 and today is perhaps considered one of the best known churches in Bilbao. Pebbled walkways, splendid banana and lime trees, bear witness to the many cultural activities organized in what has been converted into a beautiful and central point in Bilbao's fiestas. From here you can admire the Arriaga Theatre, the oldest in Bilbao.
Some 33 kilometers from Bilbao along the Bilbao-Irún motorway, you'll come across the Duranguesado region: an impressive natural landscape of valleys and fascinating mountains, set in the Urquiola Natural Park. This beautiful landscape situated in Abadiño has all the charms of a natural paradise and captivates all those who visit it. The Urkiola Park is a wonderful area of 5,800 hectares (14,332 acres) that was declared a Natural Park in 1989 CE. It is a vast area of land with numerous species of vegetation, among which the beeches and oaks that surround the summit of Puerto de Urkiola are plentiful. Alongside, there is a medieval roadway that joins the plateau with the Bermeo port, where the Santos Antonios Shrine is found. You can also take advantage of the varied opportunities for sport that the reserve offers.