Things to do in Bilbao

Culture · Abandoibarra

Gehry's titanium building on the site of old docks, and the riverside walk that the city rebuilt around it.

Local tip: The building is the exhibit and the outside is free. Walk the river from the Zubizuri bridge to the Euskalduna and back at dusk when the titanium takes the light — most visitors photograph one side and never see the river elevation, which is the better one.

Neighborhood · East bank, the old town

The seven medieval streets the city grew from, packed with pintxo bars, the Santiago cathedral and the Ribera market.

Local tip: The Mercado de la Ribera is one of the largest covered markets in Europe and the upstairs bars are far better value than the tourist-facing ones on Calle del Perro. Go on a Thursday evening when locals do their txikiteo.

Food · Casco Viejo, on the river

A vast riverside market hall with produce below and bars above, and the entry point to the city's real food culture.

Local tip: The rule of pintxos is one or two per bar and then move. Bars specialise — one does the gilda, another the bacalao — and staying in one all evening means eating the worse half of its menu.

Landmark · 12 km north, at the river mouth

A UNESCO-listed transporter bridge from 1893 that carries a gondola across the estuary, with a coastal promenade and cliffs beyond.

Local tip: Ride the gondola across for almost nothing, then walk the upper walkway if you have a head for heights. Carry on to the Getxo cliff path — it is one of the best coastal walks in northern Spain and the metro brings you back.

Nature · 35 km north-east on the coast

A hermitage on a rock islet connected to the mainland by a stone bridge and 241 steps, on a spectacular stretch of the Basque coast.

Local tip: Access is booked and free but slots go quickly. Go on a weekday and go early, and treat the surrounding coast road as the real attraction — Bakio and Bermeo either side are worth the whole day.

Nature · Directly above the city

A wooded ridge reached by a funicular from the city centre, with the best view over the whole Nervión valley.

Local tip: The funicular takes three minutes and costs almost nothing, and hardly any visitor rides it. At the top there are walking paths through the hills that go on for hours, and the view back down the valley explains the city's whole geography in a way no map does.