Visit Bizkaia. Much more than the Guggenheim and Dragonstone

The forthcoming AAL Forum 2018 will be held in Bilbao, the economic and political capital of Bizkaia, in northern Spain and within easy reach of the French border.

Bizkaia is the most important, both in terms of population (with 1.15 million inhabitants) and economically, of the three provinces that make up the Basque Country or Euskadi as it is known in Basque, the region’s co-official language.

In recent years, Bizkaia has been consolidated as one of the best European urban tourist destinations, both for business and leisure tourism.

Along with its internationally renowned cuisine (The World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards was recently held in Bizkaia), there are the attractions of a magical landscape (much of which is still untouched) and a full range of international culture on offer (opera, music, films, theatre, sport, etc.).

Bizkaia also boasts an extensive network of communication routes, both internally and connecting the province with the outside world. The international airport –with connections to over 50 European cities- was used by nearly 5 million passengers last year. The province has a modern, and fully accessible, public transport network (underground, trains, trams, buses, etc.) with further information available online.

Bewitched by the Guggenheim

Many of the tourists to Bizkaia are bewitched by the lure of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and of its most iconic  Puppy (the huge dog covered in bedding flowers that guards the art museum).

Since it was opened, now over 20 years ago, this modern museum has given impetus to the radical urban transformation of Bilbao, a model that has been studied by numerous universities and media worldwide.

Another of Bizkaia’s most photographed landmarks is unquestionably San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, a spectacular setting on the coast where you can witness (and feel) the tremendous strength of the Bay of Biscay.

This natural setting is one of the most iconic locations of ‘Game of Thrones, the world famous television series, specifically the magical ‘Dragonstone’, and thousands of visitors flock there.

However, Bizkaia has other tourist attractions that can clearly be divided into three geographical areas:

• City Tourism. In addition to wandering through Bilbao – one of the country’s cities boasting the best culture and shopping – and its old town (Casco Viejo), a real must is to visit the famous Bizkaia Transporter Bridge. It is the oldest (and most unusual) one of its kind in the world (125 years old) and links two of the province’s most interesting cities, Getxo and Portugalete. You can cross it in the gondola, just a few meters over the water, or walk across the top of the bridge (35 metres high and with spectacular views).

• Coastal Tourism. Bizkaia has a large and well-tended network of beaches, most of which can be directly reached by public transport, even using the Metro underground. Other must-sees are the fishing town of Bermeo, Mundaka, famous for its surf, historical Gernika, or the tourist town of Lekeitio, along with the Urdaibai Natural Reserve, a biosphere reserve and one of the province’s most striking natural landscapes.

• Mountain/Inland Tourism. Bizkaia has stunning landscapes inland. The magnificent Urkiola Natural Park, just over 40 minutes away from the centre of Bilbao, is one of the favourite mountain tourism destinations. Apart from the beauty of the Urkiola Sanctuary, there is all the magic of an iconic place in Basque mythology. Other musts are the city of Durango, the stately charter town of Orduña and the source of the River Nervión, with its impressive waterfall. The Pozalagua Cave is the outstanding feature in the westernmost part of the province and has the largest collection of eccentric stalactites in the world.  

Your visit to the AAI Forum in Bilbao-Bizkaia in September is a great opportunity to discover some of the delights of Bilbao-Bizkaia. There are many to choose from. And you are sure not to be disappointed by the destination.