Must-see attractions in Basque Country

  • Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain, Architect Frank Gehry, 1997, Guggenheim Museum Detail Of Curving Titanium Wall. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art. Built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Cantabrian Sea.

    Museo Guggenheim Bilbao

    Bilbao

    Shimmering titanium Museo Guggenheim Bilbao is one of modern architecture's most iconic buildings. It played a major role in helping to lift Bilbao out of…

  • Bilbao, Spain - February 13, 2022: View of Carola Crane. It is a crane that was once used in shipbuilding at the Astilleros Euskalduna shipyard, now is part of Maritime Museum.

    Itsasmuseum

    Bilbao

    On the waterfront, this interactive maritime museum brings the watery depths of Bilbao and Basque maritime history to life. Start with a 10-minute video…

  • Streetlamp forest beside the Fine Arts Museum, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain

    Museo de Bellas Artes

    Bilbao

    The Museo de Bellas Artes houses a compelling collection that includes everything from Gothic sculptures to 20th-century pop art. There are three main…

  • Exterior of the Balenciaga Museum in Getaria, Spain.

    Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa

    Getaria

    Although Getaria is mainly about sun, sand and seafood, don't miss a visit to the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museoa. Local boy Cristóbal became a giant in the…

  • The Artium Museum in Vitoria Gasteiz, Basque country in Spain.

    Artium

    Basque Country

    Art lovers shouldn't miss Vitoria’s palace of modern art. The large subterranean galleries are filled with engrossing pieces by artists from the Basque…

  • Landscape of La Concha beach in the city of San Sebastian, in the Spanish Basque Country, on a sunny day with people enjoying the beach and Mount Urgull in the background.

    Playa de la Concha

    San Sebastián

    Fulfilling almost every idea of how a perfect city beach should be formed, Playa de la Concha (and its westerly extension, Playa de Ondarreta) is easily…

  • View of the Houses in the old town called Casco Viejo of Bilbao.

    Casco Viejo

    Bilbao

    The compact Casco Viejo, Bilbao’s atmospheric old quarter, is full of charming streets, boisterous bars and plenty of quirky and independent shops. At the…

  • Monte Igueldo Tower and amusement park on the Monte Igueldo mountain.
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    Monte Igueldo

    San Sebastián

    The views from the summit of Monte Igueldo (181m), just west of town, will make you feel like a circling hawk staring down over the vast panorama of the…

  • General view of Azkuna Zentroa, Alhondiga building.

    Azkuna Zentroa

    Bilbao

    Take a neglected wine storage warehouse, convert it into a leisure and cultural centre, add a shot of Bilbao style and the result is the Azkuna Zentroa …

  • Maria Cristina Hotel in San Sebastian.

    Hotel Maria Cristina

    San Sebastián

    A wonderful example of belle époque architecture, the Hotel Maria Cristina was designed by Charles Mewes, the architect responsible for the Ritz hotels in…

  • Interior of the Bibat Archaeological Museum in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain.

    Bibat

    Basque Country

    Bibat incorporates the Museo de Arqueología, whose 1500-piece archaeological collection covers the province of Álava, from prehistory to the Bronze Age …

  • Bilbao, Spain - May 1, 2023: Club trophies at the exposition in the museum at San Mames arena - the home ground of FC Athletic.

    Museo Athletic Club

    Bilbao

    A must for all AC Bilbao fans, this high-tech museum delves into the club's legendary past, with gear and trophies dating back to 1905. Interactive…

  • Elevated view of Playa de Ondarreta beach from Monte Igueldo, San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa Province, Basque Country Region, Spain

    Playa de Ondarreta

    San Sebastián

    Playa de Ondarreta, the western extension of the renowned Playa de la Concha, has a less glam, more genteel atmosphere. It's long been popular with the…

  • Spain, Bilbao, circular bandstand by the architect of Bermeo Pedro Ispizua in Plaza del Arenal.

    Plaza del Arenal

    Bilbao

    The morphing ground between the Casco Viejo and the newer parts of Bilbao, the Plaza del Arenal is a large open space that frequently plays host to…

  • Bilbao from above

    Funicular de Artxanda

    Bilbao

    Bilbao is a city hemmed in by hills and mountains, resting in a tight valley. For a breathtaking view over the city and the wild Basque mountains beyond,…

  • The beach and coastline of Getaria.

    Getaria

    Getaria

    This cobblestone village on the coast has much to recommend it, including excellent seafood restaurants, narrow atmospheric lanes sprinkled with shops and…

  • Euskal Museoa

    Bilbao

    One of Spain's best museums devoted to Basque culture takes visitors on a journey from Palaeolithic days to the 21st century, giving an overview of life…

  • Arkeologi Museo

    Bilbao

    This two-storey museum takes you deep into the past, beginning with 430,000-year-old fossils found in the Sierra de Atapuerca. On the 2nd floor, along the…

  • Catedral de Santa María

    Basque Country

    At the summit of the old town and dominating its skyline is the Catedral de Santa María. Built between the 13th and 14th centuries in the Gothic style,…

  • Santuario de Arantzazu

    Basque Country

    Situated 10km south of Oñati, the Santuario de Arantzazu is a busy Christian pilgrimage site that's a fabulous conflation of piety and avant-garde art…

  • Museo de Armería

    Basque Country

    On a peaceful, tree-lined boulevard, this low-lit armaments museum showcases weapons used over the centuries, from Bronze Age spearheads to 19th-century…

  • Plaza de Gipuzkoa

    San Sebastián

    Designed in 1877 by French landscape artist Pierre Ducasse, who also created the Jardines de Miramar, this little park is one of San Sebastián's loveliest…

  • Valle Salado de Añana

    Basque Country

    For over 7000 years, 'white gold' has been produced at this site, where over 4km of wooden aqueducts transport high-saline spring water from 200-million…

  • Basilica de Begoña

    Bilbao

    This 16th-century basilica towers over the Casco Viejo from atop a nearby hill. It's mainly Gothic in look, although Renaissance touches, such as the…

  • Catedral de María Inmaculada

    Basque Country

    Vitoria’s cathedral might look old, but in fact it only dates from the early 1970s. There are some impressive, fairly adventurous stained-glass windows…

  • Las Siete Calles

    Bilbao

    Forming the heart of Bilbao's Casco Viejo are seven streets known as the Siete Calles (Zazpi Kaleak in Basque). These dark, atmospheric lanes – Barrenkale…

  • Tabakalera

    San Sebastián

    Sun-drenched cultural space Tabakalera occupies a beautifully reconfigured tobacco factory dating from 1913. It's a hub for the arts and design, as well…

  • Peine del Viento

    San Sebastián

    A symbol of the city, the Peine del Viento (Wind Comb) sculpture, which lies at the far western end of the Bahía de la Concha, below Monte Igueldo, is the…

  • Anillo Verde

    Basque Country

    Ringing the city is the Anillo Verde (Green Belt), a series of interconnecting parks, ponds and marshes linked to one another by 31km of cycling paths,…

  • Catedral de Santiago

    Bilbao

    Towering above all in the Casco Viejo (although strangely invisible in the narrow streets) is the Catedral de Santiago, which has a vaulted cloister and…

  • Casco Histórico

    Hondarribia

    Hondarribia's walled historic centre, much of which dates to the 15th and 16th centuries, is an atmospheric grid of graceful plazas, cobbled lanes, and…

  • Museo Taurino de Bilbao

    Bilbao

    Although Bilbao isn’t a bullfighting city in the manner of the towns of Andalucía, the audiences here are considered by matadors to be among the most…

  • Santuario de Loyola

    Basque Country

    The portentous Santuario de Loyola is dedicated to St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuit order. Its domed basilica, laden with grey marble and carved…

  • Universidad de Sancti Spiritus

    Basque Country

    Oñati’s most prominent building is the Renaissance treasure of the Universidad de Sancti Spiritus. Built in the 16th century, it was the first university…

  • Cuevas de Oñati-Arrikrutz

    Basque Country

    Located 5.5km southwest of Oñati, this cavern system has numerous slow-growing stalagmites and stalactites. Visits are by guided tour and take you through…

  • Estadio San Mamés

    Bilbao

    Bilbao's modern football stadium, home of local team Athletic Bilbao, overlooks the river to the west of the city centre. Opened in 2013, it has a…

  • Ermita de Guadalupe

    Hondarribia

    It's a hefty hike from Hondarribia – a 4km walk uphill – but the Ermita de Guadalupe is well worth the effort it takes to reach it (you can also drive)…

  • Zubizuri

    Bilbao

    The most striking of the modern bridges that span the Ría del Nervión, the Zubizuri (Basque for 'White Bridge') has become an iconic feature of Bilbao's…

  • Hendaye

    Hondarribia

    Just across the river from Hondarribia lies the pretty French town of Hendaye, linked by a regular passenger ferry. Apart from nibbling on perfectly flaky…

  • Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea

    San Sebastián

    Set in a grand neoclassical building dating from the 1890s, this cultural centre has a packed line-up of art exhibitions, book launches, discussions and…

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