Located in Bilbao's Old Town, Plaza Nueva has five different entrances. Once you reach the center,…read moreyou'll be surrounded by many pintxos bars, or as the locals call them, tabernas. Some of my favorites were: * Sorginsullo * Gure Tori * El Globo At the plaza, you will also find the Ikastola, the school where the Basque language is standardized and taught. We visited during Carnaval, so there was a huge tart, locals dressed in costumes, a stage with live bands, and even a play. Definitely worth the visit, and make sure to come hungry!

Built in 1821 the Plaza Nueva has the character of a hopping urban neighborhood. This is mostly due…read moreto the restaurants and bars that keep the atmosphere lively all day. Until 1890 when the new palace was built the Biscay government was housed here in the main building. The building is now the site of the Basque language Royal Academy. If you are visiting, take your time walking around the square checking the shops, but most importantly stop in at least a couple of pintxos bars, try a couple of pintxos and wash the down with some txakoli (Basque wine).

This is the late 20th century opus of American architect Frank Gehry…read more As an architect, i am always amazed at what some architects can get build. Thus, this always perplexed me. However in situ, it makes total sense. At a human scale its underpinnings line up with the surrounding buildings and the river it sits upon. The curvilinear forms are symbolic of the ships once built on this ground in the early 20th century. As an icon and symbol of basque pride. Interestingly, it also plays homage to Frank Lloyd Wright's opus the original Guggenheim in NYC. The Art? The building is the art. I will let others comment on its success as a gallery. However, it is perhaps the one of the greatest pieces of architecture of our time. Post Modern deconstructionist Master Work

This museum was the main reason why I chose to visit Bilbao during my recent trip to Spain. It had…read morebeen on my bucket list for years! I've visited the Guggenheim museums in NYC and Venice and I have to say that this building had the most unique architecture of them all so far. Designed by Frank Gehry, the museum is a deconstructionist building with over 33,000 titanium plates. Located along the Nervion River, the industrial backdrop of Bilbao blends in with the metallic look of the museum. The interior seems a bit jumbled, which is a contrast to the sleekness of the exterior. Stairwells jut here and there, it didn't seem like there was a real flow. In terms of the collection, while I was here there was an exhibition of Jasper Johns, and while I'm not a huge fan but know his work, it was interesting. I found that the exhibits were on the niche side, albeit very comprehensive with retrospectives of their work. I really liked viewing the installation piece by Richard Serra, The Matter of Time. Also being a fan of Jeff Koons, the live Puppy outdoor sculpture is amazing to view. Honestly, I was more impressed with the architecture rather than the art here.

A stunning modern bridge right next to the Guggenheim. We walked on it a few times and took a ton…read moreof pictures. The views from here are spectacular. We took a boat ride that went under the bridge and again gave us a chance to marvel at the architecture.

Adjacent to the magnificent Guggenheim Bilbao is the La Salve bridge that sweeps by the museum to…read morethe center of town. After seeing the museum proper we made the trek up to the red arch. Taking the elevator up almost the top a guy in the elevator reminded me by saying Arriba! Great views of the river, the old town,the new construction and the sweep of Bilbao proper