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About Bilbao
Until the mid 1990s, Bilbao was not really considered as a tourist destination in Spain. The city was a busy industrial port, and a stop off along the rose pilgrimage to Santiago, but few visitors travelled to the city simply to enjoy what it had on offer.
The world’s perception of Bilbao changed completely in 1997 with the opening of the stunning Guggenheim Museum in the city. Designed by the architect Frank Gehry, and using wave like curving panels of metal to represent the seafaring nature of Bilbao, the building is described as one of the most important pieces of architecture in the world, and is a major attraction in its own right as well as containing a changing set of exhibitions from the wider Guggenheim collection.
The influx of tourists to Bilbao that the new Guggenheim generated led to a much developed tourism industry in the city with plenty of new attractions opening to cater to the needs of visitors. As the city has evolved out of its industrial period, many of the factories and plants have migrated away from the city centre, and been replaced with parkland. There are almost 20 major parks in Bilbao including the famous Exteberria Park which contains a single preserved chimney that harks back to the industrial past. The park has excellent views over the redeveloped and refurbished old town of Bilbao which has a well preserved collection of buildings and many small boutiques to browse through during your visit.
If you book car hire in Bilbao, you give yourself the opportunity to see so much more than just the city itself. Within half an hour of Bilbao you can visit one of the beach resorts on the Bay of Biscay such as Laredo or Getxo which are quiet and less developed than many of the Mediterranean resorts. If you have more time and want to explore more of Northern Spain, then the port town of Santander is worth driving to in your rental car, while the cities of Gijon and Oviedo with its stunning cathedral and rich history as a cultural centre in Northern Spain.
