Bilbao

The building that made Bilbao famous is clad in 33,000 titanium sheets 0.4 mm thick, and opened on 18 October 1997.

What it actually is

Bilbao is the largest city on this coast and, strictly, not on it: it sits 16 km up the tidal estuary of the Nervión. It grew rich on iron and shipbuilding, then lost both in the 1980s. The Gehry Guggenheim anchored the rebuilding of the Abandoibarra waterfront; the medieval Casco Viejo survives on the right bank.

Getting to the actual sea

The estuary is the way out to sea: the metro runs to Getxo, Sopelana and Plentzia, putting beaches half an hour from the centre. Downstream at Portugalete stands the Vizcaya Bridge of 1893, the oldest transporter bridge in the world, UNESCO-listed since 2006.

Frequently asked questions