Bilbao
Encyclopedia
Bilbao is a Spanish
municipality, capital of the province
of Biscay
, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country
. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain. Bilbao lies within one of Spain's largest metropolitan area
s; the comarca
of Greater Bilbao has an estimated population of 875,552, making it the fifth most populated conurbation in the country.
Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay
, where the estuary of Bilbao
is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain range
s with an average elevation of 400 metres (1,312.3 ft).
Since its foundation in the early 14th century, Bilbao was a commercial hub that enjoyed significant importance in the Green Spain
, mainly thanks to its port activity
based on the export of iron extracted from the Biscayan quarries. Throughout the nineteenth century and beginnings of the twentieth, Bilbao experienced heavy industrialization that made it the centre of the second industrialized region of Spain, behind Barcelona
. This was joined by an extraordinary population explosion that prompted the anexation of several adjacent municipalities. Nowadays, Bilbao is a vigorous service city that is experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalization process, started by the symbolic Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, and continued by infrastructure investments, such as the airport terminal
, the rapid transit system
, the tram line
, the Alhóndiga
, or the currently under development Abando
ibarra and Zorrozaurre
renewal
projects.
, the official regulatory institution of the Basque language
, agreed that between the two possible names existing in Basque, Bilbao and Bilbo, that the historical name in Basque is Bilbo, while keeping the officialty of the first one. Although the term Bilbo does not appear on old documents, in the play The Merry Wives of Windsor
by William Shakespeare
, there is a reference of swords presumably made of Biscayan iron to which he calls "bilboes
", which might suggest that it is a word used since at least the sixteenth century.
There is no consensus among historians about the origin of the name. The engineer Evaristo de Churruca
said that is a Basque custom to name a place after its location, for Bilbao would be the result of the union of the Basque words for river and cove: Bil-Ibaia-Bao. Also, historian José Tussel Gómez argues that it is just a natural evolution of the Spanish words bello vado, beautiful river crossing. On the other hand, writer Esteban Calle Iturrino said that the name derives from the two previous settlement that existed on both banks of the estuary, more than the estuary itself. The first one, where the current Casco Viejo
stands, would be called billa that in Basque means stacking, after the configuration of the buildings. The second one, located on the left bank, where now stands Bilbao La Vieja
, would be called vaho, Spanish for mist or steam. From the union of this two, the name Bilbao would come out, that previously was also written as Bilvao and Biluao, as documented in its municipal charter
and its following transcriptions.
, or with Flaviobriga, by Ptolemy
. There are also ancient walls, discovered below the Church of San Antón
, dated around the 11th century.
Bilbao was one of the first towns that were born with a great foundational impulse that happened in the fourteenth century, which originated approximately 70% of the Biscayan municipalities, among them Portugalete
in 1323, Ondarroa
in 1327, Lekeitio
in 1335, and Mungia
and Larrabetzu
in 1376. The then lord of Biscay
, Diego López V of Haro, founded Bilbao through a municipal charter
dated in Valladolid
on June 15, 1300 and confirmed by king Ferdinand IV of Castile
in Burgos
, on January 4, 1301. Diego López stablished the new town on the right bank of the Nervión river, on grounds of the elizate of Begoña
and granted it the fuero
of Logroño
, a compilation of rights and privileges that would prove fundamental to its later development.
On 21 June 1511, queen Joanna of Castile
ordered the creation of the Consulate
of Bilbao. This would become the most influential institution of the city for centuries, and would claim jurisdiction over the estuary, improving its infrastructure. Under the Consulate's control, the port of Bilbao
became one of the most important of Spain. This progress brought the first printing-press of the city in 1577, and was also here that in 1596, the first book in Basque was edited, entitled Doctrina Christiana en Romance y Bascuence by Dr. Betolaza.
In 1602 Bilbao was made capital city of Biscay
, title previously held by Bermeo
. The following centuries saw a constant increase of the city's wealth, especially after the discovery of extensive iron resources in the surrounding mounts. At the end of the 17th century, Bilbao overcame the economical crises that affected Spain thanks to the iron ore and the commerce with England and the Netherlands. During the 18th century the city continued to grow and almost exhausted its small space.
The Basque Country
was one of the main scenarios of the Carlist Wars
, and the conquer of Bilbao, a liberal and economic bastion was of extreme importance for the Carlists. The city was besieged three times between 1835 and 1874, but all proved unsuccessful. One of the main battles of this time was the Battle of Luchana
, when general Baldomero Espartero defetead the Carlists, freeing the city. Despite this, the city could prosper during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when it rose as the economical centre of the Basque Country. During this time, the first railway was built (in 1857), the Bank of Bilbao was founded (which later would become the BBVA), and the Bilbao Stock Exchange was created. Many industries flourished, such as Altos Hornos de Vizcaya
in 1902. The city grew in area with the Abando
ensanche
and was modernized with new avenues and walkways, as well as with new modern buildings such as the City Hall
, the Basurto Hospital and the Arriaga Theatre
. The population increased dramatically, going from 11,000 in 1880 to 80,000 in 1900. Social movements also occurred, specially the Basque nationalism
under Sabino Arana
.
The Spanish Civil War
started in Bilbao with small uprisings suppressed by the republican forces. On 31 August 1936, the city suffered the first bombing. On the next month, further bombings of German origin occurred. In May 1937, the Nationalist army besieged the city. The battle lasted until 19 June of that year, when Lieutenant Colonel Putz ordered to destroy all bridges over the estuary and the troops of the 5th Brigade took the city from mounts Malmasin, Pagasarri, and Arnotegi.
With the war over, Bilbao returned to its industrial development, accompanied by a steady population grow. In the 1940s, the city was rebuilt, starting with the bridges. In 1948, the first commercial flight took off from the local airport
. Over the next decade, there was a rebirth of the iron industry, which led to the rise of slums in the hillsides. In this chaotic environment, on 31 July 1959, the terrorist organization ETA
was born in Bilbao, as a split of PNV
.
After the fall of Francoist Spain
and the stablishment of a constitutional monarchy
, in a process known in Spain as the transition
, Bilbao could be able to hold democratic elections once again. Against what happened in the republics, this time Basque nationalists
rose to power. With the approval of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
in 1979, Vitoria-Gasteiz
was elected the seat of the government and therefore the de facto capital of the Basque Autonomous Community
, despite Bilbao being larger and more powerful economically. In the 1980s, several factors such as terrorism, labor demands, and the arrival of cheap labor force from the abroad, led to a devastating industrial crisis.
Since the mid 1990s, Bilbao has been in a process of deindustrialization and transition to a service city, supported by investment in infrastructure and urban renewal
, that started with the opening of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum (the so-called Guggenheim effect), and continued with the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
, Santiago Calatrava
's Zubizuri
, the metro network
by Norman Foster
, the tram
, the Iberdrola Tower
and the Zorrozaurre
development plan, among other. Many officially-supported associations, as Bilbao Metrópoli-30 and Bilbao Ría 2000 were created to monitor this projects.
, about 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) from the Bay of Biscay. It covers an area of 40.65 square kilometres (15.7 sq mi), of which 17.35 square kilometres (6.7 sq mi) are urban, and the remaining 23.3 square kilometres (9 sq mi) consist of the surrounding mounts. The official average altitude is 19 metres (62.3 ft), although there are measurements between 6 metres (19.7 ft) and 32 metres (105 ft). It is also the core of the comarca
of Greater Bilbao. It is surrounded by the municipalities of Derio
, Etxebarri
, Galdakao
, Loiu
, Sondika
, and Zamudio
to the north; Arrigorriaga
and Basauri
to the west; Alonsotegi
to the south; and Barakaldo
and Erandio
to the east.
, the range between the larger Cantabrian Mountains
and the Pyrenees
. The composition of the soil is predominated by mesozoic
materials (limestone
, sandstone
, and marl
) sedimented over a primitive paleozoic
base. The province relief is dominated by NW-SE and WNW-ESE oriented folds. The main fold is the anticline
of Bilbao, that runs from the municipality of Elorrio
to Galdames
. Inside Bilbao there are two secondary folds, one in the northeast, composed by mounts Artxanda
, Avril, Banderas, Pikota, San Bernabé, and Cabras; and other in the south, composed by mounts Kobetas, Restaleku, Pagasarri
and Arraiz. The highest point in the municipality is mount Ganeta, of 689 metres (2,260.5 ft), followed by mount Pagasarri, of 673 metres (2,208 ft), both on the border with Alonsotegi.
and Ibaizabal
converge in Basauri
and form an estuary
that receives the names of "estuary of Bilbao
", "of the Nervión", "of the Ibaizabal", or "of the Nervión-Ibaizabal". This estuary runs for 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) and with a low flow (with an average of 25 cubic metres per second). Its main tributary is river Cadagua
, that sources in the Mena valley
and has a basin of 642 square kilometres (247.9 sq mi), which most of it lies in the neighboring province of Burgos
. This river is also de natural border between Bilbao and Barakaldo.
The river suffered from human intervention many times, as seen in the dredging of its bottom, the building of docks on both banks and especially in the Deusto canal, an artificial waterway
dug between 1950 and 1968 in the district of Deusto
as a lateral canal
, with the aim to facilitate navigation, sparing ships from the natural curves of the estuary. The project was stopped with 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) left to complete, and it was decided to leave it as a dock. However, in 2007, a plan was approved to continue the canal and form the island of Zorrozaurre
. Said human intervention also brought negative results in the quality of the water, and after decades of toxic waste dumping, caused a situation of anoxia (lack of oxygen), which almost eliminated the entire fauna and flora. However, in recent years this situation is being reversed, thanks to dumping clearance and natural regeneration. now it is possible to observe algae
, tonguefish
es, crab
s, and seabird
s, as well as occasional bathers in the summer months.
The estuary also works as a natural border for several neighbourhoods and districts within the city. Since entering the municipality, from the west, it divides the districts of Begoña
and Ibaiondo
, then Abando
and Uribarri
and lastly Deusto
and Basurto-Zorroza.
gives Bilbao an oceanic climate
, with precipitation occurring throughout the year, without a well-defined dry summer season. This precipitation is abundant, and given the latitude and atmospheric dynamics, rainy days represent 45% and cloudy days 40% of the annual total. The most rainy season is between October and April, November being the wettest. Snow is not frequent in the city, while it is possible to see snow on the top of the surrounding mountains. Sleet
is more frequent, about 10 days per year, mainly in the winter months.
Said proximity to the ocean also makes that the two most defined seasons (summer and winter) remain mild, with low intensity thermal oscillations. Average maximum temperatures varies between 25 °C (77 °F) and 26 °C (78.8 °F) in the summer months, while the average minimum in winter is between 6 °C (42.8 °F) and 7 °C (44.6 °F).
Extreme record observations in Bilbao are 42.2 °C (108 °F) maximum (on 13 August 2003) and -8.6 °C minimum (on 3 February 1963). The maximum precipitation in a day was 225.6 mm (9 in) in 26 August 1983 when severe flooding was originated by the Nervión river.
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The local Register office show a total resident population for Bilbao of 355,731 .
The first credible data about Bilbao population are post-1550. It is known that in 1530, Biscay had approximately 65,000 inhabitants, a number that could have been reduced by plagues that struck the city in 1517, 1530, 1564–68, and 1597–1601, the last one being specially devastating. These trend in adverse situations for population growth was maintained until the nineteenth century. Since then, Bilbao experienced an exponential population growth thanks to the industrialization of the area. After a peak of 433,115 inhabitants in 1982, the municipalities of the Txorierri
valley were disannexated, with the corresponding loss of its people.
Of the 355,731 people residing in Bilbao , only 114,220 (32.1%) were born inside the municipality. Of the remaining, 114,908 were born in other Biscayan towns, while 7,225 were born in the other two Basque provinces; 85,789 came from the rest of Spain (mainly Castile-León and Galicia), and finally 33,537 were foreigners. There are 127 different nationalities registered in Bilbao, although 60 of them contain fewer than 10 people. On the other hand, the largest foreign communities are the Bolivia
n and the Colombia
n, with 4,879 and 3,730 respectively. They are followed by the Romania
n (2,248), the Moroccan
(2,058), the Ecuador
ian (1,832), the Chinese (1,390), the Brazil
ian (1,273) and the Paraguay
an, with 1,204 inhabitants.
. The mayor and councillor
s are elected to four-year terms. There is a division between an executive branch, made up by the mayor and a board of governors and a Plenum, which consists of 29 councillors. The present mayor is Iñaki Azkuna
, of the Basque Nationalist Party
which was elected in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and 2007. The councillors of the Plenum represent political parties and are distributed as follows: Basque Nationalist Party: 12 seats plus the mayor; People's Party
, 7 seats; Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
, 7 seats; and Ezker Batua – Berdeak, 2 seats.
In 2008 and 2010, Bilbao won the Municipal Transparency Prize, awarded by the Spanish division of Transparency International
. In 2009 it came second, after Sant Cugat del Vallés
.
since the times of the Consulate, mainly because of the comerce of Castilian
products on the city's port
, but it was not until the 19th century when it experimented a big development, mainly based on the exploitation of the iron mines and siderurgy, which promoved the maritimal traffic, the portuary activity and the construction of ships. During those years also made their appearance Banco de Bilbao (Bank of Bilbao), founded on Bilbao in 1857 and Banco de Vizcaya (Bank of Biscay), which is established in 1901, also in Bilbao. Both entities merged in 1988 creating the BBV corporation (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, Bank of Bilbao-Biscay). BBV merged with Argentaria in 1999, creating the current corporation, BBVA. The savings bank
s that were established locally, Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao (Municipal Savings Bank of Bilbao) in 1907, and Caja de Ahorros Provincial de Vizcaya (Provincial Savings Bank of Biscay) in 1921, would merge in 1990 and form Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK)
. Along, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navegation of Bilbao and the Stock Exchange Market of Bilbao, founded in 1890.
After the dramatic industrial crisis of the 1980s, Bilbao was forced to rethink its very economic foundations. That is how it transformed in a successful service city. Bilbao is home to numerous companies of national and international relevance, including two among the 150 world's biggest, according to Forbes
magazine: BBVA at #40 and Iberdrola
at #122. The city's GDP per capita is of 26,225€ in 2005, considerably above the country average of 22,152€. According to the official economic yearbook, the strongest sectors are construction
, commerce
, and tourism. The unemployment rate reached 14.4% in 2009, well below the national rate, of 18,01%. Nevertheless, it is the largest rate in the last ten years.
, until the late 20th century. In 1902, an exterior port was built at the mouth
of the estuary, in the coastal municipality of Santurtzi
. Further extensions led to a superport, that in the 1970s replaced the docks inside Bilbao, with the exception of those located in the neighbourhood of Zorrotza, still in activity.
As of 2010, the port of Bilbao is a first-class commercial port and is among the top five of Spain. Over 200 regular maritime services link Bilbao with 500 ports worldwide. It closed 2009 with cargo movements amounting to 31.6 million tonnes, being Russia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries the main markets. In the first semester of 2008, it received over 67,000 passengers and 2,770 ships. This activity reported 419 million euros to the basque GDP and generates almost 10,000 jobs.
found in Biscay
, and its extraction is legally protected since 1526. Mining was the main primary activity in Bilbao and the minerals, of great quality, was exported to all over Europe. It was not until the second half of the nineteenth century when ironworks industry was developed, benefited by the resources and the well communicated city. In the 20th century, both Spanish and European capitals imported around the 90% of the Biscayan iron. Although World War I made Bilbao one of the main ironworks powers, later crisis prompted a decline in the activity.
, in the municipality of Getxo
in 1872. This way, the city became a modest beach destination.
However, the real touristic impulse would come with the inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
in 1997, as shown in the increasing tourist arrivals since then, reaching over 615,000 visitors in the year 2009. A significant leap, considering that during 1995, Bilbao only received 25,000 tourists. Bilbao also hosts 31% of the total Basque Country
visitors, being the top destination of this autonomous community, above San Sebastián
. Most tourists come from within Spain, mainly from Madrid
and Catalonia
. International travellers come mostly from nearby France, but also from United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. Tourism generates about 300 million euros for the Biscayan GDP. Bilbao is also an attractive destination for business tourism, mainly thanks to new venues such as the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
, or the nearby Bilbao Exhibition Centre
, in Barakaldo
.
market in Bilbao began in early 19th century, even though it would not be created until July 21, 1890 It is one of Spain's four regional stock exchanges, the other being in Barcelona
, Madrid
, and Valencia. As it, it is owned by Bolsas y Mercados Españoles
. The Bilbao Stock Exchange is considered a secondary market
.
In its beginnings, Bilbao only had three streets (Somera, Artecalle, and Tendería) surrounded by walls located where now stands the Ronda street. Inside this enclosure, there was a small hermitage
dedicated to the Apostle Saint James (the current St. James' Cathedral), to where pilgrims visited on their way to
Santiago de Compostela
. In the fifteenth century, four more streets were built, forming the original Zazpikaleak or "Seven Streets". In 1571, after several floods and a major fire in 1569, the walls were demolished in order to allow the expansion of the town.
In 1861, ingeneer Amado Lázaro projected an ensanche
inside the then-municipality of Abando
with wide avenues and regular buildings, that included the hygienists ideas of the time. The project was mostly based on Barcelona
's Eixample
, designed by Ildefons Cerdà
. However, the project was dropped by the City Council after considering it "utopian and excessive" because of its high cost, though of great quality. Furthermore, Lázaro had calculated the demographic grow of the city based on the previous three centuries, a provision that eventually would not conform to reality.
The next large urban change in Bilbao would come in 1876, when the capital annexed
(in several stages) the neighbouring municipality of Abando. The new ensanche project was planned by a team made of architect Severino de Achúcarro and engineers Pablo de Alzola (elected Mayor that same year), and Ernesto de Hoffmeyer. Unlike Lázaro's, this project was significantly smaller, compassing 1.58 km² (0.610041410576205 sq mi) against the original 2.54 km² (0.980699482825039 sq mi). It also featured a not so strict grid pattern, a park to separate the industrial and residential areas and the Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro
, the main thoroughfare, where many relevant buildings were located, such as the Biscay Foral Delegation Palace or the BBVA Tower. By the end of the 1890s, this widening was half completed and already filled, so a new extension was planned by Federico Ugalde.
By 1925, the municipalities of Deusto
and Begoña
, as well as part of Erandio
were annexed, and in 1940, the remaining of Erandio become part of Bilbao. The last annexation took place in 1966, with the municipalities of Loiu
, Sondika
, Derio
, and Zamudio
. This made Bilbao larger than ever, with 107 km² (41.3 sq mi). However, all this municipalities, with the exception of Deusto and Begoña were desannexed on 1 January 1983.
On May 18, 2010, Bilbao was awarded by the government of Singapore
with the Lee Kuan Yew
World City Prize, at the World Cities Summit 2010
. It is considered the Pritzker
of urbanism
.
to contemporary architecture
. The Old Town
features many of the oldest buildings in the city, as the St. James' Cathedral or the Church of San Antón
, included in the city's coat of arms. Most of the Old Town is a pedestrian zone during the day. Nearby is one of the most important religious temples of Biscay, the Basilica of Begoña
, dedicated to the patron saint of the province, Our Lady of Begoña
.
Seventeen bridges span the banks of the estuary inside the city limits. Among the most interesting ones are the Zubizuri
(Basque for "white bridge"), a pedestrian footbridge
designed by Santiago Calatrava
opened in 1997, and the Princes of Spain Bridge
, also known as "La Salve", a suspension bridge
opened in 1972 and redesigned by French conceptual artist
Daniel Buren
in 2007. The Deusto Bridge is a bascule bridge
opened in 1936 and modelled after the Michigan Avenue Bridge
, in Chicago.
Since the deindustrialization process started in the 1990s, many of the former industrial areas are being transformed into modern public and private spaces designed by several of the world's most renowned architects and artists. The main example is the Guggenheim Museum
, located in what was an old dock and wood warehouse. The building, designed by Frank Gehry
and inaugurated in October 1997, is considered among architecture experts as one of the most important structures of the last 30 years, and a masterpiece by itself. The museum houses part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
modern art collection. Another example is the Alhóndiga
, a wine warehouse built in 1909 and completely redesigned in 2010 by French designer Philippe Starck
into a multi-purpose venue that consist of a cinema multiplex, a fitness centre, a library, and a restaurant, among other spaces. The Abando
ibarra area is also being renovated, and it features not only the Guggenheim Museum, but also Arata Isozaki
's tower complex
, the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
and the Iberdrola Tower
, designed by Argentine architect César Pelli
and that will be, upon completion in 2011, the Basque Country's tallest skyscraper with 165 metres (541.3 ft) high. Zorrozaurre
is the next area to be redeveloped, following a 2007 master plan designed by Iraqi
architect Zaha Hadid
. This current peninsula will be transformed into an 500000 m² (597,995 sq yd) island and will feature residential and commercial buildings, as well as the new BBK
seat.
has a total area of 1025 ha (2,532.8 acre), of which 119 ha (294.1 acre) are urbanized. The largest parks are Kobetamendi, of 18.5 ha (45.7 acre), and Larreagaburu, of 12 ha (29.7 acre), both located on the outskirts.
The Doña Casilda Iturrizar park
is located in the district of Abando
, near the city centre and covers an area of 8.5 ha (21 acre). It is named after a local benefactress who donated the grounds to the city. It is an English-style garden
designed by Ricardo Bastida and opened to the public in 1907. It features a dancing water fountain surrounded by a pergola
, and a pond with many species of ducks, geese and swans, which gives the park the alternate name of "Ducks' Park", as known locally. In recent years, it was expanded to be connected with the Abandoibarra area. In Ibaiondo
, the Etxeberria Park was built in the 1980s in the place where previously stood a steel mill. The original chimney was maintained as a homage of its industrial past. It covers an area of 18.9 ha (46.7 acre), on a slopped terrain that overlooks the Old Town. Other relevant public spaces inside the city include the Europa Park, the Miribilla Park, or the Memorial Walkway, a 3 km (1.9 mi) long walkway, with 12 m (39.4 ft) high lamps, located in the left bank of the estuary and that connects the main sights.
Mount Artxanda is easily accessible from the city centre by a funicular
. There is a recreational area in the summit, with restaurants, a sports complex and a balcony with panoramic views. In the south, Mount Pagasarri
receives hundreds of hikers
every weekend since the 1870s, who look for its natural wonders. Its environment is officially protected since 2007.
, founded by the Society of Jesus
in 1886. It took its name after the then independent municipality of Deusto
, annexed to Bilbao in 1925. It was the only higher education offer in the city until the establishment in 1968 of the University of Bilbao, that would later become the University of the Basque Country
in 1980. This public university, present in the three provinces of the autonomous community, has its main Biscayan campus in the municipality of Leioa
, however it homes in Bilbao the Technical and Business faculties.
serves the city and it is the busiest terminal in the Basque Country
and in the entire Northern coast, with 3,9 million passengers in 2010. It is located 12 km (7.46 mi) north from the city, between the municipalities of Loiu
and Sondika
. 15 airlines operate in the terminal, including Iberia
, Lufthansa
, and TAP Portugal
. Top destinations include London, Frankfurt, Munich, Madrid, Paris, Malaga, and Amsterdam. It opened to the public in September 1948, with a regular flight to Madrid. On 19 November 2000, a new terminal building was opened, designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava
. In February 2009, a project was approved to expand the current building to duplicate its capacity. Although expected to be completed by 2014, the current financial crisis and the decrease of passenger traffic delayed it to at least 2019.
The city has 13 bridges connecting both sides of the river, it is connected to the European road network by the AP-8
toll motorway and to the north of Spain by the A-8
motorway and to the rest of Spain by the AP-68
toll motorway.
The underground network (Metro Bilbao
), inaugurated in 11 November 1995, is used by more than 85 million passengers every year. It has 2 lines that connect both banks of the Bilbao Metropolitan Area
. There is a project under way to build a third line.
The city has 43 Bilbobus
bus lines, 28 for normal buses, seven "micro-buses" for zones of the city that a normal bus cannot access, and eight night lines. The inner-city bus network has recently won a prize for its efficiency and quality of service. In addition, there are more than 100 BizkaiBus
bus lines, connecting Bilbao with almost every point in Biscay and part of Alava. The city's main bus station is called Termibus
and is located near the San Mamés stadium.
There are 7 commuter rail
lines operated by three different companies:
Renfe
(Spanish railway network) operates 3 Cercanías lines
in metropolitan Bilbao:
FEVE
(Spanish Narrow Gauge Railways) operates one line:
EuskoTren
(Basque railway network), operates three lines:
In 2002, the new tramway, EuskoTran
, was inaugurated. It has one line connecting Atxuri with Basurto. Plans are afoot to greatly expand the network over the coming decade.
A Brittany Ferries
ferry service links Santurtzi, near Bilbao, to Portsmouth
(UK). MV Cap Finistère
ferry departs from the port of Bilbao
, 15 km (9 mi) north west of the city centre. A service operated by Acciona Trasmediterranea served the same route from May 16, 2006 until April 2007. P&O Ferries
operated this route until its withdrawal on 28 September 2010 with a ship called the Pride of Bilbao
.
, Palacio Euskalduna), cinemas, and a regular opera season offered by ABAO (Bilbao Association of Opera Lovers) . The Bilbao Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1922, its current conductor Günter Neuhold being appointed in 2008. Choral music is very popular in the Basque Country and concerts are offered regularly. The Bilbao Choral Society (Sociedad Coral de Bilbao) was founded in 1886.
Museums include the famous Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
of contemporary art and the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
, with a great collection of Spanish painting.
Like in other Spanish cities, night life is long and vibrant, with clubs that offer live music (Kafe Antzokia, Bilborock).
Bilbao was briefly featured at the start of the 1999 James Bond
film The World Is Not Enough
.
The Bilbao Live Festival
, initiated in 2006, is another measure of new interest
Semana Grande (Spanish for Big Week, Aste Nagusia in Basque) is Bilbao's main festival attracting over 100,000 people and takes place each year, lasting 9 days. It has been celebrated since 1978 and begins on the Saturday of the 3rd week of August each year. People from around Spain, and increasingly from abroad attend the celebrations.
The celebrations include the strongman games, free music performances, street entertainment, bullfighting
and nightly firework displays. The best views of the display are from the city's bridges. Each year, there is something different occurring, thus a festival programme (these are available all over the city) is strongly recommended.
The main football club is Athletic Club, commonly known as Athletic Bilbao
in English. It plays at the San Mamés stadium, which is Spain's oldest built stadium and seats 39,750 spectators.
Athletic Bilbao was one of the founding members of the Spanish football league, La Liga
, and has played in the Primera División (First Division) ever since - winning it on eight occasions. Its red and white striped flag is to be seen throughout the city.
The main basketball team is CB Bilbao Berri aka Bizkaia Bilbao Basket, which plays in the ACB. Their home venue is the Bilbao Arena
.
In addition, Bilbao offers the possibility of many outdoor activities owing to its location in a hilly countryside, hiking
is very popular as well as rock climbing
in the nearby mountains. Watersports, specially surfing
is practiced in the beaches of Sopelana
and Mundaka
, easily accessed from the city centre by car, metro or train.
with:
Buenos Aires
, Argentina Rosario, Argentina Medellín
, Colombia Bordeaux
, France Qingdao
, People's Republic of China
Tbilisi
, Georgia
Pittsburgh
, United States Sant Adrià de Besòs
, Spain Iloilo
, Philippines Surakarta
, Indonesia
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
municipality, capital of the province
Provinces of Spain
Spain and its autonomous communities are divided into fifty provinces .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing. província.*Galician , sing. provincia.*Basque |Galicia]] — are not also the capitals of provinces...
of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain. Bilbao lies within one of Spain's largest metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
s; the comarca
Comarcas of Spain
In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....
of Greater Bilbao has an estimated population of 875,552, making it the fifth most populated conurbation in the country.
Bilbao is situated in the north-central part of Spain, some 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, where the estuary of Bilbao
Estuary of Bilbao
The Estuary of Bilbao lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, that drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. It is a large estuary long that extends from Bilbao to the Bilbao Abra bay, a widening that makes the final transition between...
is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
s with an average elevation of 400 metres (1,312.3 ft).
Since its foundation in the early 14th century, Bilbao was a commercial hub that enjoyed significant importance in the Green Spain
Green Spain
Green Spain is the name given to the Spanish northern maritime façade exposed to the Atlantic Ocean in Galicia which also runs along the coastal strip lying north of the Cantabrian and Basque mountains, along the Bay of Biscay...
, mainly thanks to its port activity
Port of Bilbao
The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay . The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km west of Bilbao...
based on the export of iron extracted from the Biscayan quarries. Throughout the nineteenth century and beginnings of the twentieth, Bilbao experienced heavy industrialization that made it the centre of the second industrialized region of Spain, behind Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. This was joined by an extraordinary population explosion that prompted the anexation of several adjacent municipalities. Nowadays, Bilbao is a vigorous service city that is experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalization process, started by the symbolic Bilbao Guggenheim Museum, and continued by infrastructure investments, such as the airport terminal
Bilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport is a public airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in the Basque Country. It is the most important airport of the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 4,172,903 passengers on 2008...
, the rapid transit system
Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión river and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao...
, the tram line
EuskoTran
EuskoTran is a light rail tram service which operates in the cities of Bilbao , Vitoria and, in the future, in the town of Leioa , all of them in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak -...
, the Alhóndiga
Alhóndiga Bilbao
Alhóndiga Bilbao is a multi-purpose venue located in the city of Bilbao, Spain. It was designed by French designer Philippe Starck in collaboration with Thibaut Mathieu and was opened to the public in stages between 18 May and 24 October, 2010...
, or the currently under development Abando
Abando
----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,...
ibarra and Zorrozaurre
Zorrozaurre
Zorrozaurre is an artificial peninsula located within the Deusto district of Bilbao, Spain. It was formed during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the estuary of Bilbao. The project was stopped in 1968 with 400 meters left to finish, forming the current...
renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
projects.
Etymology
The official name of the city is Bilbao, as known in most languages of the world. EuskaltzaindiaEuskaltzaindia
Euskaltzaindia is the official academic language regulatory institution which watches over the Basque language. It carries out research on the language, seeks to protect it, and establishes standards of use...
, the official regulatory institution of the Basque language
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
, agreed that between the two possible names existing in Basque, Bilbao and Bilbo, that the historical name in Basque is Bilbo, while keeping the officialty of the first one. Although the term Bilbo does not appear on old documents, in the play The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597. It features the fat knight Sir John Falstaff, and is Shakespeare's only play to deal exclusively with contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life...
by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, there is a reference of swords presumably made of Biscayan iron to which he calls "bilboes
Bilbo (sword)
The bilbo, a thrusting-sword, seems to take its name from its place of manufacture: Bilbao , famed for its sword-blades, and formerly known as Bilboa in English. Bilbos have well-tempered and flexible blades. It was very popular aboard ships, where it was used on a similar role as the cutlass was...
", which might suggest that it is a word used since at least the sixteenth century.
There is no consensus among historians about the origin of the name. The engineer Evaristo de Churruca
Evaristo de Churruca y Brunet
Evaristo de Churruca y Brunet Spanish Engineer. He directed diverse construction work in Murcia and Biscay and subsequently was transferred to Puerto Rico, where was in charge of the installation of the telegraphic network of the island and carried out a study for the improvement of the port of...
said that is a Basque custom to name a place after its location, for Bilbao would be the result of the union of the Basque words for river and cove: Bil-Ibaia-Bao. Also, historian José Tussel Gómez argues that it is just a natural evolution of the Spanish words bello vado, beautiful river crossing. On the other hand, writer Esteban Calle Iturrino said that the name derives from the two previous settlement that existed on both banks of the estuary, more than the estuary itself. The first one, where the current Casco Viejo
Casco Viejo
' or ' in Spanish or ' or ' in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district...
stands, would be called billa that in Basque means stacking, after the configuration of the buildings. The second one, located on the left bank, where now stands Bilbao La Vieja
Bilbo Zarra
Bilbao La Vieja is the oldest neighbourhood of Bilbao, being older than even the medieval urban district , founded in 1300. It lies right across the estuary, on the left bank of the Nervion River, united to the old town by the bridge of San Anton pictured below...
, would be called vaho, Spanish for mist or steam. From the union of this two, the name Bilbao would come out, that previously was also written as Bilvao and Biluao, as documented in its municipal charter
Municipal charter
A city charter or town charter is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages....
and its following transcriptions.
History
Remains of an ancient settlement were found on the top of mount Malmasín, dated around the 3rd or 2nd century BC. Burial sites were also found on mounts Avril and Artxanda, dated 6,000 years old. Some authors identify the old settlement of Bilbao as Amanun Portus, cited by Pliny the ElderPliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
, or with Flaviobriga, by Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
. There are also ancient walls, discovered below the Church of San Antón
Church of San Antón
The Church of San Antón is a Catholic temple located in the Old Town neighbourhood of Bilbao, Spain. It is dedicated to Anthony the Great, known as San Antón in Spanish. It is featured, along with the San Antón Bridge, in the city's coat of arms. The estuary of Bilbao flows next to it....
, dated around the 11th century.
Bilbao was one of the first towns that were born with a great foundational impulse that happened in the fourteenth century, which originated approximately 70% of the Biscayan municipalities, among them Portugalete
Portugalete
Portugalete is a town lying to the west of Bilbao in the province of Biscay in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.The town has 51,066 inhabitants and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area. It is located at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao, on the left bank...
in 1323, Ondarroa
Ondarroa
Ondarroa is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-Main sights:*Church of St. Mary, in late Gothic style *Likona Tower, a typical Basque tower-house....
in 1327, Lekeitio
Lekeitio
Lekeitio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Basque Country, 53 km northeast from Bilbao. The municipality has 7,293 inhabitants and is one of the most important fishing ports of the Basque coast...
in 1335, and Mungia
Mungia
Mungia is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country of northern Spain. Thetown has 15,000 inhabitants.-Geography:...
and Larrabetzu
Larrabetzu
Larrabetzu is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...
in 1376. The then lord of Biscay
Lord of Biscay
Lord of Biscay is a historical title of the head of state of the autonomous territory of Biscay, Basque Country.- History :The first known Lord of Biscay , Íñigo López "Ezkerra" was a lieutenant of the Kingdom of Pamplona , and this was until the Castilian conquest of Gipuzkoa in 1200...
, Diego López V of Haro, founded Bilbao through a municipal charter
Municipal charter
A city charter or town charter is a legal document establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the middle ages....
dated in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
on June 15, 1300 and confirmed by king Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV, El Emplazado or "the Summoned," was a king of Castile and León and Galicia...
in Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
, on January 4, 1301. Diego López stablished the new town on the right bank of the Nervión river, on grounds of the elizate of Begoña
Begoña
Begoña or more puristically but also more rarely spelled Begoina, meaning "the lower foot" , is a historical municipality of Biscay that was incorporated to Bilbao in 1925....
and granted it the fuero
Fuero
Fuero , Furs , Foro and Foru is a Spanish legal term and concept.The word comes from Latin forum, an open space used as market, tribunal and meeting place...
of Logroño
Logroño
Logroño is a city in northern Spain, on the Ebro River. It is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja, formerly known as La Rioja Province.The population of Logroño in 2008 was 153,736 and a metropolitan population of nearly 197,000 inhabitants...
, a compilation of rights and privileges that would prove fundamental to its later development.
Joanna of Castile
Joanna , nicknamed Joanna the Mad , was the first queen regnant to reign over both the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon , a union which evolved into modern Spain...
ordered the creation of the Consulate
Consulate of the Sea
The Consulate of the Sea was a quasi-judicial body set up in the Crown of Aragon, later to spread throughout the Mediterranean basin, to administer maritime and commercial law...
of Bilbao. This would become the most influential institution of the city for centuries, and would claim jurisdiction over the estuary, improving its infrastructure. Under the Consulate's control, the port of Bilbao
Port of Bilbao
The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay . The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km west of Bilbao...
became one of the most important of Spain. This progress brought the first printing-press of the city in 1577, and was also here that in 1596, the first book in Basque was edited, entitled Doctrina Christiana en Romance y Bascuence by Dr. Betolaza.
In 1602 Bilbao was made capital city of Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, title previously held by Bermeo
Bermeo
Bermeo is a town and municipality in the sub-region of Busturialdea and the wider province of Biscay, part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country, in Northern Spain. Bermeo has 17,026 inhabitants and is the most important fishing port of the Basque Country. The town was founded in 1236 and...
. The following centuries saw a constant increase of the city's wealth, especially after the discovery of extensive iron resources in the surrounding mounts. At the end of the 17th century, Bilbao overcame the economical crises that affected Spain thanks to the iron ore and the commerce with England and the Netherlands. During the 18th century the city continued to grow and almost exhausted its small space.
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
was one of the main scenarios of the Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
, and the conquer of Bilbao, a liberal and economic bastion was of extreme importance for the Carlists. The city was besieged three times between 1835 and 1874, but all proved unsuccessful. One of the main battles of this time was the Battle of Luchana
Battle of Luchana
The Battle of Luchana occurred at Bilbao and its vicinities during the night of December 23, 1836 and went on until December 24, 1836. The Carlists were besieging Bilbao and controlled the water and land routes towards the city...
, when general Baldomero Espartero defetead the Carlists, freeing the city. Despite this, the city could prosper during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when it rose as the economical centre of the Basque Country. During this time, the first railway was built (in 1857), the Bank of Bilbao was founded (which later would become the BBVA), and the Bilbao Stock Exchange was created. Many industries flourished, such as Altos Hornos de Vizcaya
Altos Hornos de Vizcaya
Altos Hornos de Vizcaya was a ironworks business that began in 1902 in Bilbao with the merger of three iron and steel businesses: Altos Hornos de Bilbao, La Vizcaya, and La Iberia...
in 1902. The city grew in area with the Abando
Abando
----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,...
ensanche
Ensanche
Ensanche means "widening" in Spanish. It is used to name the development areas of Spanish cities around the end of the 19th century, when the demographic explosion and the Industrial Revolution prompted the tearing down of the old city wall and the construction of neighborhoods under grid plans.The...
and was modernized with new avenues and walkways, as well as with new modern buildings such as the City Hall
Bilbao City Hall
The City Hall of Bilbao, Spain, is located on the right bank of the Estuary of Bilbao across the Puente del Ayuntamiento bascule bridge that links it to the central Abando district....
, the Basurto Hospital and the Arriaga Theatre
Teatro Arriaga
The Teatro Arriaga is an opera house in Bilbao, Spain. It was built in Neo-baroque style by architect Joaquín Rucoba in 1890, the same architect that built the city hall...
. The population increased dramatically, going from 11,000 in 1880 to 80,000 in 1900. Social movements also occurred, specially the Basque nationalism
Basque nationalism
Basque nationalism is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or, chiefly, full independence of the Basque Country in the wider sense...
under Sabino Arana
Sabino Arana
Sabino Arana Goiri, self-styled as Arana ta Goiri'taŕ Sabin, , was a Spanish and Basque writer. He was the founder of the Basque Nationalist Party and father of Basque nationalism....
.
The Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
started in Bilbao with small uprisings suppressed by the republican forces. On 31 August 1936, the city suffered the first bombing. On the next month, further bombings of German origin occurred. In May 1937, the Nationalist army besieged the city. The battle lasted until 19 June of that year, when Lieutenant Colonel Putz ordered to destroy all bridges over the estuary and the troops of the 5th Brigade took the city from mounts Malmasin, Pagasarri, and Arnotegi.
With the war over, Bilbao returned to its industrial development, accompanied by a steady population grow. In the 1940s, the city was rebuilt, starting with the bridges. In 1948, the first commercial flight took off from the local airport
Bilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport is a public airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in the Basque Country. It is the most important airport of the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 4,172,903 passengers on 2008...
. Over the next decade, there was a rebirth of the iron industry, which led to the rise of slums in the hillsides. In this chaotic environment, on 31 July 1959, the terrorist organization ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
was born in Bilbao, as a split of PNV
Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country...
.
After the fall of Francoist Spain
Spanish State
Francoist Spain refers to a period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975 when Spain was under the authoritarian dictatorship of Francisco Franco....
and the stablishment of a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, in a process known in Spain as the transition
Spanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
, Bilbao could be able to hold democratic elections once again. Against what happened in the republics, this time Basque nationalists
Basque nationalism
Basque nationalism is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or, chiefly, full independence of the Basque Country in the wider sense...
rose to power. With the approval of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country
The Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country is the legal document organizing the political system of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country' which includes the historical territories of Alava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It forms the region into one of the autonomous communities envisioned in...
in 1979, Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city...
was elected the seat of the government and therefore the de facto capital of the Basque Autonomous Community
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, despite Bilbao being larger and more powerful economically. In the 1980s, several factors such as terrorism, labor demands, and the arrival of cheap labor force from the abroad, led to a devastating industrial crisis.
Since the mid 1990s, Bilbao has been in a process of deindustrialization and transition to a service city, supported by investment in infrastructure and urban renewal
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
, that started with the opening of the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum (the so-called Guggenheim effect), and continued with the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall is located in the city of Bilbao, in the Basque Country , beside the Estuary of Bilbao, built in part of the area that was formerly occupied by the Euskalduna shipyards.It was designed by architects Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios and work...
, Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
's Zubizuri
Zubizuri
The Zubizuri , also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain...
, the metro network
Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión river and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao...
by Norman Foster
Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM is a British architect whose company maintains an international design practice, Foster + Partners....
, the tram
EuskoTran
EuskoTran is a light rail tram service which operates in the cities of Bilbao , Vitoria and, in the future, in the town of Leioa , all of them in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak -...
, the Iberdrola Tower
Iberdrola Tower
The Iberdrola Tower is an office skyscraper under construction in Bilbao, Spain. The tower started its construction on 19 March 2009 and it is expected to be finished the first trimester of 2011. The tower will have a height of 165 metres tall and have 40 floors...
and the Zorrozaurre
Zorrozaurre
Zorrozaurre is an artificial peninsula located within the Deusto district of Bilbao, Spain. It was formed during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the estuary of Bilbao. The project was stopped in 1968 with 400 meters left to finish, forming the current...
development plan, among other. Many officially-supported associations, as Bilbao Metrópoli-30 and Bilbao Ría 2000 were created to monitor this projects.
Geography
The municipality of Bilbao is located on the northern tip of the Iberian PeninsulaIberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, about 19 kilometres (11.8 mi) from the Bay of Biscay. It covers an area of 40.65 square kilometres (15.7 sq mi), of which 17.35 square kilometres (6.7 sq mi) are urban, and the remaining 23.3 square kilometres (9 sq mi) consist of the surrounding mounts. The official average altitude is 19 metres (62.3 ft), although there are measurements between 6 metres (19.7 ft) and 32 metres (105 ft). It is also the core of the comarca
Comarcas of Spain
In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas .In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian , sing comarca.*Galician , sing. comarca....
of Greater Bilbao. It is surrounded by the municipalities of Derio
Derio
Derio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It's part of Greater Bilbao and was part of the municipality of Bilbao until 1983 and hosts Bilbao's biggest municipal cemetery. It has a population of 5,107 .-External...
, Etxebarri
Etxebarri
Etxebarri, Doneztebeko Elizatea is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Basque Community, in the North of Spain....
, Galdakao
Galdakao
Galdakao is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.It is located in the Greater Bilbao, in the valley of the Ibaizabal river, near the Ganguren mountain range...
, Loiu
Loiu
Loiu is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.The new Bilbao Airport terminal has been built within the municipality limits.-External links:*...
, Sondika
Sondika
Sondika is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain....
, and Zamudio
Zamudio
Zamudio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* * in Basque and Spanish*...
to the north; Arrigorriaga
Arrigorriaga
Arrigorriaga is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Arrigorriaga is located 7 km south of Bilbao and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area...
and Basauri
Basauri
Basauri is a major municipality of Biscay, in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.The town is a part of the Greater Bilbao conurbation, being only a few kilometers south of Bilbao. It is an industrial town that also includes monuments such as the tower-house of Ariz. It...
to the west; Alonsotegi
Alonsotegi
Alonsotegi is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It has a population of 2,835 people.-Notable people:* Fray Martín de Coscojales, monk* Fray Miguel de Alonsótegui , monk...
to the south; and Barakaldo
Barakaldo
Barakaldo , is a municipality in the Basque Country in Spain. It is located in the Biscay province, administratively included in the "Basque Autonomous Community", on the left bank of the Estuary of Bilbao.Barakaldo is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area , and its official population...
and Erandio
Erandio
Erandio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.In 1415, during the War of the Bands, the corregidor, the royally-appointed governor of the Biscayan hermandad, acting on royal orders, siphoned off Biscayan wheat to...
to the east.
Orography
Bilbao is located on the Basque thresholdBasque mountains
The Basque Mountains are a mountain range situated in the northern Iberian Peninsula. Geographically it is considered as the eastern section of the larger Cantabrian Range...
, the range between the larger Cantabrian Mountains
Cantabrian Mountains
The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.They extend for more than approximately 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the edges of the Galician Massif close to Galicia, along the coast of the...
and the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. The composition of the soil is predominated by mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
materials (limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, and marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
) sedimented over a primitive paleozoic
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...
base. The province relief is dominated by NW-SE and WNW-ESE oriented folds. The main fold is the anticline
Anticline
In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is convex up and has its oldest beds at its core. The term is not to be confused with antiform, which is a purely descriptive term for any fold that is convex up. Therefore if age relationships In structural geology, an anticline is a fold that is...
of Bilbao, that runs from the municipality of Elorrio
Elorrio
Elorrio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, northern Spain.-Geography:...
to Galdames
Galdames
Galdames is a valley, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain....
. Inside Bilbao there are two secondary folds, one in the northeast, composed by mounts Artxanda
Artxanda
Mount Artxanda is one of the two small mountain ranges that delimit the municipality of Bilbao, the other one being Pagasarri. Of the two it is the lower one , the closer one to the center of the city and the one that has suffered from more intense urbanization...
, Avril, Banderas, Pikota, San Bernabé, and Cabras; and other in the south, composed by mounts Kobetas, Restaleku, Pagasarri
Pagasarri
Pagasarri is one of the two small mountain ranges that encloses the city of Bilbao, Basque Country and is part of the Basque Mountains. Its main peak separates the municipality of Bilbao from Arrigorriaga and Alonsotegi, and has an elevation of 673 m...
and Arraiz. The highest point in the municipality is mount Ganeta, of 689 metres (2,260.5 ft), followed by mount Pagasarri, of 673 metres (2,208 ft), both on the border with Alonsotegi.
Hydrology
The main river system of Bilbao is also the hydrological artery of Biscay. Rivers NerviónNervión
The river Nervión runs through the city of Bilbao, Spain into the Cantabrian Sea .It is also known as Estuary of Bilbao on its final tract, from the joining with Ibaizabal river to the sea.-Geography:...
and Ibaizabal
Ibaizabal
The river Ibaizabal drains southeastern Biscay to the Estuary of Bilbao. It is 43 km long from its source at Elorrio to the Nervion, and it passes by the towns of Durango and Amorebieta and joins the Nervion river at Basauri. Both rivers run then together for a short length until they merge...
converge in Basauri
Basauri
Basauri is a major municipality of Biscay, in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain.The town is a part of the Greater Bilbao conurbation, being only a few kilometers south of Bilbao. It is an industrial town that also includes monuments such as the tower-house of Ariz. It...
and form an estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
that receives the names of "estuary of Bilbao
Estuary of Bilbao
The Estuary of Bilbao lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, that drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. It is a large estuary long that extends from Bilbao to the Bilbao Abra bay, a widening that makes the final transition between...
", "of the Nervión", "of the Ibaizabal", or "of the Nervión-Ibaizabal". This estuary runs for 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) and with a low flow (with an average of 25 cubic metres per second). Its main tributary is river Cadagua
Cadagua
The river Cadagua or Kadagua drains the Biscayan area of Encartaciones , from the Castilian valley of Mena to Barakaldo and Bilbao, where it forms the border between these municipalities and ends at the Estuary of Bilbao. Another important town that this river crosses is Balmaseda.The river takes...
, that sources in the Mena valley
Valle de Mena
The Valley of Mena is a municipality of the province of Burgos, Spain, that borders Biscay.The town has 3,926 inhabitants and the town is under jurisdiction of Villasana de Mena District....
and has a basin of 642 square kilometres (247.9 sq mi), which most of it lies in the neighboring province of Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
. This river is also de natural border between Bilbao and Barakaldo.
The river suffered from human intervention many times, as seen in the dredging of its bottom, the building of docks on both banks and especially in the Deusto canal, an artificial waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
dug between 1950 and 1968 in the district of Deusto
Deusto
Deusto or Deustu is a district of the city of Bilbao, in the Spanish Basque Country on the right bank of the Estuary of Bilbao. It includes the neighbourhoods of San Inazio, Zorrotzaurre, Ibarrekolanda, Elorrieta, Arangoiti and Deusto proper, with a total population of over 52,000. It used to be a...
as a lateral canal
Lateral canal
A lateral canal is a canal built along the same right-of-way as an existing stream. Water for the canal is usually provided by the original natural stream. Many French lateral canals have the word latéral as part of their name...
, with the aim to facilitate navigation, sparing ships from the natural curves of the estuary. The project was stopped with 400 metres (1,312.3 ft) left to complete, and it was decided to leave it as a dock. However, in 2007, a plan was approved to continue the canal and form the island of Zorrozaurre
Zorrozaurre
Zorrozaurre is an artificial peninsula located within the Deusto district of Bilbao, Spain. It was formed during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the estuary of Bilbao. The project was stopped in 1968 with 400 meters left to finish, forming the current...
. Said human intervention also brought negative results in the quality of the water, and after decades of toxic waste dumping, caused a situation of anoxia (lack of oxygen), which almost eliminated the entire fauna and flora. However, in recent years this situation is being reversed, thanks to dumping clearance and natural regeneration. now it is possible to observe algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, tonguefish
Tonguefish
Tonguefishes are a family, Cynoglossidae, of flatfishes. They are distinguished by the presence of a long hook on the snout overhanging the mouth, and the absence of pectoral fins...
es, crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, and seabird
Seabird
Seabirds are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations...
s, as well as occasional bathers in the summer months.
The estuary also works as a natural border for several neighbourhoods and districts within the city. Since entering the municipality, from the west, it divides the districts of Begoña
Begoña
Begoña or more puristically but also more rarely spelled Begoina, meaning "the lower foot" , is a historical municipality of Biscay that was incorporated to Bilbao in 1925....
and Ibaiondo
Ibaiondo
Ibaiondo is the 5th district of the city of Bilbao . Ibaiondo is a recently used name and in Basque language means Beside the river...
, then Abando
Abando
----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,...
and Uribarri
Uribarri
Uribarri is the second district of the city of Bilbao, Basque Country. It is divided into the neighbourhoods of Castaños, Matico-Ciudad Jardín, Uríbarri proper and Zurbaran-Arabella....
and lastly Deusto
Deusto
Deusto or Deustu is a district of the city of Bilbao, in the Spanish Basque Country on the right bank of the Estuary of Bilbao. It includes the neighbourhoods of San Inazio, Zorrotzaurre, Ibarrekolanda, Elorrieta, Arangoiti and Deusto proper, with a total population of over 52,000. It used to be a...
and Basurto-Zorroza.
Climate
The proximity to the Bay of BiscayBay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
gives Bilbao an oceanic climate
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
, with precipitation occurring throughout the year, without a well-defined dry summer season. This precipitation is abundant, and given the latitude and atmospheric dynamics, rainy days represent 45% and cloudy days 40% of the annual total. The most rainy season is between October and April, November being the wettest. Snow is not frequent in the city, while it is possible to see snow on the top of the surrounding mountains. Sleet
Sleet
Sleet refers to two distinct forms of precipitation:*Rain and snow mixed, snow that partially melts as it falls. *Ice pellets, one of three forms of precipitation in a US-style "wintry mix", the other two being snow and freezing rain. The latter is referred to as sleet mainly by the United States...
is more frequent, about 10 days per year, mainly in the winter months.
Said proximity to the ocean also makes that the two most defined seasons (summer and winter) remain mild, with low intensity thermal oscillations. Average maximum temperatures varies between 25 °C (77 °F) and 26 °C (78.8 °F) in the summer months, while the average minimum in winter is between 6 °C (42.8 °F) and 7 °C (44.6 °F).
Extreme record observations in Bilbao are 42.2 °C (108 °F) maximum (on 13 August 2003) and -8.6 °C minimum (on 3 February 1963). The maximum precipitation in a day was 225.6 mm (9 in) in 26 August 1983 when severe flooding was originated by the Nervión river.
Demography
The first credible data about Bilbao population are post-1550. It is known that in 1530, Biscay had approximately 65,000 inhabitants, a number that could have been reduced by plagues that struck the city in 1517, 1530, 1564–68, and 1597–1601, the last one being specially devastating. These trend in adverse situations for population growth was maintained until the nineteenth century. Since then, Bilbao experienced an exponential population growth thanks to the industrialization of the area. After a peak of 433,115 inhabitants in 1982, the municipalities of the Txorierri
Txorierri
Txorierri is a valley of Biscay, Basque Country, separated from Bilbao by low mountains Monte Artxanda and Monte Abril. It includes the municipalities of Erandio, Loiu, Sondika, Derio, Zamudio, Lezama and Larrabetzu. It holds the international airport of Bilbao. It includes industrial and...
valley were disannexated, with the corresponding loss of its people.
Of the 355,731 people residing in Bilbao , only 114,220 (32.1%) were born inside the municipality. Of the remaining, 114,908 were born in other Biscayan towns, while 7,225 were born in the other two Basque provinces; 85,789 came from the rest of Spain (mainly Castile-León and Galicia), and finally 33,537 were foreigners. There are 127 different nationalities registered in Bilbao, although 60 of them contain fewer than 10 people. On the other hand, the largest foreign communities are the Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n and the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n, with 4,879 and 3,730 respectively. They are followed by the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n (2,248), the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
(2,058), the Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian (1,832), the Chinese (1,390), the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian (1,273) and the Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
an, with 1,204 inhabitants.
Government
Bilbao is a municipality with a Mayor-Council form of governmentMayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
. The mayor and councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
s are elected to four-year terms. There is a division between an executive branch, made up by the mayor and a board of governors and a Plenum, which consists of 29 councillors. The present mayor is Iñaki Azkuna
Iñaki Azkuna
Iñaki Azkuna Urreta is a Spanish politician of the Basque Nationalist Party. He is the present mayor of the city of Bilbao, Biscay in the Basque Country.-References:...
, of the Basque Nationalist Party
Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country...
which was elected in 1999 and re-elected in 2003 and 2007. The councillors of the Plenum represent political parties and are distributed as follows: Basque Nationalist Party: 12 seats plus the mayor; People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, 7 seats; Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
, 7 seats; and Ezker Batua – Berdeak, 2 seats.
In 2008 and 2010, Bilbao won the Municipal Transparency Prize, awarded by the Spanish division of Transparency International
Transparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
. In 2009 it came second, after Sant Cugat del Vallés
Sant Cugat del Vallès
Sant Cugat del Vallès is a town and municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. In antiquity known as Castrum Octavianum, it is named after Saint Cucuphas, who is said to have been martyred on the spot now occupied by its medieval monastery.Sant Cugat has seen its population increase in...
.
Districts
The city of Bilbao consists of eight different districts. Each district is further subdivided into neighbourhoods, totalling 35:| Number | District | Neighbourhoods | Area (km²) |
Population (2009) |
Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deustu | Arangoiti, Ibarrekolanda, San Ignacio-Elorrieta, and San Pedro de Deustu-La Ribera. | 4.95 | 51,656 | |
| 2 | Uribarri Uribarri Uribarri is the second district of the city of Bilbao, Basque Country. It is divided into the neighbourhoods of Castaños, Matico-Ciudad Jardín, Uríbarri proper and Zurbaran-Arabella.... |
Castaños, Matiko-Ciudad Jardín, Uribarri, and Zurbarán-Arabella. | 4.19 | 38,335 | |
| 3 | Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga is the third district of the city of Bilbao, Basque Country . It is divided into the neighbourhoods of Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga... |
Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga. | 3.90 | 28,518 | |
| 4 | Begoña Begoña Begoña or more puristically but also more rarely spelled Begoina, meaning "the lower foot" , is a historical municipality of Biscay that was incorporated to Bilbao in 1925.... |
Begoña Begoña Begoña or more puristically but also more rarely spelled Begoina, meaning "the lower foot" , is a historical municipality of Biscay that was incorporated to Bilbao in 1925.... , Bolueta, and Santutxu Santutxu Santutxu is one of the most populous neighbourhoods of Bilbao . It belongs to the 4th urban district, named Begoña... . |
1.77 | 43,030 | |
| 5 | Ibaiondo Ibaiondo Ibaiondo is the 5th district of the city of Bilbao . Ibaiondo is a recently used name and in Basque language means Beside the river... |
Atxuri Atxuri Atxuri is a neighborhood of Bilbao. It was originally a suburb south of the old walled town. Modernly it stands between this neighborhood and those of Solokoetxe, Santutxu and the estuary of Bilbao. Administratively, it belongs to the 5th district of the city. It hosts Bilbao-Atxuri Station, the... , Bilbao La Vieja, Casco Viejo Casco Viejo ' or ' in Spanish or ' or ' in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district... , Iturralde, La Peña La Peña La Peña is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca.... , Miribilla, San Adrián, San Frantzisko, Solokoetxe, and Zabala. |
9.65 | 61,029 | |
| 6 | Abando Abando ----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,... |
Abando Abando ----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,... and Indautxu Indautxu Indautxu is a neighbourhood of central Bilbao located between the neighbourhoods of Basurto and Abando. It is centred on Plaza Indautxu, a large, newly reformed square under which there is a small shopping centre and a station for Metro Bilbao.... . |
2.14 | 51,718 | |
| 7 | Errekalde | Ametzola, Iralabarri, Iturrigorri-Peñascal, Errekaldeberri-Larraskitu, and Uretamendi. | 6.96 | 47,787 | |
| 8 | Basurtu-Zorrotza | Altamira Altamira -Places:*Cave of Altamira, a cave in Cantabria, Spain famous for its paintings and carving*Altamira, Brazil, a city in the state of Pará*Altamira, Huila, a town and municipality in Colombia*Altamira, Puerto Plata, a town in the Dominican Republic... , Basurtu, Olabeaga, Masustegi-Monte Caramelo, and Zorrotza. |
7.09 | 33,658 |
Economy
Bilbao has been the economic center of the Basque CountryBasque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
since the times of the Consulate, mainly because of the comerce of Castilian
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
products on the city's port
Port of Bilbao
The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay . The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km west of Bilbao...
, but it was not until the 19th century when it experimented a big development, mainly based on the exploitation of the iron mines and siderurgy, which promoved the maritimal traffic, the portuary activity and the construction of ships. During those years also made their appearance Banco de Bilbao (Bank of Bilbao), founded on Bilbao in 1857 and Banco de Vizcaya (Bank of Biscay), which is established in 1901, also in Bilbao. Both entities merged in 1988 creating the BBV corporation (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, Bank of Bilbao-Biscay). BBV merged with Argentaria in 1999, creating the current corporation, BBVA. The savings bank
Savings bank
A savings bank is a financial institution whose primary purpose is accepting savings deposits. It may also perform some other functions.In Europe, savings banks originated in the 19th or sometimes even the 18th century. Their original objective was to provide easily accessible savings products to...
s that were established locally, Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao (Municipal Savings Bank of Bilbao) in 1907, and Caja de Ahorros Provincial de Vizcaya (Provincial Savings Bank of Biscay) in 1921, would merge in 1990 and form Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK)
Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa
Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa is a Spanish savings bank based in the province of Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. It was formed in 1990 when the Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao and the Bizkaiko Aurrezki Kutxa-Caja de Ahorros Vizcaína were merged...
. Along, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navegation of Bilbao and the Stock Exchange Market of Bilbao, founded in 1890.
After the dramatic industrial crisis of the 1980s, Bilbao was forced to rethink its very economic foundations. That is how it transformed in a successful service city. Bilbao is home to numerous companies of national and international relevance, including two among the 150 world's biggest, according to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine: BBVA at #40 and Iberdrola
Iberdrola
Iberdrola , headquartered in Bilbao, is a private utility with a global footprint and over 150 years of experience...
at #122. The city's GDP per capita is of 26,225€ in 2005, considerably above the country average of 22,152€. According to the official economic yearbook, the strongest sectors are construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, and tourism. The unemployment rate reached 14.4% in 2009, well below the national rate, of 18,01%. Nevertheless, it is the largest rate in the last ten years.
Port of Bilbao
The historical port was located in what today is an area called the Arenal, a few steps away the Casco ViejoCasco Viejo
' or ' in Spanish or ' or ' in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district...
, until the late 20th century. In 1902, an exterior port was built at the mouth
Bilbao Abra
The Bilbao Abra is a bay of the Bay of Biscay, in the Atlantic Ocean, that is located at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay . The bay is delimited by the capes of Punta Galea to the north and Punta Lucero to the south...
of the estuary, in the coastal municipality of Santurtzi
Santurtzi
Santurtzi is a port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on its left bank, 14km downriver from Bilbao and forms part of the Greater Bilbao agglomeration...
. Further extensions led to a superport, that in the 1970s replaced the docks inside Bilbao, with the exception of those located in the neighbourhood of Zorrotza, still in activity.
As of 2010, the port of Bilbao is a first-class commercial port and is among the top five of Spain. Over 200 regular maritime services link Bilbao with 500 ports worldwide. It closed 2009 with cargo movements amounting to 31.6 million tonnes, being Russia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries the main markets. In the first semester of 2008, it received over 67,000 passengers and 2,770 ships. This activity reported 419 million euros to the basque GDP and generates almost 10,000 jobs.
Mining and ironworks
Iron is the main and most abundant raw materialRaw material
A raw material or feedstock is the basic material from which a product is manufactured or made, frequently used with an extended meaning. For example, the term is used to denote material that came from nature and is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state. Latex, iron ore, logs, and crude...
found in Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, and its extraction is legally protected since 1526. Mining was the main primary activity in Bilbao and the minerals, of great quality, was exported to all over Europe. It was not until the second half of the nineteenth century when ironworks industry was developed, benefited by the resources and the well communicated city. In the 20th century, both Spanish and European capitals imported around the 90% of the Biscayan iron. Although World War I made Bilbao one of the main ironworks powers, later crisis prompted a decline in the activity.
Tourism
The first notion of Bilbao as a touristic city came with the inauguration of the railway between Bilbao and the coastal neighbourhood of Las ArenasLas Arenas
Las Arenas is a neighbourhood of Getxo . It is an affluent residential area that was built over the sands of a beach where the Gobela creek died in a diffuse delta at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao in the early 20th century.It is connected to Portugalete, at the other side of the firth by the...
, in the municipality of Getxo
Getxo
Getxo is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain.It is part of the metropolitan area of Bilbao , and has about 83,000 inhabitants...
in 1872. This way, the city became a modest beach destination.
However, the real touristic impulse would come with the inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...
in 1997, as shown in the increasing tourist arrivals since then, reaching over 615,000 visitors in the year 2009. A significant leap, considering that during 1995, Bilbao only received 25,000 tourists. Bilbao also hosts 31% of the total Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
visitors, being the top destination of this autonomous community, above San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
. Most tourists come from within Spain, mainly from Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. International travellers come mostly from nearby France, but also from United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. Tourism generates about 300 million euros for the Biscayan GDP. Bilbao is also an attractive destination for business tourism, mainly thanks to new venues such as the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall is located in the city of Bilbao, in the Basque Country , beside the Estuary of Bilbao, built in part of the area that was formerly occupied by the Euskalduna shipyards.It was designed by architects Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios and work...
, or the nearby Bilbao Exhibition Centre
Bilbao Exhibition Centre
The Bilbao Exhibition Centre Is the headquarters of the Feria de Muestras de Bilbao. Its facilities are located on land formerly occupied by the company Altos Hornos de Vizcaya in the neighbourhood of Ansio in the Vizcaina de Barcaldo Resort Bilbao of Baracaldo in The Basque Country, Spain...
, in Barakaldo
Barakaldo
Barakaldo , is a municipality in the Basque Country in Spain. It is located in the Biscay province, administratively included in the "Basque Autonomous Community", on the left bank of the Estuary of Bilbao.Barakaldo is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area , and its official population...
.
Stock exchange
Projects to create a stock exchangeStock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
market in Bilbao began in early 19th century, even though it would not be created until July 21, 1890 It is one of Spain's four regional stock exchanges, the other being in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, and Valencia. As it, it is owned by Bolsas y Mercados Españoles
Bolsas y Mercados Españoles
Bolsas y Mercados Españoles is the operator of all stock Markets and financial systems in Spain. BME has been a listed company since 14 July 2006 and an IBEX 35® constituent since July 2007. In the last few years it has become a reference in the sector in terms of solvency, efficiency and...
. The Bilbao Stock Exchange is considered a secondary market
Secondary market
The page applies to the finanical term; For the merchandising concept, see Aftermarket .The secondary market, also called aftermarket, is the financial market where previously issued securities and financial instruments such as stock, bonds, options, and futures are bought and sold....
.
Urban planning
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
dedicated to the Apostle Saint James (the current St. James' Cathedral), to where pilgrims visited on their way to
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
. In the fifteenth century, four more streets were built, forming the original Zazpikaleak or "Seven Streets". In 1571, after several floods and a major fire in 1569, the walls were demolished in order to allow the expansion of the town.
In 1861, ingeneer Amado Lázaro projected an ensanche
Ensanche
Ensanche means "widening" in Spanish. It is used to name the development areas of Spanish cities around the end of the 19th century, when the demographic explosion and the Industrial Revolution prompted the tearing down of the old city wall and the construction of neighborhoods under grid plans.The...
inside the then-municipality of Abando
Abando
----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,...
with wide avenues and regular buildings, that included the hygienists ideas of the time. The project was mostly based on Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
's Eixample
Eixample
The Eixample is a district of Barcelona between the old city and what were once surrounding small towns , constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries....
, designed by Ildefons Cerdà
Ildefons Cerdà
Ildefons Cerdà i Sunyer was the progressive Catalan Spanish urban planner who designed the 19th-century "extension" of Barcelona called the Eixample.-Biography:...
. However, the project was dropped by the City Council after considering it "utopian and excessive" because of its high cost, though of great quality. Furthermore, Lázaro had calculated the demographic grow of the city based on the previous three centuries, a provision that eventually would not conform to reality.
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
(in several stages) the neighbouring municipality of Abando. The new ensanche project was planned by a team made of architect Severino de Achúcarro and engineers Pablo de Alzola (elected Mayor that same year), and Ernesto de Hoffmeyer. Unlike Lázaro's, this project was significantly smaller, compassing 1.58 km² (0.610041410576205 sq mi) against the original 2.54 km² (0.980699482825039 sq mi). It also featured a not so strict grid pattern, a park to separate the industrial and residential areas and the Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro
Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro
The Gran Vía de Don Diego López de Haro is the main avenue of the city of Bilbao, Basque Country .-History:It's named after the founder of the city, Diego López de Haro V, lord of Biscay...
, the main thoroughfare, where many relevant buildings were located, such as the Biscay Foral Delegation Palace or the BBVA Tower. By the end of the 1890s, this widening was half completed and already filled, so a new extension was planned by Federico Ugalde.
By 1925, the municipalities of Deusto
Deusto
Deusto or Deustu is a district of the city of Bilbao, in the Spanish Basque Country on the right bank of the Estuary of Bilbao. It includes the neighbourhoods of San Inazio, Zorrotzaurre, Ibarrekolanda, Elorrieta, Arangoiti and Deusto proper, with a total population of over 52,000. It used to be a...
and Begoña
Begoña
Begoña or more puristically but also more rarely spelled Begoina, meaning "the lower foot" , is a historical municipality of Biscay that was incorporated to Bilbao in 1925....
, as well as part of Erandio
Erandio
Erandio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.In 1415, during the War of the Bands, the corregidor, the royally-appointed governor of the Biscayan hermandad, acting on royal orders, siphoned off Biscayan wheat to...
were annexed, and in 1940, the remaining of Erandio become part of Bilbao. The last annexation took place in 1966, with the municipalities of Loiu
Loiu
Loiu is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.The new Bilbao Airport terminal has been built within the municipality limits.-External links:*...
, Sondika
Sondika
Sondika is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain....
, Derio
Derio
Derio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It's part of Greater Bilbao and was part of the municipality of Bilbao until 1983 and hosts Bilbao's biggest municipal cemetery. It has a population of 5,107 .-External...
, and Zamudio
Zamudio
Zamudio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* * in Basque and Spanish*...
. This made Bilbao larger than ever, with 107 km² (41.3 sq mi). However, all this municipalities, with the exception of Deusto and Begoña were desannexed on 1 January 1983.
On May 18, 2010, Bilbao was awarded by the government of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
with the Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
World City Prize, at the World Cities Summit 2010
World Cities Summit
The World Cities Summit is a premier event that brings together practitioners and policy makers with leading experts in their field to identify innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing cities today...
. It is considered the Pritzker
Pritzker Prize
The Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honour "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built...
of urbanism
Urbanism
Broadly, urbanism is a focus on cities and urban areas, their geography, economies, politics, social characteristics, as well as the effects on, and caused by, the built environment.-Philosophy:...
.
Architecture
Bilbao's buildings display a variety of architectural styles, ranging from gothicGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
to contemporary architecture
Contemporary architecture
Contemporary architecture is generally speaking the architecture of the present time.The term contemporary architecture is also applied to a range of styles of recently built structures and space which are optimized for current use....
. The Old Town
Casco Viejo
' or ' in Spanish or ' or ' in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district...
features many of the oldest buildings in the city, as the St. James' Cathedral or the Church of San Antón
Church of San Antón
The Church of San Antón is a Catholic temple located in the Old Town neighbourhood of Bilbao, Spain. It is dedicated to Anthony the Great, known as San Antón in Spanish. It is featured, along with the San Antón Bridge, in the city's coat of arms. The estuary of Bilbao flows next to it....
, included in the city's coat of arms. Most of the Old Town is a pedestrian zone during the day. Nearby is one of the most important religious temples of Biscay, the Basilica of Begoña
Basilica of Begoña
The Basilica of Begoña is a basilica in Bilbao, in Spain, dedicated to the patron saint of Biscay, the Virgin Begoña.The current parish priest is Jesús Francisco de Garitaonandia.-History:...
, dedicated to the patron saint of the province, Our Lady of Begoña
Our Lady of Begoña
The cult of Our Lady of Begoña celebrates an apparition of the Virgin Mary at the site of the Basilica of Begoña, in Bilbao, Spain...
.
Seventeen bridges span the banks of the estuary inside the city limits. Among the most interesting ones are the Zubizuri
Zubizuri
The Zubizuri , also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain...
(Basque for "white bridge"), a pedestrian footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
designed by Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
opened in 1997, and the Princes of Spain Bridge
La Salve
La Salve is a quarter in the 2nd district of the city of Bilbao, Spain. It gains its name from the fact that sailors, returning from sea, would first see the tower of the Basilica of Begoña at this point as ships returned up the river Nervión, which runs through the city...
, also known as "La Salve", a suspension bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
opened in 1972 and redesigned by French conceptual artist
Concept art
Concept art is a form of illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design, idea, and/or mood for use in films, video games, animation, or comic books before it is put into the final product. Concept art is also referred to as visual development and/or concept design...
Daniel Buren
Daniel Buren
Daniel Buren is a French conceptual artist.- Work :Sometimes classified as an abstract minimalist Buren is known best for using regular, contrasting maxi stripes to integrate the visual surface and architectural space, notably historical, landmark architecture.Among his chief concerns is the...
in 2007. The Deusto Bridge is a bascule bridge
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
opened in 1936 and modelled after the Michigan Avenue Bridge
Michigan Avenue Bridge
The Michigan Avenue Bridge has a north–south orientation, spanning the main stem of the Chicago River between the Near North Side and Loop community areas of Chicago. Its northern portal lies at the foot of the Magnificent Mile, between the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower...
, in Chicago.
Since the deindustrialization process started in the 1990s, many of the former industrial areas are being transformed into modern public and private spaces designed by several of the world's most renowned architects and artists. The main example is the Guggenheim Museum
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...
, located in what was an old dock and wood warehouse. The building, designed by Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
and inaugurated in October 1997, is considered among architecture experts as one of the most important structures of the last 30 years, and a masterpiece by itself. The museum houses part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1937 by philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim and artist Hilla von Rebay. The first museum established by the foundation was the "Museum of Non-Objective Art", which was housed in rented space on Park Avenue in New York....
modern art collection. Another example is the Alhóndiga
Alhóndiga Bilbao
Alhóndiga Bilbao is a multi-purpose venue located in the city of Bilbao, Spain. It was designed by French designer Philippe Starck in collaboration with Thibaut Mathieu and was opened to the public in stages between 18 May and 24 October, 2010...
, a wine warehouse built in 1909 and completely redesigned in 2010 by French designer Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck
Philippe Patrick Starck is a French product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style...
into a multi-purpose venue that consist of a cinema multiplex, a fitness centre, a library, and a restaurant, among other spaces. The Abando
Abando
----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,...
ibarra area is also being renovated, and it features not only the Guggenheim Museum, but also Arata Isozaki
Arata Isozaki
Arata Isozaki is a Japanese architect from Ōita. He graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1954. Isozaki worked under Kenzo Tange before establishing his own firm in 1963. He was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1986.In 2005, Arata Isozaki founded the Italian branch of his office: Arata Isozaki &...
's tower complex
Isozaki Atea
The Isozaki Atea twin towers, in Bilbao, Spain are the tallest residential buildings in the city and the Basque Country. The towers are tall and have 22 floors. The first two floors have a mixed-commercial usage, with the rest having residential usage...
, the Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall is located in the city of Bilbao, in the Basque Country , beside the Estuary of Bilbao, built in part of the area that was formerly occupied by the Euskalduna shipyards.It was designed by architects Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios and work...
and the Iberdrola Tower
Iberdrola Tower
The Iberdrola Tower is an office skyscraper under construction in Bilbao, Spain. The tower started its construction on 19 March 2009 and it is expected to be finished the first trimester of 2011. The tower will have a height of 165 metres tall and have 40 floors...
, designed by Argentine architect César Pelli
César Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
and that will be, upon completion in 2011, the Basque Country's tallest skyscraper with 165 metres (541.3 ft) high. Zorrozaurre
Zorrozaurre
Zorrozaurre is an artificial peninsula located within the Deusto district of Bilbao, Spain. It was formed during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the estuary of Bilbao. The project was stopped in 1968 with 400 meters left to finish, forming the current...
is the next area to be redeveloped, following a 2007 master plan designed by Iraqi
Iraqi people
The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...
architect Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid
Zaha Hadid, CBE is an Iraqi-British architect.-Life and career:Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.After graduating she worked...
. This current peninsula will be transformed into an 500000 m² (597,995 sq yd) island and will feature residential and commercial buildings, as well as the new BBK
Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa
Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa is a Spanish savings bank based in the province of Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. It was formed in 1990 when the Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao and the Bizkaiko Aurrezki Kutxa-Caja de Ahorros Vizcaína were merged...
seat.
Parks
As of 2010, Bilbao has 18 public parks inside its limits, totalling 200 ha (494.2 acre) of green spaces. Besides, its green beltGreen belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
has a total area of 1025 ha (2,532.8 acre), of which 119 ha (294.1 acre) are urbanized. The largest parks are Kobetamendi, of 18.5 ha (45.7 acre), and Larreagaburu, of 12 ha (29.7 acre), both located on the outskirts.
The Doña Casilda Iturrizar park
Doña Casilda Iturrizar park
Doña Casilda Iturrizar park is a public park located in the Basque-Spanish city of Bilbao, in the central neighbourhood of Indautxu. It is named after Casilda Iturrízar, who donated the terrains.It was the only lung of the city until a few years ago...
is located in the district of Abando
Abando
----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,...
, near the city centre and covers an area of 8.5 ha (21 acre). It is named after a local benefactress who donated the grounds to the city. It is an English-style garden
English garden
The English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
designed by Ricardo Bastida and opened to the public in 1907. It features a dancing water fountain surrounded by a pergola
Pergola
A pergola, arbor or arbour is a garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained...
, and a pond with many species of ducks, geese and swans, which gives the park the alternate name of "Ducks' Park", as known locally. In recent years, it was expanded to be connected with the Abandoibarra area. In Ibaiondo
Ibaiondo
Ibaiondo is the 5th district of the city of Bilbao . Ibaiondo is a recently used name and in Basque language means Beside the river...
, the Etxeberria Park was built in the 1980s in the place where previously stood a steel mill. The original chimney was maintained as a homage of its industrial past. It covers an area of 18.9 ha (46.7 acre), on a slopped terrain that overlooks the Old Town. Other relevant public spaces inside the city include the Europa Park, the Miribilla Park, or the Memorial Walkway, a 3 km (1.9 mi) long walkway, with 12 m (39.4 ft) high lamps, located in the left bank of the estuary and that connects the main sights.
Mount Artxanda is easily accessible from the city centre by a funicular
Artxanda Funicular
The Artxanda Funicular is a funicular railway in the city of Bilbao in Spain's Basque Country. It links downtown Bilbao with the recreational area at the summit of the nearby Artxanda Mountain, which has a park, several restaurants, a hotel, a sports complex, and offers panoramic views of the...
. There is a recreational area in the summit, with restaurants, a sports complex and a balcony with panoramic views. In the south, Mount Pagasarri
Pagasarri
Pagasarri is one of the two small mountain ranges that encloses the city of Bilbao, Basque Country and is part of the Basque Mountains. Its main peak separates the municipality of Bilbao from Arrigorriaga and Alonsotegi, and has an elevation of 673 m...
receives hundreds of hikers
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
every weekend since the 1870s, who look for its natural wonders. Its environment is officially protected since 2007.
Education
The Basque Country has a bilingual education system, with students having the possibility to choose between four linguistic models: A, B, D, and X, which differ in the prevalence of Basque or Spanish as the spoken and written language during classes. In Bilbao, there is a prevalence of model D (Basque is the vehicle language and Spanish is taught as a subject) in Primary School, while Compulsory Secondary Education students favour model B (some subjects are in Basque and other in Spanish). Finally, 67% of Baccalaureate students choose model A (Spanish is the vehicle language and Basque is a subject). English is the most widespread foreign language taught, as it is the option for 97% of pre-university students.Higher education
Bilbao is home to two universities. The oldest is the University of DeustoUniversity of Deusto
The University of Deusto is a Spanish Jesuit University, with campuses in Bilbao and San Sebastián, Spain.-History:The University of Deusto first opened in 1886, having been founded because of the Basque Country's desire to have its own university and the Society of Jesus's wish to move its School...
, founded by the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1886. It took its name after the then independent municipality of Deusto
Deusto
Deusto or Deustu is a district of the city of Bilbao, in the Spanish Basque Country on the right bank of the Estuary of Bilbao. It includes the neighbourhoods of San Inazio, Zorrotzaurre, Ibarrekolanda, Elorrieta, Arangoiti and Deusto proper, with a total population of over 52,000. It used to be a...
, annexed to Bilbao in 1925. It was the only higher education offer in the city until the establishment in 1968 of the University of Bilbao, that would later become the University of the Basque Country
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country is the only public university in the Basque Country, in Northern Spain...
in 1980. This public university, present in the three provinces of the autonomous community, has its main Biscayan campus in the municipality of Leioa
Leioa
Leioa is a municipality in Biscay, Basque Country, in northern Spain. Today it is part of the Bilbao conurbation, and it is the name of a metro station in the Bilbao metro...
, however it homes in Bilbao the Technical and Business faculties.
Transport
The Bilbao AirportBilbao Airport
Bilbao Airport is a public airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in the Basque Country. It is the most important airport of the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 4,172,903 passengers on 2008...
serves the city and it is the busiest terminal in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
and in the entire Northern coast, with 3,9 million passengers in 2010. It is located 12 km (7.46 mi) north from the city, between the municipalities of Loiu
Loiu
Loiu is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.The new Bilbao Airport terminal has been built within the municipality limits.-External links:*...
and Sondika
Sondika
Sondika is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain....
. 15 airlines operate in the terminal, including Iberia
Iberia
The name Iberia refers to three historical regions of the old world:* Iberian Peninsula, in Southwest Europe, location of modern-day Portugal and Spain** Prehistoric Iberia...
, Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
, and TAP Portugal
TAP Portugal
TAP Portugal, commonly known as TAP, is the national airline of Portugal. It has its head office in Building 25 on the grounds of Portela Airport in Lisbon, and has been a member of the Star Alliance since 14 March 2005, the same day on which the company celebrated its 60th anniversary...
. Top destinations include London, Frankfurt, Munich, Madrid, Paris, Malaga, and Amsterdam. It opened to the public in September 1948, with a regular flight to Madrid. On 19 November 2000, a new terminal building was opened, designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
. In February 2009, a project was approved to expand the current building to duplicate its capacity. Although expected to be completed by 2014, the current financial crisis and the decrease of passenger traffic delayed it to at least 2019.
The city has 13 bridges connecting both sides of the river, it is connected to the European road network by the AP-8
Autopista AP-8
The Autopista AP-8 is a highway in the north of Spain and crosses the Basque Country from east to west. It is known as the Autopista del Cantábrico and connects the French Border with Bilbao...
toll motorway and to the north of Spain by the A-8
Autovía A-8
The Autovía A-8 is a highway that connects all the regions on the Northern Coast of Spain. It is known as the Autovía del Cantábrico and connects Baamonde and Bilbao, where it continues as the Autopista AP-8 to the French border...
motorway and to the rest of Spain by the AP-68
Autopista AP-68
The Autopista AP-68 is a highway in Spain. It connects Zaragoza with Bilbao via Tudela, Calahorra and Logroño.It has junctions with Autovía A-2, Autovía A-15, Autovía A-1 and ending at the Autovía A-8....
toll motorway.
The underground network (Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión river and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao...
), inaugurated in 11 November 1995, is used by more than 85 million passengers every year. It has 2 lines that connect both banks of the Bilbao Metropolitan Area
Gran Bilbao
Greater Bilbao is an administrative division of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas of Biscay and the most populated one...
. There is a project under way to build a third line.
The city has 43 Bilbobus
Bilbobus
Bilbobus is the name for metropolitan bus services in Bilbao.The service is owned by the city council of Bilbao. Operations will be transferred to Veolia Transport, the company that won the contract in May 2008...
bus lines, 28 for normal buses, seven "micro-buses" for zones of the city that a normal bus cannot access, and eight night lines. The inner-city bus network has recently won a prize for its efficiency and quality of service. In addition, there are more than 100 BizkaiBus
BizkaiBus
BizkaiBus is the name for bus services serving the province of Biscay, Spain. It is named after the Basque name of the province, Bizkaia. The buses can be identified by their distinctive yellow colour scheme....
bus lines, connecting Bilbao with almost every point in Biscay and part of Alava. The city's main bus station is called Termibus
Termibus
Termibus is the main bus station of Bilbao and it is located beside San Mamés Stadium. The bus terminal is linked to the San Mamés underground, tram and commuter rail station....
and is located near the San Mamés stadium.
There are 7 commuter rail
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
lines operated by three different companies:
Renfe
RENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
(Spanish railway network) operates 3 Cercanías lines
Cercanías Bilbao
Cercanías Bilbao is a commuter rail network in Bilbao, serving the city and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías, as part of Renfe, the national railway company...
in metropolitan Bilbao:
- C1, Bilbao-AbandoBilbao-AbandoEstación de Abando Indalecio Prieto, also known as Bilbao-Abando and locally named as Estación del Norte is a railway terminal station located on Abando, the sixth district of Bilbao. It is the main and most important train station of Bilbao...
–SanturtziSanturtziSanturtzi is a port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on its left bank, 14km downriver from Bilbao and forms part of the Greater Bilbao agglomeration... - C2, Abando-MuskizMuskizMuskiz is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.- Neighborhoods :Muskiz is administratively divided into six neighborhoods or wards:- Demography :- Economy :...
- C3, Abando-OrduñaOrduñaOrduña is a town and municipality of 4,057 inhabitants located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, in the North of Spain....
FEVE
FEVE
FEVE is a state-owned Spanish railway company, which operates most of Spain's of metre gauge railway.-History:...
(Spanish Narrow Gauge Railways) operates one line:
- Abando (Concordia)-BalmasedaBalmasedaBalmaseda is a town in the Encartaciones region of Biscay in the Spanish Basque Country....
.
EuskoTren
EuskoTren
EuskoTren is a commuter rail service which operates in the Basque Country provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak - Ferrocarriles Vascos...
(Basque railway network), operates three lines:
- DeustoDeustoDeusto or Deustu is a district of the city of Bilbao, in the Spanish Basque Country on the right bank of the Estuary of Bilbao. It includes the neighbourhoods of San Inazio, Zorrotzaurre, Ibarrekolanda, Elorrieta, Arangoiti and Deusto proper, with a total population of over 52,000. It used to be a...
–LezamaLezamaLezama is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It is home to the training headquarters of the football team Athletic Bilbao, and is accessible by bus - BizkaiBus - from Bilbao.-External links:*... - AtxuriAtxuriAtxuri is a neighborhood of Bilbao. It was originally a suburb south of the old walled town. Modernly it stands between this neighborhood and those of Solokoetxe, Santutxu and the estuary of Bilbao. Administratively, it belongs to the 5th district of the city. It hosts Bilbao-Atxuri Station, the...
–ErmuaErmuaErmua is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* * *... - Atxuri-BermeoBermeoBermeo is a town and municipality in the sub-region of Busturialdea and the wider province of Biscay, part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country, in Northern Spain. Bermeo has 17,026 inhabitants and is the most important fishing port of the Basque Country. The town was founded in 1236 and...
.
In 2002, the new tramway, EuskoTran
EuskoTran
EuskoTran is a light rail tram service which operates in the cities of Bilbao , Vitoria and, in the future, in the town of Leioa , all of them in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak -...
, was inaugurated. It has one line connecting Atxuri with Basurto. Plans are afoot to greatly expand the network over the coming decade.
A Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
ferry service links Santurtzi, near Bilbao, to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
(UK). MV Cap Finistère
MV Cap Finistère
MV Cap Finistère is a cruiseferry owned by and operated by Brittany Ferries on their Portsmouth - Santander and Portsmouth - Cherbourg route...
ferry departs from the port of Bilbao
Port of Bilbao
The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay . The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km west of Bilbao...
, 15 km (9 mi) north west of the city centre. A service operated by Acciona Trasmediterranea served the same route from May 16, 2006 until April 2007. P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries
P&O Ferries is the current name for the amalgamation of a range of ferry services that operated from the United Kingdom to Ireland and Continental Europe...
operated this route until its withdrawal on 28 September 2010 with a ship called the Pride of Bilbao
Pride of Bilbao
MS "Princess Anastasia" is a cruiseferry owned by St. Peter Line. Until September 2010, she was known as "Pride of Bilbao", operated by P&O Ferries on their Portsmouth–Bilbao route. The vessel was built in 1986 as the Olympia by the Wärtsilä shipyard in Turku, Finland for Rederi AB Slite, Sweden...
.
Culture
Bilbao has several theatres and concert halls (Teatro ArriagaTeatro Arriaga
The Teatro Arriaga is an opera house in Bilbao, Spain. It was built in Neo-baroque style by architect Joaquín Rucoba in 1890, the same architect that built the city hall...
, Palacio Euskalduna), cinemas, and a regular opera season offered by ABAO (Bilbao Association of Opera Lovers) . The Bilbao Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1922, its current conductor Günter Neuhold being appointed in 2008. Choral music is very popular in the Basque Country and concerts are offered regularly. The Bilbao Choral Society (Sociedad Coral de Bilbao) was founded in 1886.
Museums include the famous Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...
of contemporary art and the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is an art museum located in the city of Bilbao, Spain...
, with a great collection of Spanish painting.
Like in other Spanish cities, night life is long and vibrant, with clubs that offer live music (Kafe Antzokia, Bilborock).
Bilbao was briefly featured at the start of the 1999 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
film The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough is the nineteenth spy film in the James Bond film series, and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film was directed by Michael Apted, with the original story and screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein. It...
.
The Bilbao Live Festival
Bilbao Live Festival
The Bilbao Live Festival is a rock and pop music festival that takes place in the summer in Bilbao, Spain since 2006. It is supported by BBK the savings bank.-History:...
, initiated in 2006, is another measure of new interest
Festival
The celebrations include the strongman games, free music performances, street entertainment, bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
and nightly firework displays. The best views of the display are from the city's bridges. Each year, there is something different occurring, thus a festival programme (these are available all over the city) is strongly recommended.
Sport
Like in most of both Spain and the Basque country, football (soccer) is the most popular competitive sport, followed by basketball.The main football club is Athletic Club, commonly known as Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
in English. It plays at the San Mamés stadium, which is Spain's oldest built stadium and seats 39,750 spectators.
Athletic Bilbao was one of the founding members of the Spanish football league, La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, and has played in the Primera División (First Division) ever since - winning it on eight occasions. Its red and white striped flag is to be seen throughout the city.
The main basketball team is CB Bilbao Berri aka Bizkaia Bilbao Basket, which plays in the ACB. Their home venue is the Bilbao Arena
Bilbao Arena
Bilbao Arena is an indoor arena in the neighbourhood of Miribilla in Bilbao. The central hall can hold up to 10,000 people. Since it opened in September 2010, it is the home arena of the Bilbao Basket club. The central hall can also be used for concerts and other kind of shows...
.
In addition, Bilbao offers the possibility of many outdoor activities owing to its location in a hilly countryside, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
is very popular as well as rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
in the nearby mountains. Watersports, specially surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
is practiced in the beaches of Sopelana
Sopelana
Sopelana is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain....
and Mundaka
Mundaka
Mundaka is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. On the coast, Mundaka is internationally-renowned for its surfing scene....
, easily accessed from the city centre by car, metro or train.
Twin cities and consulates
Bilbao is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina Rosario, Argentina Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
, Colombia Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France Qingdao
Qingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, People's Republic of China
Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, United States Sant Adrià de Besòs
Sant Adrià de Besòs
Sant Adrià de Besòs is a city in the comarca of the Barcelonès in Catalonia, northern Spain. It is situated at the mouth of the river Besòs, extending to both sides of the estuary. The original settlement with the parish church is on the left bank of the river, in the north of the municipal...
, Spain Iloilo
Iloilo City
The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area...
, Philippines Surakarta
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
, Indonesia
External links
- Bilbao's Chamber of Commerce official tourism website on the city and surrounding areas
- Meet Bilbao: Bilbao Tourism Information
- Bilbao tourist guide
- Bilbao in Google Maps
- BILBAO in the Bernardo Estornés Lasa - Auñamendi Encyclopedia (Euskomedia Fundazioa)
- Skyscraperpage.com Bilbao's skyscraper diagram
- Bilbao Exhibition Centre
- The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) is based in Bilbao (see also European Agency for Safety and Health at WorkEuropean Agency for Safety and Health at WorkThe European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was set up in 1996 in Bilbao, Spain. Its mission is "to make Europe's workplaces safer, healthier and more productive...
) - Pictures of Bilbao
- OPENCities
- Visit Spanish tourism website for more information on Bilbao, Spain