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) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Basque Country##Location within Spain##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = yes , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Autonomous community , subdivision_name1 =
Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...
, subdivision_type2 =
Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
, subdivision_name2 =
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
, subdivision_type3 = Comarca , subdivision_name3 = Greater Bilbao , seat_type = , seat = , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , elevation_m = 19 , elevation_min_m = 0 , elevation_max_m = 689 , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = 41.50 , area_urban_km2 = 18.22 , area_rural_km2 = 23.30 , established_title = Founded , established_date = 15 June 1300 , founder = Diego López V de Haro , population_as_of = , population_footnotes = , population_total = , population_demonyms = ''Bilbaine''
eu, bilbotarra
es, link=no, bilbaíno, bilbaína , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , population_urban = 775,000 , population_metro = 1037847 , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Basque
Spanish , timezone =
CET CET or cet may refer to: Places * Cet, Albania * Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus * Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England Arts, entertainment, and media * Comcast Ente ...
, utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST =
CEST CEST or cest may refer to: * Central European Summer Time (UTC+2), daylight saving time observed in the central European time zone * Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory * Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer, a subset of Magnetization transfer in ...
, utc_offset_DST = +2 , postal_code_type =
Postal code A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal a ...
, postal_code = 48001–48015 , area_code_type = Dialing code , area_code = +34 94 , government_type = Ayuntamiento , governing_body = Bilboko Udala , leader_title =
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
, leader_name =
Juan María Aburto Juan María Aburto Rike (born 28 March 1961) is a Spanish politician of the Basque Nationalist Party. He was elected mayor of Bilbao in 2015. Biography Born in Bilbao, Aburto graduated in Law from the University of Deusto in 1984, and became a c ...
, leader_party = PNV , website = , footnotes = Bilbao (, also , ; eu, Bilbo ) is a city in northern
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
, the largest city in the
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
and in the
Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...
as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the tenth largest city in Spain, with a population of 345,141 as of 2015. The Bilbao metropolitan area has 1,037,847 inhabitants,Proyecto Audes
making it one of the most populous
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
s in northern Spain; with a population of 875,552 the comarca of Greater Bilbao is the fifth-largest urban area in Spain. Bilbao is also the main urban area in what is defined as the Greater Basque region. Bilbao is located in the north-central part of Spain, some south of the
Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
, where the economic social development is located, where the
estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...
is formed. Its main urban core is surrounded by two small
mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
s with an average elevation of . Quiroga 2001: 17 Its climate is shaped by the Bay of Biscay low-pressure systems and mild air, moderating summer temperatures by Iberian standards, with low sunshine and high rainfall. The annual temperature range is low for its latitude. After its foundation in the early 14th century by Diego López V de Haro, head of the powerful Haro family, Bilbao was one of the commercial hubs of the
Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...
that enjoyed significant importance in the
Crown of Castile The Crown of Castile was a medieval polity in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and, some decades later, the parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accessi ...
. This was due to its thriving port activity based on the export of wool and iron commodities extracted from the Biscayan quarries to all over
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. Throughout the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, Bilbao experienced heavy industrialisation, making it the center of the second-most industrialised region of Spain, behind
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. De La Puerta Rueda 1998: 73 At the same time an extraordinary population explosion prompted the annexation of several adjacent municipalities. Nowadays, Bilbao is a vigorous service city that is experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalisation process, started by the iconic
Bilbao Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. The museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Sp ...
, and continued by infrastructure investments, such as the
airport terminal An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from an Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft. Within the terminal, passengers purchase ...
, the rapid transit system, the tram line, the
Azkuna Zentroa Azkuna Zentroa (Basque for ''Azkuna Centre''), previously known as 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 ...
, and the currently under development
Abandoibarra Abandoibarra (in Basque, ''Abando'' and ''ibar'', "Abando valley") is an area of the city of Bilbao, Spain, located next to the estuary in the neighborhood of Abando. After the process of deindustrialization experienced by the town since the mid-19 ...
and
Zorrozaurre Zorrotzaurre ( es, Zorrozaurre) is an artificial island located within the Deusto district of Bilbao, Spain. History It was first formed as a peninsula during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the estuar ...
renewal projects. Bilbao is also home to
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team Athletic Club, a significant symbol for Basque nationalism due to its promotion of only Basque players and being one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football history. On 19 May 2010, the city of Bilbao was recognised with the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, awarded by the city state of
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, in collaboration with the Swedish Nobel Academy. Considered the Nobel Prize for
urbanism Urbanism is the study of how inhabitants of urban areas, such as towns and cities, interact with the built environment. It is a direct component of disciplines such as urban planning, which is the profession focusing on the physical design and m ...
, it was handed out on 29 June 2010. On 7 January 2013, its mayor, Iñaki Azkuna, received the 2012 World Mayor Prize awarded every two years by the British foundation The City Mayors Foundation, in recognition of the urban transformation experienced by the Biscayan capital since the 1990s. On 8 November 2017, Bilbao was chosen the Best European City 2018 at The Urbanism Awards 2018, awarded by the international organisation The Academy of Urbanism.


Etymology

The official name of the town is Bilbao, as known in most languages of the world.
Euskaltzaindia Euskaltzaindia (; often translated Royal Academy of the Basque Language) is the official academic language regulatory institution which watches over the Basque language. It conducts research, seeks to protect the language, and establishes stand ...
, the official regulatory institution of the Basque language, has agreed that between the two possible names existing in Basque, ''Bilbao'' and ''Bilbo'', the historical name is ''Bilbo'', while ''Bilbao'' is the official name. Although the term ''Bilbo'' does not appear in old documents, in the play ''
The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...
'' by
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, there is a reference to swords presumably made of Biscayan iron which he calls " bilboes", suggesting that it is a word used since at least the sixteenth century. There is no consensus among historians about the origin of the name. Generally accepted accounts state that prior to the 12th century the independent rulers of the territory, named Lords of Zubialdea, were also known as Lords of Bilbao la Vieja ("Old Bilbao"). The symbols of their patrimony are the tower and church used in the shield of Bilbao to this day. One possible origin was suggested by the engineer Evaristo de Churruca. He said that it was a Basque custom to name a place after its location. For Bilbao this would be the result of the union of the Basque words for river and cove: ''Bil-Ibaia-Bao''. Quiroga 2001: 41 The historian José Tussel Gómez argues that it is just a natural evolution of the Spanish words ''bello vado'', beautiful ford. On the other hand, according to the writer Esteban Calle Iturrino, the name derives from the two settlements that existed on both banks of the estuary, rather than from the estuary itself. The first, where the present Casco Viejo is located, would be called ''billa'', which means stacking in Basque, after the configuration of the buildings. The second, on the left bank, where now
Bilbao La Vieja Bilbao La Vieja in Spanish, "Old Bilbao" in English and Bilbo Zaharra in Basque. It is a neighbourhood of Bilbao and part of the 5th district of the city (Ibaiondo). Location In the city center, it lies right across the estuary, on the left b ...
is located, would be called ''vaho'', Spanish for mist or steam. From the union of these two derives the name Bilbao, which was also written as ''Bilvao'' and ''Biluao'', as documented in its
municipal charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charter ...
. An ''-ao'' ending is also present in nearby Sestao and Ugao, that could be explained from Basque ''aho'', "mouth".


Demonym

The demonym is "bilbaíno, -a", although the popular pronunciation ''bilbaino/a'' (sic) is also frequent. In euskera it is ''bilbotar'', which is sometimes also used in Spanish, generally within the Basque Country. The village is affectionately known by its inhabitants as the ' meaning ''hole'', since it is surrounded by mountains. The nickname "botxero" is derived from this nickname. Another nickname that Bilbao receives is that of "chimbos", which comes from birds that were hunted in large numbers in these places during the 19th century. The titles, the flag and the coat of arms are Bilbao's traditional symbols and belong to its historic patrimony, being used in formal acts, for the identification and decoration of specific places or for the validation of documents. ; Titles Bilbao holds the historic category of township (''villa''), with the titles of "Very noble and very loyal and unbeaten" ("Muy Noble y Muy Leal e Invicta"). It was the Catholic Monarchs who awarded the title "Noble Town" ("Noble Villa") on 20 September 1475. Philip III of Spain, via a letter in 1603 awarded the town the titles of "Very noble and very loyal". After the
siege of Bilbao A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterized ...
, during the
First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...
, on 25 December 1836, the title of "Unbeaten" was added. ; Coat of arms The
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
is emblazoned as follows: ; Flag The flag that represents it is white with a red block, in a ratio of three parts long by two wide. The colors red and white are the historical ones of the villa. The Royal Order of 30 July 1845 determined the maritime password for the population. This was defined as a white flag with an upper red die next to the pod. The die should be square and the length of its side should equal half of the pod. Previously, at least since 1511, the banner that the '' Bilbao Consulate '' was wearing was white with a red Cross of Burgundy. The relationship of the town with the mercantile and marine activities was always very strong coming to share headquarters. In 1603 the new consistorial house is inaugurated and in it the headquarters of the city council and of the referred one '' Bilbao Consulate '' are located. The intimate relationship made the flag of the Consulate was related as a flag of the town by citizenship. The definition of the maritime flag in 1845 was assumed by the population, who accepted it as their own, and so did the city council. At the inauguration of the Bilbao-Miranda de Ebro railway line, it was already used as a symbol of the town's representation, being permanently adopted in 1895 although no resolution has been adopted for this purpose. Although it has always been assumed by the municipal institution and citizenship, at the beginning of the 20th century it was discussed in a municipal plenary session about the determination of a flag for the town. There was talk about "the use of the crimson color of the Lordship of Biscay, or of the cross of Saint Andrew" but without reaching any resolution to the effect.


History


Prehistory

Remains of an ancient settlement were found on the top of Mount Malmasín, dating from around the 3rd or 2nd century BC. Sánchez-Beascoetxea 2006: 28 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 Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...
, or with ''Flaviobriga'', by
Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
.


Medieval Bilbao

Ancient walls, which date from around the 11th century, have been discovered below the
Church of San Antón The Church of San Antón is a Catholic church 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 o ...
. Bilbao was one of the first towns founded in the fourteenth century, during a period in which approximately three-quarters of the
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
an cities were developed, among them Portugalete in 1323,
Ondarroa Ondarroa is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, northern Spain. Main sights *Church of St. Mary, ...
in 1327, Lekeitio in 1335, and Mungia and
Larrabetzu Larrabetzu is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg ...
in 1376. Diego López V de Haro, then third
Lord of Biscay The Lordship of Biscay ( es, Señorío de Vizcaya, Basque: ''Bizkaiko jaurerria'') was a region under feudal rule in the region of Biscay in the Iberian Peninsula between 1040 and 1876, ruled by a political figure known as the Lord of Biscay. On ...
, founded Bilbao through a
municipal charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charter ...
dated in
Valladolid Valladolid () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and de facto capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the province o ...
on 15 June 1300 and confirmed by King Ferdinand IV of Castile in
Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
, on 4 January 1301. Diego López established the new town on the right bank of the
Nervión river , name_etymology = , image = Nervion.jpg , image_size = 300px , image_caption = River Nervion with Zubizuri footbridge. , map = , map_size = , map_caption = , pushpin_map ...
, on the 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. In 1310
María Díaz I de Haro María Díaz I de Haro "the Good" (1270–1342) was a Spanish noblewoman of the House of Haro. She was the daughter of Lope Díaz III de Haro who was assassinated by order of the king at Alfaro, La Rioja. She is best known for being the Lady o ...
, niece of Diego López V and Lady of Biscay, grants a new municipal charter to the city, which extends its commercial privileges even further, transforming the city in a mandatory stop for all the trade coming from Castile towards the sea. This second charter established that the road from Orduña to Bermeo, at the time the most important trade route in the lordship, had to traverse the
San Antón Bridge The San Antón Bridge (Spanish: ''Puente de San Antón'', Basque: ''San Antongo zubia'') is an arch bridge in Bilbao, Spain. It spans the Estuary of Bilbao, linking the neighborhoods of Bilbao La Vieja and Casco Viejo. It is the oldest bridge in t ...
in Bilbao instead of the pass in
Etxebarri Etxebarri, Doneztebeko Elizatea ( es, Etxebarri, Anteiglesia de San Esteban) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Basque Community, in the North of Spain. Since 13 January 2005, the name of "Etxebarri ...
, as it did until then. This strengthened the position of Bilbao as a trading post, in detriment of Bermeo, city which until then had acted as the main port of the territory. In addition, Bilbao was granted exclusive rights to all trade between the city and
Las Arenas Areeta (''Las Arenas'' in Spanish) is a neighbourhood of Getxo (Biscay, Basque Country, Spain). It is an affluent residential area that was built over the sands of a beach where the Gobela Creek died into a diffuse delta at the mouth of the Estuary ...
. In 1372, John I of Castile strengthened even more the city's position by naming Bilbao a free port and granting it special privileges concerning the trade of iron. This caused Bilbao to become an important port, particularly due to its trade with
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
and Great Britain. In 1443 the Church of Saint Anthony the Great was enshrined, having been built in the place of an old ''
alcázar An alcázar, from Arabic ''al-Qasr'', is a type of Islamic castle or palace in the Iberian Peninsula (also known as al-Andalus) built during Muslim rule between the 8th and 15th centuries. They functioned as homes and regional capitals for gover ...
''. Still today the church is one of the oldest extant buildings of the city. On 5 September 1483, the Queen
Isabella I of Castile Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as List of Aragonese royal consorts, Queen consort ...
traveled to Bilbao to swear fealty to the fueros of
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
. Her husband,
Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...
had already done so in 1476 in
Gernika Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the mu ...
.


Modern age

On 21 June 1511, Queen Joanna of Castile ordered the creation of the
Consulate of the Sea The Consulate of the Sea ( ca, Consolat de mar; ) 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. The term may also refer to a celebrated co ...
of Bilbao. This would become the most influential institution of the borough for centuries, and would claim jurisdiction over the estuary, improving its infrastructure. Under the Consulate's control, the
port of Bilbao The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay ( Basque Country). The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Bilbao. Also ...
became one of the most important of the kingdom. The first printing-press was brought to the town in 1577. Here in 1596, the first book in the Basque language was edited, entitled ''Doctrina Christiana en Romance y Bascuence'' by Dr. Betolaza. In 1602 Bilbao was made the capital of
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
, a title previously held by Bermeo. Around 1631, the city was the scenario of a series of revolts against the increased taxation on salt, which had been ordered by the Crown, an event locally known as the "''Machinada'' of the salt". The revolt ended with the execution of several of its leaders. The city had seen a continuous increase of its wealth, especially after the discovery of extensive iron deposits in the surrounding mountains, and by the end of the century it managed to overcome the economic crises that affected the rest of the kingdom, thanks in part to the increased trading of wool (which now used the port of Bilbao instead of the one in
Santander Santander may refer to: Places * Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain * Santander Department, a department of Colombia * Santander State, former state of Colombia * Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
), and to the iron ore and its commerce with England and the Netherlands. In 1791, the city of ''Nueva Bilbao'' ("New Bilbao" - now known as " Constitución") was founded in Chile, at the time a remote colony of the Spanish Empire.


Contemporary Bilbao


Napoleonic invasion and Carlist wars

The
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
invasion of Spain saw the occupation of several Basque cities, but Bilbao was not among them. The first open uprising against Napoleonic rule took place on 6 August 1808, a month after the
Battle of Bailén The Battle of Bailén was fought in 1808 between the Spanish Army of Andalusia, led by Generals Francisco Castaños and Theodor von Reding, and the Imperial French Army's II corps d'observation de la Gironde under General Pierre Dupont de l' ...
. French troops sieged and sacked the city, alongside the neighbouring towns of Deusto and Begoña on 16 August. Beginning in February 1810, the city was under the command of
Pierre Thouvenot Pierre Thouvenot (9 March 1757 – 21 July 1817) was a French Army officer who served with distinction in the American Revolutionary War. He fled from France during the revolution but returned under an amnesty and went on to serve in Napoleonic W ...
, general of the French army and
Baron of the Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles of nobility to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both before and since, Napoleon found that th ...
, who had become the head of the Military Government of ''Vizcaya'', which included the three Basque provinces. Thouvenot intended to move forward with the plan of total annexation of the Basque provinces into France, but the
Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
and ultimately the Battle of Vitoria made those plans impossible. The
Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...
was one of the main sites of battles during the
First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...
, a civil war between supporters of the Spanish regent Maria Christina, known as liberals, and those of the late king's brother Carlos of Borbón, known as Carlists. The
Carlists Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – ...
were particularly focused on capturing Bilbao, a liberal and economic bastion in northern Spain. The Carlist general
Tomás de Zumalacárregui Tomás de Zumalacárregui e Imaz (Basque: Tomas Zumalakarregi Imatz; 29 December 178824 June 1835), known among his troops as "Uncle Tomás", was a Spanish Basque officer who lead the Carlist faction as Captain general of the Army during the Firs ...
tried to take the city during the siege of Bilbao of 1835, but he was wounded during a battle near Begoña and died some time after in the town of Zegama. The next year, the city resisted a second siege during which the liberal general
Baldomero Espartero Baldomero Fernández-Espartero y Álvarez de Toro (27 February 17938 January 1879) was a Spanish marshal and statesman. He served as the Regent of the Realm, three times as Prime Minister and briefly as President of the Congress of Deputies. ...
defeated the Carlists in the Battle of Luchana. The city was untouched by the
Second Carlist War The Second Carlist War, or the War of the Matiners (Catalan for "early-risers," so-called from the harassing action that took place at the earliest hours of the morning), was a civil war occurring in Spain. Some historians consider it a direct ...
, which took place mostly in
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
, but was again an important scenario during the
Third Carlist War The Third Carlist War ( es, Tercera Guerra Carlista) (1872–1876) was the last Carlist War in Spain. It is sometimes referred to as the "Second Carlist War", as the earlier "Second" War (1847–1849) was smaller in scale and relatively trivial ...
; in April 1874 the city suffered a third siege which lasted two months. Despite the warfare, Bilbao prospered during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when it rose as the economic centre of the Basque Country. It was during this time that the railway first arrived to the city and the Bank of Bilbao (which later would go on to become the BBVA) was founded, as well as the Bilbao Stock Exchange. Steelmaking industries flourished with the creation of many new factories, including the Santa Ana de Bolueta and the
Altos Hornos de Vizcaya Altos Hornos de Vizcaya, S.A. was a Spanish metallurgy manufacturing company. It was the largest company in Spain for much of the 20th century, employing 40,000 workers at its height. The business began in 1902 in Bilbao with the merger of three ...
in 1902. The city was modernised with new avenues and walkways, as well as with new modern buildings such as the City Hall building, the Basurto Hospital and the Arriaga Theatre. The population increased dramatically, from 11,000 in 1880 to 80,000 in 1900. Social movements also arose, notably Basque nationalism under
Sabino Arana Sabino Policarpo Arana Goiri (in Spanish), Sabin Polikarpo Arana Goiri (in Basque), or Arana ta Goiri'taŕ Sabin (self-styled) (26 January 1865 – 25 November 1903), was a Basque writer and the founder of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) ...
, which in the subsequent decades would grow to become the
Basque Nationalist Party The Basque Nationalist Party (, EAJ ; es, Partido Nacionalista Vasco, PNV; french: Parti Nationaliste Basque, PNB; EAJ-PNV), officially Basque National Party in English,) was rejected by party members in November 2011. Nonetheless, the party did ...
.


Civil war and Francoist dictatorship

The
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
in Bilbao started with a number of small uprisings suppressed by the Republican forces. On 31 August 1936, the city suffered its first bombing, with a series of air bombs dropped by
Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
airplanes. In September, the Nationalists distributed pamphlets threatening further bombing if the city did not give up, which finally took place on 25 September when German planes, in coordination with Francoist forces, dropped at least a hundred bombs on the city. In May 1937, the Nationalist army besieged the town. The battle lasted until 19 June of that year, when Lieutenant Colonel Putz was ordered to destroy all bridges over the estuary, and the troops of the 5th Brigade took the borough from the mountains Malmasin, Pagasarri, and Arnotegi. With the war over, Bilbao returned to its industrial development, accompanied by steady population growth. In the 1940s, the city was rebuilt, starting with the bridges and by 1948, the first commercial flight took off from the local
airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
. Over the next decade, there was a revival of the iron industry, which became a strategic industrial sector in Spain, as a consequence of the economic model promoted by Francoism. The city received migrants from other Spanish regions looking to work in the iron industry. The demand for housing outstripped supply, and workers built slums on the hillsides.Quiroga 2001: 96 It was in this context that the first social movements arose and the strike of the ''Euskalduna'' shipyard in 1947 was the first one to take place during the Francoist dictatorship. In this environment of social repression, on 31 July 1959 the separatist organisation
ETA Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...
was created from Basque nationalist movements. During the 1960s the city was the scenario of several urban projects, with the creation of new neighbourhoods like Otxarkoaga and the motorway to the French border. In June 1968 the University of Bilbao, the first public university, was established. It would later be integrated into the University of the Basque Country.


Democracy and urban renewal

After the end of
Francoist Spain Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
and the establishment of a
constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
, in a process known in Spain as the transition, Bilbao was able to hold democratic elections again. This time Basque nationalists rose to power. With the approval of the Statute of Autonomy of the Basque Country in 1979,
Vitoria-Gasteiz es, vitoriano, vitoriana, , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
was elected the seat of the government and therefore the ''de facto'' capital of the Basque Autonomous Community, although Bilbao was larger and more powerful economically. In the 1980s, several factors such as labor demands and the arrival of cheap labor from abroad led to a devastating industrial crisis. On 26 August 1983 during the celebration of the local festivities known as '' Aste Nagusia'', the estuary overflowed up to five metres in some areas due to the continuous raining, killing two people and causing important destructions in the city's infrastructure, with a total economic cost that reached 60,000 million pesetas (around 360 million
Euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
) Since the mid-1990s, Bilbao has been in a process of deindustrialization and transition to a service economy, supported by investment in infrastructure and
urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
, starting with the opening of the
Bilbao Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. The museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Sp ...
(the so-called ''Guggenheim effect''), and continuing with the
Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall (''Palacio Euskalduna'' in Spanish, ''Euskalduna Jauregia'' in Basque) is located in the city of Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain), beside the Estuary of Bilbao, built in part of the area that was fo ...
,
Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculpt ...
's
Zubizuri The Zubizuri (Basque for "''white bridge''"), also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge links th ...
, the metro network by Norman Foster, the
tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
, the Iberdrola Tower and the
Zorrozaurre Zorrotzaurre ( es, Zorrozaurre) is an artificial island located within the Deusto district of Bilbao, Spain. History It was first formed as a peninsula during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the estuar ...
development plan, among others. Many officially supported associations such as Bilbao Metrópoli-30 and Bilbao Ría 2000 were created to monitor these projects.


Geography


Location

Bilbao is located near the northern edge of the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
, about from the
Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
. It covers an area of , of which are urban and the remaining consist of the surrounding mountains. The official average altitude is , although there are measurements between and . It is also the core of the '' comarca'' of Greater Bilbao. It is surrounded by the municipalities of Derio,
Etxebarri Etxebarri, Doneztebeko Elizatea ( es, Etxebarri, Anteiglesia de San Esteban) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Basque Community, in the North of Spain. Since 13 January 2005, the name of "Etxebarri ...
, Galdakao,
Loiu , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST = CEST , utc ...
,
Sondika Sondika (Spanish, ''Sondica'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Situated directly south of the runway of Bilbao Airport, it is the location of Bilbao Bri ...
, and Zamudio to the north; Arrigorriaga and Basauri to the west; Alonsotegi to the south; and Barakaldo and Erandio to the east. Bilbao is located on the Basque threshold, the range between the larger Cantabrian Mountains and the
Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
. Gómez Piñeiro 1979: 38 The soil is predominantly composed of
mesozoic The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceo ...
materials (
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
,
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
, and
marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...
) sedimented over a primitive
paleozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ' ...
base. The relief of the province is dominated by NW-SE and WNW-ESE oriented folds. The main fold is the
anticline In structural geology, an anticline is a type of fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest beds at its core, whereas a syncline is the inverse of an anticline. A typical anticline is convex up in which the hinge or crest is the ...
of Bilbao which runs from the municipality of Elorrio to
Galdames Galdames () is a valley, town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Main sights are Santa Maria Magdalena and Arenaza caves, both situated in Triano mountain range an ...
. Inside Bilbao there are two secondary folds, one in the northeast, composed of Mounts
Artxanda Mount Artxanda ( eu, Artxanda mendia; es, Monte Archanda) 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 (at no more than 300 m.), the closer one to ...
, Avril, Banderas, Pikota, San Bernabé, and Cabras; and other in the south, composed of Mounts Kobetas, Restaleku,
Pagasarri Pagasarri ( Basque language name meaning 'thick forest of beech') is one of the two small mountain ranges that encloses the city of Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain and is part of the Basque Mountains. Its main peak separates the municipality of Bil ...
and Arraiz. The highest point in the municipality is Mount Ganeta, of , followed by Mount Pagasarri, of , both on the border with Alonsotegi.


Hydrology

The main river system of Bilbao is also the hydrological artery of Biscay. The rivers
Nervión , name_etymology = , image = Nervion.jpg , image_size = 300px , image_caption = River Nervion with Zubizuri footbridge. , map = , map_size = , map_caption = , pushpin_map ...
and
Ibaizabal The Ibaizabal (''wide river'' in Basque) is a river that drains southeastern Biscay to the Estuary of Bilbao. It is long from its source at Elorrio to the Nervión, and it passes by the towns of Durango and Amorebieta and joins the Nervión rive ...
converge in Basauri and form an
estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
named variously "
estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...
", "of the Nervión", "of the Ibaizabal", or "of the Nervión-Ibaizabal". The estuary runs for and with a low flow (with an average of per second). Its main tributary is the river
Cadagua The Cadagua or Kadagua River 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 tow ...
, which rises in the Mena valley and has a basin of , mostly lying in the neighboring province of
Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
. This river is also the natural border between Bilbao and Barakaldo. The river has frequently suffered from human intervention, as seen in the dredging of its bottom, the building of docks on both banks and especially in the Deusto canal, an artificial
waterway A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary b ...
dug between 1950 and 1968 in the district of Deusto as a lateral canal, with the aim of facilitating navigation, sparing ships from the natural curves of the estuary. The project was stopped with 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 Zorrotzaurre ( es, Zorrozaurre) is an artificial island located within the Deusto district of Bilbao, Spain. History It was first formed as a peninsula during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the estuar ...
. This human intervention has also brought negative results in the quality of the water, after decades of toxic waste dumping causing 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 a dumping ban and natural regeneration. now it is possible to observe
algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...
, tonguefishes, crabs, and
seabird Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are 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 enviro ...
s, as well as occasional bathers in the summer months. The estuary is also a natural border for several neighbourhoods and districts within the borough. Entering the municipality from the west it separates the districts of Begoña and Ibaiondo, then Abando and Uribarri and lastly Deusto and
Basurto-Zorroza Basurto-Zorroza (or Basurtu-Zorrotza) is the eighth district of the city of Bilbao (Biscay), in the Spanish Basque Country. It is divided into the neighbourhoods of Altamira, Basurto, Olabeaga, Masustegui-Monte Caramelo and Zorrotza. It is se ...
.


Climate

Its proximity to the
Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
gives Bilbao an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(''Cfb''), with precipitation occurring throughout the year and without a well-defined dry summer. Precipitation is abundant, and given the latitude and atmospheric dynamics, rainy days represent 45% and cloudy days 40% of the annual total. The rainiest season is between October and April, November being the wettest. Snow is not frequent in Bilbao, although 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. Bilbao is nearest to the subtropical boundary of all the Atlantic coastal cities in the country with an August daily mean of . There is also a drying trend in summer with only around of rainfall in July – but not dry enough to be considered Mediterranean. The proximity of the ocean also means that the two best defined seasons (summer and winter) remain mild, with low intensity thermal oscillations. Average maximum temperatures vary between in the summer months, while the average minimum in winter is between . Extreme record observations in Bilbao are maximum (on 26 July 1947) and minimum (on 3 February 1963). The maximum precipitation in a day was on 26 August 1983 when severe flooding was caused by the Nervión river.


Demographics

According to the
Basque Statistics Office The Basque Statistics Office (''Eustat'') is an autonomous agency of the Basque Government answering to the Department for the Economy and the Treasury, founded on 25 November 1986 pursuant to the Basque Government Decree 251/1986. Its mission is ...
, the population of Bilbao is 342,397 people as of 2017, distributed on a land area of , making Bilbao the largest city by population of the Basque Autonomous Community and of the
Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...
as a whole. Bilbao makes the main component of the Bilbao metropolitan area, with a population of 1,037,847 people. The first credible data on the population of Bilbao are post-1550. Gómez Piñeiro 1979: 96 It is known that in 1530
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
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 being especially devastating. This trend for periodic reverses in population growth was maintained until the nineteenth century. Since then, Bilbao has experienced an exponential growth in population thanks to industrialisation. After a peak of 433,115 inhabitants in 1982, the municipalities of the
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 Larrabetzu is a town and mu ...
valley were removed from Bilbao, with the corresponding loss of their population. Spanish is the most spoken language in the city, followed by the vernacular Basque language. According to the city government of Bilbao, at least 51% of the population can speak "some Basque", while 29% consider themselves to be fluent.


Migration

Out of the 355,731 people residing in Bilbao in 2009, only 114,220 (32.1%) were born inside the municipality. Of the remainder, 114,908 were born in other Biscayan towns, while 9,545 were born in the other two Basque provinces; 85,789 came from the rest of Spain (mainly Castile-León and Galicia), and 33,537 were foreigners. There are 127 different nationalities registered in Bilbao, although 60 of them represent fewer than 10 people each. The largest foreign communities are Bolivians and Colombians, with 4,879 and 3,730 respectively. Other nationalities with more than 1,000 inhabitants are Romanians (2,248), Moroccans (2,058), Ecuadorians (1,832), Chinese (1,390), Brazilians (1,273) and Paraguayans, with 1,204.


Government

The city of Bilbao is the capital of the
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
and as such it is home of the administrative entities that pertain to the provincial administration, both from the autonomous and central governments. Settled in the city are the provincial delegations of the different departments of the Basque autonomous government, each coordinated by a representative. In addition, the Government of Spain has the official Government Subdelegation in the city.


Municipal government

Bilbao is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
and has a mayor-council government system. The municipal government is elected for four-year terms by
universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stanc ...
and it is divided into two branches, executive and legislative. The legislative side consists of a municipal plenum composed of 29
councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...
s. These councillors represent the different political parties elected in the local elections, for which can vote all residents registered in the city who are citizens of Spain or of any member state of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. The executive branch is composed of the mayor and a board of governors. The number of members of the board cannot be more than a third the number of members of the legislative plenum and the mayor can appoint them at his or her own discretion. Since 1892 the seat of the government has been the
Bilbao City Hall The City Hall of the borough 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 building was built in 1892 by Joaquín Rucoba ...
, located on the centric Ernesto Erkoreka plaza and by the
Estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...
. It is the fourth city hall building to have been used since the year 1300. The first three city halls were located by the San Antón Church but were destroyed due to floodings. The current building was designed by the Spanish architect Joaquín Rucoba in
Baroque style The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
and was built in the former site of the San Agustín Monastery, which was destroyed during the
First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Monarchy of Spain, Spanish monarchy: the conservative a ...
. Since the
Spanish transition to democracy Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
, the city has been governed by the
Basque Nationalist Party The Basque Nationalist Party (, EAJ ; es, Partido Nacionalista Vasco, PNV; french: Parti Nationaliste Basque, PNB; EAJ-PNV), officially Basque National Party in English,) was rejected by party members in November 2011. Nonetheless, the party did ...
, often with support of the
Socialist Party of the Basque Country Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
. Iñaki Azkuna served as mayor from 1999 until his passing in 2014, when he was replaced by
Ibon Areso Ibon Areso Mendiguren (May 20, 1944) is a Spanish politician and architect. He was the mayor of Bilbao between March 2014 and June 2015. He became mayor upon the death of Iñaki Azkuna.http://www.bilbao.net/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1279134417436 ...
. Azkuna was awarded the World Mayor prize in 2012. Since the 2019 municipal election, the councillors of the plenum have the following political distribution: 14 seats for the Basque Nationalist Party, 5 seats for the Socialist Party of the Basque Country, 4 seats for the EH Bildu coalition, 3 seats for Udalberri and 3 seats for the People's Party. The mayor is
Juan Mari Aburto Juan María Aburto Rike (born 28 March 1961) is a Spanish politician of the Basque Nationalist Party. He was elected Mayor of Bilbao, mayor of Bilbao in 2015. Biography Born in Bilbao, Aburto graduated in Law from the University of Deusto in 198 ...
, chosen with 19 votes from the Basque Nationalist Party and the Socialist party. 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 Sant may refer to: People * Alfred Sant (born 1948), Maltese politician * Andrew Sant (born 1950), English-born Australian poet * David Sant (born 1968), Catalan director, actor and writer * Indira Sant (1914–2000), Indian poet * James Sant ( ...
.


Districts

The municipality is divided into eight districts (Basque: ''barrutia'') which are further subdivided into 34 neighbourhoods (Basque: ''auzoa''). Most of the districts and neighbourhoods were former independent municipalities and elizates that were eventually annexed into the city. Originally, the city of Bilbao comprised the Old Town and some houses on the left side of the estuary, today known as
Bilbao la Vieja Bilbao La Vieja in Spanish, "Old Bilbao" in English and Bilbo Zaharra in Basque. It is a neighbourhood of Bilbao and part of the 5th district of the city (Ibaiondo). Location In the city center, it lies right across the estuary, on the left b ...
. The first expansion included the annexation of the elizate of Begoña and the river side of Uribarri. In the 19th century the merge of Abando into the city brought along small neighbourhoods of farm houses and hamlets that were clustered close to the former municipality's town hall and the
Mount Cobetas Mount Cobetas (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Monte ...
, such as Errekalde and Basurto. Starting in the 20th century it started annexing the elizates on the right bank of the river, including Begoña and Deusto. In the decade of 1960 as an effort to stop the increasing problem of
slum A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...
s, new neighbourhoods were created from the ground up, among them Otxarkoaga and Txurdinaga, which were joined together as a new district, Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga in the decade of 1990.


Economy

The Bilbao metropolitan area comprises about 47% of the total population of the Basque autonomous community, out of which a 15% is registered in the municipality of Bilbao. The '' comarca'' of Greater Bilbao, in which the city occupies a central position, has a
GDP per capita Lists of countries by GDP per capita list the countries in the world by their gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. The lists may be based on nominal or purchasing power parity GDP. Gross national income (GNI) per capita accounts for inflows ...
of €30,860, higher than the Spanish and European Union averages. The Bilbao metropolitan area has a nominal GDP amounting to $36,9 billion. Bilbao has been the economic centre of the Basque autonomous community since the original establishment of the
Consulate of the Sea The Consulate of the Sea ( ca, Consolat de mar; ) 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. The term may also refer to a celebrated co ...
in the city in the 16th century, mostly thanks to the commerce in Castilian products on the town's
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
. It was in the 19th century when the city experimented its biggest economic development, mainly based on the exploitation of the nearby iron mines and
siderurgy An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloomeri ...
, both of which promoted maritime traffic and port activity and eventually the development of a very important shipbuilding industry.http://www.bilbao.net/nuevobilbao/jsp/bilbao/pwegb010.jsp?idioma=C&color=rojo&padre=, HT&tema=FBS&subtema=10&padresub=*M4&textarea=*M4


Banking

Banking became an important sector with the establishment of the Bank of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Banco de Bilbao'') in 1857 and the Bank of Biscay (Spanish: ''Banco de Vizcaya'') in 1901. These two entities merged in 1988 creating the BBV, which finally merged with Argentaria bank in 1999, creating the current multinational corporation, the BBVA. The savings banks that were established locally, the Municipal Savings Bank of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Bilbao'') in 1907 and the Provincial Savings Bank of Biscay (Spanish: ''Caja de Ahorros Provincial de Vizcaya'') in 1921, would merge in 1990 to form the
Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (BBK) (Basque for 'Bilbao Biscay Savings Bank') was a Spanish savings bank based in the province of Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. Its full name was Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa, Aurrezki Kutxa eta Bahitetxea (in Spanish Caja B ...
(BBK), which would marge again in 2012 with other Basque financial entities (
Kutxa The Kutxa (pronounced ; short for eu, Gipuzkoa eta Donostiako Aurrezki Kutxa "Savings Bank of Gipuzkoa and San Sebastián") is a savings bank mainly operating within a regional scope in the Gipuzkoa province of Spain. Its Spanish name is ''Caja ...
and Caja Vital Kutxa) to form Kutxabank. There is also the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation of Bilbao and the Stock Exchange Market of Bilbao, founded in 1890.


Port

The historical port was located in what is today an area called the Arenal, a few steps from the old city, until the late 19th century. In 1902, an exterior port was built at the mouth of the estuary, in the coastal municipality of
Santurtzi Santurtzi ( es, Santurce; eu, 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, 14 km dow ...
. Further extensions to the outer port, which became called "the super-port", led to the final move of the city portuary facilities in the 1970s, finally replacing the docks in the centre of the city, with the exception of those located in the neighbourhood of Zorrotza, still active. 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. At the close of 2009 cargo movements amounted to 31.6 million tonnes, Russia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries being the main markets. In the first semester of 2008, it received over 67,000 passengers and 2,770 ships. This activity contributed 419 million euros to the Basque GDP and maintains almost 10,000 jobs.


Mining and ironworks

Iron is the main and most abundant
raw material A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feedst ...
found in
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
, and its extraction has been legally regulated since 1526. Mining was the main primary activity in Bilbao and the minerals, of great quality, were exported to all over
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. It was not until the second half of the nineteenth century that an ironworks industry was developed, benefiting from the resources and the city's good communication links. In the 20th century, both Spanish and European capitals imported around 90% of the iron from Biscay. Although World War I made Bilbao one of the main ironworks powers, a subsequent crisis prompted a decline in the activity.


Tourism

The first notion of Bilbao as a tourist destination came with the inauguration of the railway between Bilbao and the coastal neighbourhood of
Las Arenas Areeta (''Las Arenas'' in Spanish) is a neighbourhood of Getxo (Biscay, Basque Country, Spain). It is an affluent residential area that was built over the sands of a beach where the Gobela Creek died into a diffuse delta at the mouth of the Estuary ...
, in the municipality of
Getxo Getxo () is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in Spain. It is part of Greater Bilbao, and has 77,946 inhabitants (2019). Getxo is mostly an affluent residential area, as well as being the ...
in 1872. The connection made Bilbao a minor beach destination. The real tourist surge though would come much later with the inauguration of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997. Thereafter tourist arrivals registered a continued upward trend, reaching over 932,000 visitors in 2018. The trend was exponential considering that in 1995, Bilbao only counted 25,000 tourists. Bilbao also hosts 31% of the total
Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...
visitors, being the top destination of this autonomous community, outranking
San Sebastián San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...
. The majority of tourists are domestic visitors, coming from
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
. International travellers are predominantly French, crossing the border just to the east. The others arrive from the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, and
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Tourism generates about 300 million euros yearly for the Biscayan GDP. Bilbao also draws
business tourism Business tourism or business travel is a more limited and focused subset of regular tourism. During business tourism (traveling), individuals are still working and being paid, but are doing so away from both their workplace and home. Some definiti ...
, having been equipped with facilities like the
Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall (''Palacio Euskalduna'' in Spanish, ''Euskalduna Jauregia'' in Basque) is located in the city of Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain), beside the Estuary of Bilbao, built in part of the area that was fo ...
, and the
Bilbao Exhibition Centre The Bilbao Exhibition Centre (commonly abbreviated as BEC) is an exhibition centre in Barakaldo, Basque Country, Spain. The current headquarters of the Feria de Muestras de Bilbao, its facilities are located on land formerly occupied by the Basque ...
, in nearby Barakaldo.


Stock exchange

Plans to create a
stock exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for th ...
market in Bilbao began in the early 19th century, even though it would not be realized until 21 July 1890. Bilbao's institution is one of the country's four regional stock exchanges, joining
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, and
Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
as Spain's commercial centres. It is owned by Bolsas y Mercados Españoles. The Bilbao Stock Exchange is considered a
secondary market The secondary market, also called the aftermarket and follow on public offering, is the financial market in which previously issued financial instruments such as stock, bonds, options, and futures are bought and sold. The initial sale of the s ...
.


Cityscape


Urban planning

In its beginnings, Bilbao only had three streets (''Somera'', ''Artecalle'', and ''Tendería'') surrounded by walls located where Ronda street now stands. Inside this enclosure, there was a small hermitage dedicated to the Apostle Saint James (the current St. James' Cathedral), which pilgrims visited on their way to Santiago de Compostela. In the fifteenth century, four more streets were built, forming the original ''
Zazpikaleak or in Spanish or or in Basque are different names for the medieval neighbourhood of Bilbao, part of the Ibaiondo district. The names mean ''Seven Streets'' or ''Old Town'' respectively and it used to be the walled part of the town until the e ...
'' 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, engineer 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 Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
'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 growth of the town was 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 Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
(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 against the original . It also featured a not so strict
grid pattern In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid. Two inherent characteristics of the grid plan, frequent intersections and orthogo ...
, a park to separate the industrial and residential areas and the
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 (Spain). History It's named after the founder of the city, Diego López de Haro V, lord of Biscay. It was conceived in 1876, when the extension ...
, the main thoroughfare, where many relevant buildings were located, such as the Biscay provincial government hall 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 part of Erandio became part of Bilbao. The last annexation took place in 1966, with the municipalities of
Loiu , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST = CEST , utc ...
,
Sondika Sondika (Spanish, ''Sondica'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Situated directly south of the runway of Bilbao Airport, it is the location of Bilbao Bri ...
, Derio, and Zamudio. This made Bilbao larger than ever, with . However, all these municipalities, with the exception of Deusto and Begoña regained their independence on 1 January 1983. On 18 May 2010, the government of Singapore awarded Bilbao the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, at the
World Cities Summit The World Cities Summit is an international conference series on public governance and the sustainable development of cities. 2008 The first World Cities Summit, which took place in Singapore from 23 to 25 June 2008, focused on the theme of ...
2010. It is considered the
Pritzker The Pritzker family is an American family engaged in entrepreneurship and philanthropy, and one of the wealthiest families in the United States of America (staying in the top 10 of ''Forbes'' magazine's "America's Richest Families" list since the ...
of
urbanism Urbanism is the study of how inhabitants of urban areas, such as towns and cities, interact with the built environment. It is a direct component of disciplines such as urban planning, which is the profession focusing on the physical design and m ...
.


Architecture

Bilbao's buildings display a variety of architectural styles, ranging from
gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
,
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
,
Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
, Neo-Gothic and contemporary architecture. The
Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
features many of the oldest buildings in the city, as the St. James' Cathedral or the
Church of San Antón The Church of San Antón is a Catholic church 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 o ...
, included in the borough'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 The Basilica of Begoña (or Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Begoña in Spanish) 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. Histo ...
, dedicated to the patron saint of the province,
Our Lady of Begoña The cult of Our Lady of Begoña (''Nuestra Señora de Begoña, la Madre de Dios de Begoña'') celebrates an apparition of the Virgin Mary at the site of the Basilica of Begoña, in Bilbao, Spain. Affectionately called "Amatxu" (meaning "little mo ...
. Seventeen bridges span the banks of the estuary inside the town's boundaries. Among the most interesting ones are the
Zubizuri The Zubizuri (Basque for "''white bridge''"), also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge links th ...
(Basque for "white bridge"), a pedestrian
footbridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
designed by
Santiago Calatrava Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculpt ...
opened in 1997, and the Princes of Spain Bridge, also known as "La Salve", a
suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...
opened in 1972 and redesigned by French conceptual artist
Daniel Buren Daniel Buren (born 25 March 1938, in Boulogne-Billancourt) is a French conceptual artist, painter, and sculptor. He has won numerous awards including the Golden Lion for best pavilion at the Venice Biennale (1986), the International Award for ...
in 2007. The
Deusto Bridge The Deusto Bridge () is a bascule bridge over the estuary of Bilbao. This bridge connects the districts of Abando and Deusto. History The bridge was inaugurated In December 1936, it had been commissioned to the engineers and in 1931. The bridge ...
is a bascule bridge opened in 1936 and modelled after the
Michigan Avenue Bridge The DuSable Bridge (formerly the Michigan Avenue Bridge) is a bascule bridge that carries Michigan Avenue across the main stem of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States. The bridge was proposed in the early 20th century as ...
, in Chicago. Between 1890 and 1893 the first
transporter bridge A transporter bridge, also known as a ferry bridge or aerial transfer bridge, is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been use ...
(''" Puente Colgante"'') in the world on the Nervion river, between Portugalete and
Getxo Getxo () is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in Spain. It is part of Greater Bilbao, and has 77,946 inhabitants (2019). Getxo is mostly an affluent residential area, as well as being the ...
, was built by
Alberto Palacio Alberto de Palacio y Elissague (1856-1939) was a Spanish engineer and architect born in Sare ( Northern Basque Country) and grown up in Gordexola.Guggenheim Museum, located in what was an old dock and wood warehouse. The building, designed by
Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are considered ...
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 The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1937 by philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim and his long-time art advisor, artist Hilla von Rebay. The foundation is a leading institution for the collection, preserv ...
modern art collection. Another example is the
Azkuna Zentroa Azkuna Zentroa (Basque for ''Azkuna Centre''), previously known as 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 ...
, a wine warehouse built in 1909 and completely redesigned in 2010 by French designer
Philippe Starck Philippe Starck (; born 18 January 1949) is a French industrial architect and designer known for his wide range of designs, including interior design, architecture, household objects, furniture, boats and other vehicles. Life Starck was born on ...
into a multi-purpose venue that consists of a cinema multiplex, a fitness centre, a library, and a restaurant, among other spaces. The Abandoibarra area is also being renovated, and it features not only the Guggenheim Museum, but also
Arata Isozaki Arata Isozaki (磯崎 新, ''Isozaki Arata''; born 23 July 1931) is a Japanese architect, urban designer, and theorist from Ōita. He was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1986 and the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2019. Biography Isozaki was ...
's tower complex, the
Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall (''Palacio Euskalduna'' in Spanish, ''Euskalduna Jauregia'' in Basque) is located in the city of Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain), beside the Estuary of Bilbao, built in part of the area that was fo ...
and the Iberdrola Tower, designed by
Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
architect
César Pelli César Pelli (October 12, 1926 – July 19, 2019) was an Argentine-American architect who designed some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. Two of his most notable buildings are the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur a ...
which is, since its completion in 2011, the Basque Country's tallest skyscraper, high.
Zorrozaurre Zorrotzaurre ( es, Zorrozaurre) is an artificial island located within the Deusto district of Bilbao, Spain. History It was first formed as a peninsula during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the estuar ...
is the next area to be redeveloped, following a 2007 master plan designed by Iraqi architect
Zaha Hadid Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid ( ar, زها حديد ''Zahā Ḥadīd''; 31 October 1950 – 31 March 2016) was an Iraqi-British architect, artist and designer, recognised as a major figure in architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centu ...
. This peninsula was transformed into a island and will feature residential and commercial buildings, as well as the new BBK seat.


Parks and gardens

, Bilbao has 18
public parks A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...
inside its limits, totalling of green spaces. Furthermore its
green belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which hav ...
has a total area of , of which are urbanized. The largest parks are
Mount Cobetas Mount Cobetas (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Monte ...
, of , and Larreagaburu, of , both located on the outskirts. The Doña Casilda Iturrizar park is located in the district of Abando, near the town centre and covers an area of . It is named after a local benefactress who donated the grounds to the borough. 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 A pergola is most commonly an outdoor 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. The ...
, 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 Etxeberria (, modern Basque spelling) is a Basque language placename and surname from the Basque Country in Spain and France, meaning 'the new house'. It shows one meaningful variant, Etxeberri (no Basque article ''–a'', 'the'), and a number ...
was built in the 1980s in the place where a steel mill previously stood. The original chimney was maintained as a homage of its industrial past. It covers an area of , on a sloped terrain that overlooks the Old Town. Other relevant public spaces inside the city include the
Europa Park Europa-Park is the largest theme park in Germany, and the second most popular theme park in Europe, after Disneyland Paris. Europa-Park is located in Rust, south-western Germany, between Freiburg im Breisgau and Strasbourg (in neighbouring Franc ...
, the Miribilla Park, or the
Memorial Walkway A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...
, a long walkway, with high lamps, located in the left bank of the estuary and that connects the main sights.
Mount Artxanda Mount Artxanda ( eu, Artxanda mendia; es, Monte Archanda) 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 (at no more than 300 m.), the closer one to ...
is easily accessible from the town centre by a
funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...
. There is a recreational area at the summit, with restaurants, a sports complex and a balcony with panoramic views. In the south, Mount Pagasarri receives hundreds of
hikers Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
every weekend since the 1870s, who seek its natural wonders. Its environment is officially protected since 2007.


Culture

Bilbao was appointed a "City of Design" by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
in 2014 and has been part of the Creative Cities Network since then.


Theaters

The main hall of the city is the Arriaga Theater, reopened in 1985 as a municipal venue with a varied repertoire that includes dancing, opera, live music and theatre. Also very active are the Campos Elíseos Theater and the Euskalduna Concert Hall. Other important venues include La Fundición, dedicated to contemporary dances and theatre; the Pabellón 6, the Sala BBK and the
Azkuna Zentroa Azkuna Zentroa (Basque for ''Azkuna Centre''), previously known as 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 ...
.


Museums

Bilbao has more than a dozen museums covering a range of fields including art, science, and sport, which have played a central role in Bilbao being named one of the most creative cities in the world. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, part of the
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1937 by philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim and his long-time art advisor, artist Hilla von Rebay. The foundation is a leading institution for the collection, preserv ...
, was inaugurated on 19 October 1997 and is work of the Canadian architect
Frank Gehry Frank Owen Gehry, , FAIA (; ; born ) is a Canadian-born American architect and designer. A number of his buildings, including his private residence in Santa Monica, California, have become world-renowned attractions. His works are considered ...
. The museum's permanent collection is centered in the visual arts of the second half of the 20th century and the present, with relevant artworks from Richard Serra and Jeff Koons, although including as well temporary exhibitions with a more varied nature, like Russian art or engravings from
Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer (; ; hu, Ajtósi Adalbert; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer (without an umlaut) or Due ...
. Another important museum is the
Bilbao Fine Arts Museum The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum (Spanish: ''Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao'', Basque: ''Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa'') is an art museum located in the city of Bilbao, Spain. The building of the museum is located entirely inside the city's Doña Casild ...
, first established in 1908 and housing a notable collection of Spanish and European work from the 12th century to present times. The collection from before the 20th century is centered mainly around Spanish and Flemish artists such as
El Greco Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos ( el, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco ("The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El G ...
, Francisco de Zurbarán,
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ( , ; late December 1617, baptized January 1, 1618April 3, 1682) was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporar ...
,
Francisco Goya Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (; ; 30 March 174616 April 1828) was a Spanish romantic painter and printmaker. He is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His paintings, drawings, and ...
and
Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh c ...
. The museum also holds one of the best collections of Basque art, with works from the 19th century to present times. It has an eye-catching collection of
Avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
art, from the Post-Impressionism of
Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (, ; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French Post-Impressionist artist. Unappreciated until after his death, Gauguin is now recognized for his experimental use of colour and Synthetist style that were distinct fr ...
to Pop art and the expressionism of
Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...
. The Basque Museum showcases Basque archaeology and ethnography, and holds frequent exhibitions in the area of Basque history. The museum building itself is part of the heritage listing ''
Conjunto histórico In Spain, the legal designation ''Conjunto histórico'' (formerly ''Conjunto Histórico-Artístico'' or "Historic-Artistic Grouping") is part of the national system of heritage listing. It is applied to buildings in a given locality. It is typicall ...
''. The city also has several specialised museums, like the Maritime Museum Estuary of Bilbao (''Bilboko Itsasadarra Itsas Museoa''), located next to the
Estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...
, which holds ships and other collection related to the region's fishing and shipbuilding culture, being particularly relevant the ''Carola'' crane, last remaining element of the
Euskalduna Euskalduna de Construcción y Reparación de Buques de Bilbao (shortened to Euskalduna) was an engineering company specialising in ship construction, later rail and road vehicles. The company was based in Bilbao, Spain and operated from 1900 until ...
shipyard that existed where the museum now stands. Other relevant museums are the Biscayan Archeological Museum (''Arkeologi Museoa'') which holds important collections related to the region's prehistory, and the Diocesan Museum of Religious Art (''Eleiz Museoa''), both located in the Casco Viejo quarter.


Music

The Euskalduna Concert Hall is home to frequent musical performances and it is home of the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra (''
Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa (BOS) (Spanish: Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao, unofficial English translation: Bilbao Symphony Orchestra) is a symphony orchestra based in Bilbao, Basque Country. History The orchestra's first concert was on May 8, ...
'') and the opera season programmed by the ABAO (Bilbao Association of Friends of the Opera). The Arriaga Theater is frequently the host of numerous musical events, other notable stages include the Philharmonic Society of Bilbao (chamber music) and Bilborock (pop and rock music). The city hosts many different musical festivities, often funded by the city hall. Due to its scope, it is especially relevant the
Bilbao BBK Live Bilbao BBK Live is a rock and pop music festival that takes place annually in the city of Bilbao, Spain. Since its beginnings, the festival is held in its entirety on a special complex built specifically for the event on the slopes of Mount Cob ...
festival, which has been celebrated every year since 2006 and focuses on Basque, Spanish and international pop and rock music. Since the opening of the new San Mamés Stadium in 2013, it has been often used as an open-air concert venue, the first ever concert being one from the American band
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...
in 2017. Other relevant music festivals include the ''Bilbao Distrito Jazz'' and the ''Bilbao Ars Sacrum'', the latter dedicated to
religious music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...
. Bilbao is the birthplace of famous composer
Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio de Arriaga y Balzola (27 January 1806 – 17 January 1826) was a Spanish Basque people, Basque composer. He was nicknamed "the Spanish Mozart" after he died, because, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, he was both a chi ...
, who lived his formative years in the city before moving to Paris at age 15. Also native from Bilbao were the
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
singer Josefa Cruz de Gassier and Natividad Álvarez, nicknamed ''Nati, la bilbainita'' (Spanish for "Nati, the little one from Bilbao") a dancer and castanets player who achieved national fame in the early 20th century. Also relevant is the Bilbao Choir Society ('' Bilboko Koral Elkartea''), established in 1866. Important musical bands coming from the city include rock band ''
Fito & Fitipaldis Fito & Fitipaldis () is a Spanish rock band, formed in 1998. It was created by Fito Cabrales with the intention of publishing songs which were not in the style of his other band, Platero y Tú. Its style is a mix of rock, soul, swing, and oth ...
'', Basque
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...
band ''
Oskorri Oskorri is a folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and medi ...
'' and folk-pop band ''
Mocedades Mocedades () is a Spanish singing group from the Basque Country, who represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 with the hit song "Eres Tú". Since June 2014, ''Mocedades'' has been the name of two bands: one with Izaskun Uranga ...
''. Bilbao hosted the
2018 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2018 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) was held at the Bizkaia Arena ( Bilbao Exhibition Centre) in Barakaldo, part of Greater Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain, on 4 November 2018. The ceremony's host was Hailee Steinfeld. Thi ...
.


Festivals and events

Bilbao hosts several regular festivals and events. The most relevant is the Big Week of the city ('' Aste Nagusia''), celebrated annually since 1978 and lasting nine days. It is the city's main festival, attracting over 1,500,000 people every year. The festivities begin on the first Saturday before 22 August, and during those nine days the city hall organises a series of cultural events of diverse kind, including concerts, stage plays, Basque rural sports and
bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
, as well as nightly firework displays. The festivities begin with the ''chupinazo'' or ''txupinazo'', which is the launch of a small rocket, and the reading of a proclamation by the festivities' herald. The central point of the festivities is the place around the ''txosnas'', where the different '' konpartsak'' are reunited, organised by neighbourhood associations as well as cultural, social and political groups. The symbol of the festivities is ''Marijaia'', a large doll which is burned during the last day of celebrations. Beyond the main festivities of the ''Aste Nagusia'', the city also celebrates some minor festivities, many of them religious in nature, such as Saint Agatha on 5 February, the celebrations of
Our Lady of Begoña The cult of Our Lady of Begoña (''Nuestra Señora de Begoña, la Madre de Dios de Begoña'') celebrates an apparition of the Virgin Mary at the site of the Basilica of Begoña, in Bilbao, Spain. Affectionately called "Amatxu" (meaning "little mo ...
on 11 October, the Day of
Thomas the Apostle Thomas the Apostle ( arc, 𐡀𐡌𐡅𐡕𐡌, hbo, תוֹמא הקדוש or תוֹמָא שליחא (''Toma HaKadosh'' "Thomas the Holy" or ''Toma Shlikha'' "Thomas the Messenger/Apostle" in Hebrew-Aramaic), syc, ܬܐܘܡܐ, , meaning "twi ...
on 21 December and the Christmas festivities, centered around the figure of Olentzero. There are also festivities in the different neighbourhoods and districts which are celebrated locally, such as the ''Fiestas del Carmen'' in Santutxu and Indautxu, ''Fiestas Santiago'' in Bilbao la Vieja, ''Fiestas San Ignacio'' in San Inazio and ''Fiestas San Roque'' in Arxtanda and Larraskitu. The city also hosts the International Festival of Documentary and Short Film under the commercial name of Zinebi. It was first held in 1959 under the name International Festival of Ibero-American and Filipino Documentary Film of Bilbao, with the goal of being complementary to the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Since 1981 it is organised by the city hall and takes place in the Arriaga Theatre. Bilbao is also the host of the SAIL in Festival, a yearly event centered exclusively around sailing, which brings together international representatives of this sport.


Cuisine

Traditional Bilbao dishes are centered around products from the sea and the estuary, such as eels and
cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
. For the most part Bilbao shares its original gastronomy with that of the province of
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
, including dishes such as ''bacalao al pil pil'' (cod fish cooked with olive oil, garlic and guindilla peppers), ''bacalao a la vizcaína'' (salted cod with Biscayan sauce, mostly made of ''choricero'' peppers and onions), ''merluza en salsa verde'' (hake fish with
green sauce Green sauce or greensauce is a family of cold, uncooked sauces based on chopped herbs, including the Spanish and Italian ''salsa verde'', the French ''sauce verte'', the German ''Grüne Soße'' or ''Frankfurter Grie Soß'' (Frankfurt dialect), ...
), ''chipirones en su tinta'' (
squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...
served with its own ink), ''morros a la vizcaína'' (beef snouts with Biscayan sauce), ''revuelto de perretxikos'' (scrambled eggs with mushrooms) and desserts such as ''canutillos de Bilbao'' (puff pastries filled with custard or chocolate), ''
Pantxineta The pantxineta is a typical dessert of the Basque Country. It consists of a bun of puff-pastry filled with thick custard cream; it is topped with almonds and often decorated with icing sugar. History The Dictionary of Basque gastronomy defin ...
'' (puff pastries filled with custard and almonds), rice cakes and ''bollos de mantequilla'' (butter buns). Bilbao, as other Basque cities, is known for a variety of appetizers and snacks, being prominent among them the ''
pintxos A pincho (; literally "thorn" or "spike"), pintxo () or pinchu () is a small snack, typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country, Navarre, La Rioja, Cantabria, and Asturias. They are usually ...
'', which are typically eaten in bars and that consist of small slices of bread on top of which is placed an ingredient or mixture of ingredients, generally of many different types and usually including elements typical of Basque cuisine. Other snacks include ''rabas'' (fried or battered calamari rings, usually served with lemon slices), Spanish omelette (omelette made with eggs and potatoes, sometimes including onions and peppers), ' (stuffed mushrooms), ''triángulos'' (Bilbao-style sandwiches), ''gildas'' (one or more olives, a ''guindilla'' pepper and an anchovy joined together with a toothpick). In what refers to beverages, typical from the region is the ''
txakoli Txakoli (pronounced ) or chacolí (pronounced ) is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content produced in the Spanish Basque Country, Cantabria and northern Burgos in Spain. Further afield, Chile is als ...
'', a
white wine White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without skin contact. The wine color, colour can be straw-yellow, yellow-green, or yellow-gold. It is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of the non-coloured Juice vesicles, ...
usually drunk as an apéritif. Biscayan ''txakoli'' (''
Bizkaiko Txakolina Txakoli de Bizkaia – Bizkaiko Txakolina is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) ( eu, Jatorri Deitura Babestua) for wines, located in the province of Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain. The DOP includes vineyards from 82 different m ...
'') is a protected '' Denominación de origen'' for the white wine produced in the province of Biscay and it is usually served in Bilbao. Also typical are
cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...
, '' patxaran'' ( sloe-flavoured liqueur) and ''Rioja'' wine. There are many restaurants and bars who serve these dishes and beverages, especially around the Casco Viejo quarter. '' Txokos'' are also a very popular institution in Bilbao, as in other Basque cities and towns. Bilbao, and the province of Biscay as a whole, is one of the spanish cities with a greater number of recognized restaurants by the gastronomic guides, among them several Michelin-starred restaurants.


Language

The Spanish language is the most used language of the city, followed by the Basque language, which is vernacular to the region. The presence of Basque in the city is less prominent than in other municipalities of the region, such as Bermeo or Lekeitio. In 1986, the bilingual Basque-speaking population represented about 28% of the total. However, the number of Basque speakers has experienced a continuous increase since, reaching a number of 37% in 2001. More than half of the Basque speakers were younger than 30 and lived in the districts of Deusto, Begoña and Abando. According to the data from the 2016 census, the population older than 2 years old registered in the municipality of Bilbao who speaks fluently represents 29% of the total population, while those who can speak it with difficulty represent around 19.95% of the total. Finally, those who cannot speak or understand the language represent the remaining 51.06% of the census.


Transport


Roads and highways

Bilbao is a relevant transport hub for northern Spain. Bilbao is connected to three major motorways and a series of minor roads of national and provincial level. The city lies on two international roads, the European route E70 that follows the coast of the
Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...
and the cities of
Santander Santander may refer to: Places * Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain * Santander Department, a department of Colombia * Santander State, former state of Colombia * Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
and
Gijón Gijón () or () is a city and municipality in north-western Spain. It is the largest city and municipality by population in the autonomous community of Asturias. It is located on the coast of the Cantabrian Sea in the Bay of Biscay, in the cent ...
to the west and with Eibar,
San Sebastián San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...
and
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
to the east. The
European route E80 European route E 80, also known as Trans-European Motorway or TEM, is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from Lisbon, Portugal to Gürbulak, Turkey, on the border with Iran. The road connects 10 countries and has a length ...
connects the city with inner Spain to the south, including
Burgos Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos. Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
and Salamanca and continuing to
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, and
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
to the north. The AP-68 motorway (European road E-804) starts in the city, joining with
Vitoria-Gasteiz es, vitoriano, vitoriana, , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
, Logroño and ending in
Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
. The city is connected with the regions of Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia via the
A-8 A8, A08, A 8 or A-8 may refer to: Electronics * ARM Cortex-A8, a processor used in mobile devices * Apple A8, a 64-bit system on a chip (SoC) designed by Apple Inc. *AMD A8, an AMD Accelerated Processing Unit * Samsung Galaxy A8, various smartpho ...
motorway and with
Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...
, Eibar, San Sebastián and the French border via the
AP-8 The Autopista AP-8 is a highway (Highways in Spain, autopista) in the north of Spain and crosses the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Country from east to west. It is known as the Autopista del Cantábrico (highway of the Cantabria ...
motorway, which is a toll road. The AP-68 toll motorway to the south is the main road connecting Bilbao with southern Spain and the Mediterranean coast, connecting in Miranda de Ebro with the A-1 to
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and in Zaragoza with the AP-2 to
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. Minor roads passing through Bilbao or starting in the city itself include the national road N-634 which connects San Sebastián with Santiago de Compostela and runs parallel to the A-8 and AP-8 motorways. The regional road BI-631 connects Bilbao with Bermeo, while the BI-626 joins the city with
Balmaseda Balmaseda (in Basque and officially, in Spanish: ''Valmaseda'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country. Balmaseda is the capital city of the comarca of Enkarterri, in western Biscay and serves an impo ...
. The city is circled by the BI-625 and N-637 roads, which form a half-ring to the east, and the N-634 and A-8 to the west. The city's main arteries the
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 (Spain). History It's named after the founder of the city, Diego López de Haro V, lord of Biscay. It was conceived in 1876, when the extension ...
, which crosses the financial and business district of Abando and connecting it with the Casco Viejo to the east and the San Mamés area to the west. The Sabino Arana Avenue and Juan Antonio Zunzunegui Avenue provide a direct route between the central districts and the motorways while Autonomía Street joins the southern districts on an east-west direction. The city has 14 bridges connecting opposite sides of the
Estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...
and the
Kadagua The Cadagua or Kadagua River 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 The Estuary of Bilbao ...
river, including the
La Salve ''The red arc'' from Daniel Buren, which supports ''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 ...
and Euskalduna bridges, as well a series of tunnels under the
Mount Artxanda Mount Artxanda ( eu, Artxanda mendia; es, Monte Archanda) 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 (at no more than 300 m.), the closer one to ...
.


Airports

Bilbao is served by the Bilbao Airport (BIO), the busiest terminal in the
Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...
and in the entire Northern coast, with more than 5.4 million passengers in 2018. It is located north of the borough, between the municipalities of
Loiu , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST = CEST , utc ...
and
Sondika Sondika (Spanish, ''Sondica'') is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Situated directly south of the runway of Bilbao Airport, it is the location of Bilbao Bri ...
. 20 airlines operate in the terminal, including
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
,
Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding m ...
, and TAP Portugal. Top destinations include
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
,
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
,
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
,
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...
,
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
, and
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
. 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 Valls (born 28 July 1951) is a Spanish architect, structural engineer, sculptor and painter, particularly known for his bridges supported by single leaning pylons, and his railway stations, stadiums, and museums, whose sculpt ...
. In February 2009, a project was approved to expand the current building to double its capacity. Although originally expected to be completed by 2014, the financial crisis and the decrease of passenger traffic delayed it to at least 2019. No work has begun as of 2018. Some low-cost airlines, such as
Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings family ...
, also use the
Vitoria Airport Vitoria Airport is an airport near Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country of Spain. Located in the Foronda district, it is also called Foronda Airport. The airport has one terminal with 3 gates, 7 check-in counters and 16 stands for medium and ...
(VIT) located in
Foronda Foronda is a town and council belonging to the municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the province of Álava (Basque Country, Spain). It is located at an altitude of 517 meters, bathed by the Zalla River. Climate This region experiences warm (but n ...
located 59 km (37 mi) south of the city.


Railways

Long-distance rail lines connect Bilbao with Madrid, Barcelona and other destinations in northern Spain. The city has four railway stations: the
Bilbao-Abando The Abando Indalecio Prieto railway station ( eu, Abandoko Indalecio Prieto geltokia, es, Estación de Abando Indalecio Prieto), usually known simply as Bilbao-Abando and previously known as ''Estación del Norte'' (''North Station'') is a termi ...
and Bilbao-Concordia railway stations are owned by Adif and operated by the Spanish railways Renfe, whereas the Bilbao-Atxuri and Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo stations are owned by the Basque railway network ETS and operated by
Euskotren Euskotren, formally known as Basque Railways ( eu, Eusko Trenbideak, es, Ferrocarriles Vascos), is a public railway company controlled by the Basque Government and officially established in 1982 to operate several narrow gauge railways inside ...
, serving short-distance local destinations. The Bilbao-Abando station is the main railway station of the city, with Renfe running Iberian-gauge long-distance
Alvia Alvia is a high-speed train service in Spain used by Renfe Operadora for long-distance service with a top speed of . The trains have the ability to use both Iberian gauge and standard gauge, which allows them to travel on the recently constructed ...
trains to
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, as well as Intercity services to
Vigo Vigo ( , , , ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest of the Iberian Penins ...
with connections possible to
A Coruña A Coruña (; es, La Coruña ; historical English: Corunna or The Groyne) is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. A Coruña is the most populated city in Galicia and the second most populated municipality in the autonomous community and s ...
and Hendaye. During the summer there are special trains to
Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...
. The city will be connected to the Basque Y high-speed train network around 2023, allowing for high speed AVE trains to operate between the Basque capitals and also to Madrid and other Spanish cities in the future. The arrival of the new high speed services will involve the creation of a completely new underground station that will replace the current infrastructure. The construction is expected to begin in 2020. Bilbao-Concordia station is located in close vicinity to Bilbao-Abando, and hosts the
narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard-gauge railway, standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum r ...
services ran by Renfe under the Renfe Feve brand. Renfe runs frequent regional trains to the cities of
Santander Santander may refer to: Places * Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain * Santander Department, a department of Colombia * Santander State, former state of Colombia * Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
and León.
Euskotren Trena Euskotren Trena, formerly known just as ''Euskotren'' is a commuter, inter-city and urban transit train-operating company that operates local and inter-city passenger services in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, S ...
runs regular services to Bermeo from the Bilbao-Atxuri station, while in the Zazpikaleak/Casco Viejo station there are regional services to Durango, Eibar and San Sebastián.


Public transport

Public transport by rail and bus is organised by the ''Bizkaiko Garraio Partzuergoa'' (Consortium of the Biscayan Transport). The consortium manages the
Barik card Barik () is rechargeable contactless smart card, electronic money used for public transport in Biscay (Spain). It was launched on 2012 as successor of Creditrans travel card. Is available as a credit-card-sized card. Companies accepting Barik ...
, a form of
electronic ticket An electronic ticket is a method of ticket entry, processing, and marketing for companies in the airline, railways and other transport and entertainment industries. Airline ticket E-tickets in the airline industry were devised in about 1994, and ...
valid across almost all public transport systems of the Bilbao metropolitan area and
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
province, as well as some other selected services in other provinces of the Basque autonomous community. The mass transit rail system is divided into different networks managed by separate operators. Metro Bilbao, established in 1995, operates two underground lines with some overground sections (
Line 1 Line 1 or 1 line may refer to: Public transport Africa * Line 1 (Algiers Metro), Algeria * Cairo Metro Line 1, Egypt Asia China * Line 1 (Beijing Subway) * Line 1 (Changchun Rail Transit) * Line 1 (Changsha Metro) * Line 1 (Changzhou Metro) * L ...
and
Line 2 Line 2 or 2 Line may refer to: Public transport Americas *2 (New York City Subway service), a rapid transit service in the A Division of the New York City Subway *2 Line (Sound Transit), a light rail line in Seattle, Washington *Line 2 Bloor–Dan ...
). These two lines connect the metropolitan area following the estuary on both sides, starting in
Etxebarri Etxebarri, Doneztebeko Elizatea ( es, Etxebarri, Anteiglesia de San Esteban) is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Basque Community, in the North of Spain. Since 13 January 2005, the name of "Etxebarri ...
in the south all the way to Plentzia and
Santurtzi Santurtzi ( es, Santurce; eu, 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, 14 km dow ...
by the coast. Line 1 was built following largely the same route as the Bilbao-Las Arenas railway, which was still active by the time the Metro system opened in 1995 and since has been replaced by it. The metro system stations were designed by Norman Foster. Line 3 of metro is operated by
Euskotren Trena Euskotren Trena, formerly known just as ''Euskotren'' is a commuter, inter-city and urban transit train-operating company that operates local and inter-city passenger services in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, S ...
, which also operates the regional services to Durango and Eibar as well as a commuter rail line that connects the centre of Bilbao with
Lezama Lezama 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 - Bizka ...
and the Txorierri valley. This third line of metro was inaugurated on 8 April 2017 and is expected to be extended to the
airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
in the near future. Projects for a fourth and fifth line exist and are currently being studied. Euskotren also operates a tramway line under the brand
Euskotren Tranbia Euskotren Tranbia is the brand under which the tramway networks in the cities of Vitoria-Gasteiz and Bilbao (both in the Basque Country, Spain) are run. The system in Bilbao started operations in 2002, and the one in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2008. It ...
. The line follows the estuary of Bilbao across the central districts of the city, starting in the Bilbao-Atxuri Station and connecting important areas like the Guggenheim museum and the San Mamés football stadium. The original tram network started operations in 1876 and gradually expanded across the city to finally shut down in the 1960s due to being largely replaced by urban buses. The new tram system was opened on 18 December 2002, almost forty years after the closing of the original system. Renfe operates four commuter-rail lines in a system separate from the metro. Three of them operate under the Cercanías brand and are collectively known as '' Cercanías Bilbao'', while a fourth line is operated by Renfe Feve. The three lines operated under the Cercanías name operate largely overground and travel larger distances than the metro system, reaching municipalities outside of the metropolitan area such as
Muskiz Muskiz 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 ...
or even outside of the Biscay province, like Amurrio. The three lines all start in the Bilbao-Abando railway station, whereas the line operated by Renfe Feve starts in the Bilbao-Concordia station. The gaps in the railway service are covered by an extensive bus network. The urban bus system is operated under the brand Bilbobus and has 28 regular bus lines, 8 microbus lines and 8 night buses collectively known as ''Gautxori'' (night owl). The Bilbaobus network is limited to the city limits, and only a few lines extend beyond it. The
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 green (until 2009 yellow) livery. The bus network is i ...
network fills this gap, with more than 100 lines, connecting the city with all other municipalities in the metropolitan area, as well as with most towns in
Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...
and some in
Álava Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see. Its ca ...
. A Brittany Ferries ferry service links Santurtzi, near Bilbao, to
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
(UK).
MV Cap Finistère GNV Spirit is a cruiseferry owned by GNV ( Grandi Navi Veloci) and operated by GNV between Tyrrhenian Sea & Spain. She was acquired in 2022 by Grandi Navi Veloci from Brittany Ferries where before she was used to serve Spain. SECA 2015 refit On 1 ...
ferry departs from the
port of Bilbao The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay ( Basque Country). The main facilities are in the Santurtzi and Zierbena municipalities, approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Bilbao. Also ...
, north west of the town centre. A service operated by
Acciona Trasmediterranea Acciona, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational conglomerate dedicated to the development and management of infrastructure (construction, water, industrial and services) and renewable energy. The company, via subsidiary Acciona Energy, produces 21 te ...
served the same route from 16 May 2006 until April 2007.
P&O Ferries P&O Ferries is a British shipping company that operates ferry, ferries from United Kingdom to Ireland, and to Continental Europe (France, Belgium and the Netherlands). The company was created in 2002 through mergers and acquisitions within P&O ...
operated this route until its withdrawal on 28 September 2010 with a ship called the
Pride of Bilbao ''SPL Princess Anastasia'' is a cruiseferry owned by SPL Princess Anastasia Ltd since 2017. 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 ' ...
.


Public transportation statistics

The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Bilbao, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 35 minutes. Three percent of public transit passengers ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 7 minutes, while 4% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is , while 10% travel more than in a single direction.


Infrastructure


Healthcare

The public healthcare system is served and managed by the Basque healthcare system (''
Osakidetza Osakidetza-Basque Health ServiceOsakidetza website is the institution created in 1984 in charge of the public healthcare system in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, belonging to the National Health System, created in 1986 and tha ...
''), which has a network of medical centres established across the city. The most relevant hospital of the city is the Basurto Hospital, located in the
Basurto-Zorroza Basurto-Zorroza (or Basurtu-Zorrotza) is the eighth district of the city of Bilbao (Biscay), in the Spanish Basque Country. It is divided into the neighbourhoods of Altamira, Basurto, Olabeaga, Masustegui-Monte Caramelo and Zorrotza. It is se ...
district. It was opened in 1908 after ten years of construction, and it was built due to the fast increase of population in the late 19th century. Its design was based on the Eppendorf Hospital of
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, in (Germany), one of the most modern at the time. In 2008 the hospital was named the best hospital in customer support in Spain. However, the two largest hospitals that provide healthcare services to the inhabitants of the city are located outside of the city limits: the University Hospital of Gurutzeta/Cruces in neighboring Barakaldo and the Galdakao-Usansolo Hospital in Galdakao. Other minor public hospitals located in the city include the Santa Marina Hospital and the Hospital of Urduliz, located in the metropolitan area.


Utilities

The headquarters of '' Iberdrola'', a multinational
electric utility An electric utility is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. The electrical utility industry is a major pr ...
company are located in Bilbao. The company was created in 1992 after the merging of ''Iberduero'' and ''Hidroeléctrica Española'' and it is in charge of production and distribution of electricity. There are two
thermal power station A thermal power station is a type of power station in which heat energy is converted to electrical energy. In a steam-generating cycle heat is used to boil water in a large pressure vessel to produce high-pressure steam, which drives a stea ...
s located in the city's surroundings, one in
Santurtzi Santurtzi ( es, Santurce; eu, 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, 14 km dow ...
and the other in
Zierbena Zierbena is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Ferry port The ferry port in Zierbena (which is known to some as Bilbao Ferry Port) has two departures and arr ...
. The electricity produced in both these stations is then transferred to the
electrical substation A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions. Between the generating station and ...
of
Güeñes The council of Güeñes is a municipality in the county of Encartaciones (Biscay, Basque Country, Spain). It is furrowed by the waters of the river Cadagua and forms with its neighbor, the municipality of Zalla, Salcedo Valley. In the North it bor ...
by the company ''
Red Eléctrica de España Red Eléctrica de España (; REE) is a partly state-owned and public limited Spanish corporation which operates the national electricity grid in Spain, where it operates the national power transmission system. It also holds assets in Peru, Chile ...
'', which is the company responsible of moving electricity from the production stations to the final consumers. There is a
combined cycle A combined cycle power plant is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem from the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy. On land, when used to make electricity the most common type is called a combined cycle gas turb ...
power station in the municipality of
Amorebieta Amorebieta-Etxano, also known as Zornotza (Spanish, ''Amorebieta-Echano''), is a town and municipality located in Biscay in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain. At the time of the 2019 census, the population of the muni ...
called ''Bizkaia Energia'', whose energy is transferred to the substation of
Gatika , population_note = , population_density_km2 = auto , blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s) , blank_info_sec1 = BasqueSpanish , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
. The supply of all oil-based fuels distributed in the whole metropolitan area (gasoline,
diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and t ...
and
butane Butane () or ''n''-butane is an alkane with the formula C4H10. Butane is a gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Butane is a highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gas that quickly vaporizes at room temperature. The name but ...
) are produced in the
oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...
owned by '' Petronor'' in the municipalities of
Muskiz Muskiz 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 ...
and Abanto Zierbena. ''Petronor'' is a large oil company founded in Bilbao in 1968 and it currently comprises two partners, Repsol (85.98%) and Kutxabank (14.02%). Supply of
drinking water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
is managed by the ''Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia'' (Bilbao Bizkaia Water Consortium), a public entity with the responsibility of managing the water infrastructure and distribution to many Biscayan municipalities, Bilbao and its metropolitan area included. The supply of drinking water for the city comes from the Uribarri-Ganboa and Urrunaga reservoirs, which are fed by the river Zadorra.


Education

The Basque Country has a bilingual education system, with students able 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 used in classes. In Bilbao, there is a prevalence of model D (where Basque is the vehicle language and Spanish is taught as a subject) in
Primary School A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
, while Compulsory Secondary Education students favour model B (where some subjects are in Basque and other in Spanish). Finally, 67% of Baccalaureate students choose model A (in which Spanish is the vehicle language and Basque is a subject). English is the most widespread foreign language taught, being the option for 97% of pre-university students.


Higher education

Two universities are seated in Bilbao. The older is the University of Deusto, founded by the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
in 1886. It took its name from the then independent municipality of Deusto, annexed to Bilbao in 1925. It was the only higher education institute in the borough until the establishment in 1968 of the University of Bilbao, later to become the University of the Basque Country in 1980. This public university, which has a presence in the three provinces of the autonomous community, has its main Biscayan campus in the municipality of Leioa, although the Technical and Business faculties are based in Bilbao. Since 2014,
Mondragon University Mondragon University ( eu, Mondragon Unibertsitatea, MU) is a non-profit cooperative private university in the Basque Country, officially established and recognised in 1997. It is part of Mondragon Corporation. Its main campus is in Mondragón ...
has also a presence in the city through the innovation and entrepreneurial centre Bilbao Innovation Factory. In 2015, the offer of higher education in the city was expanded with the foundation of Dantzerti, the Higher School of Dramatic Arts and Dance of the Basque Country.


Sport

As in the rest of Spain,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
is the most popular competitive sport, followed by
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
. Some people are interested in basque sports, one of the oldest sports in Spain. One could enjoy a Basque pelota match in Bizkaia Frontoia, Bilbao. In addition, Bilbao offers many outdoor activities owing to its location by the sea amid the hilly countryside.
Hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
and
rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
in the nearby mountains are very popular. Watersports, especially
surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...
, are practised on the beaches of nearby Sopelana and Mundaka.


Clubs

;Football The main football club is Athletic Club, commonly known as
Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club ( eu, Bilboko Athletic Kluba; es, Athletic Club de Bilbao), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao or just Athletic, is a professional Association football, football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country (autonomous com ...
in English. It plays at the new San Mamés stadium, which opened in 2013 and seats 53,332 spectators. Athletic Bilbao was one of the founding members of the Spanish football league,
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
, and has played in the Primera División (First Division) ever since – winning it on eight occasions. Its red and white striped flag can be seen throughout the city. Athletic is noted for its '' Basque policy'', in place since 1911, with only players born in or having a clear connection to the Basque region being allowed to represent the club. ;Basketball The main basketball club is Bilbao Basket, which plays in the Spanish top division
Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, wi ...
and their home venue is the
Bilbao Arena Bilbao Arena is an indoor arena in the neighbourhood of Miribilla in Bilbao, Spain. The central hall can hold up to 10,014 people for basketball games. The central hall is also used for concerts and other kinds of shows. The facilities also includ ...
. The main achievements of the clubs were being the runner-up of the Liga ACB during the 2010–2011 season, losing the final series 3–0 against
FC Barcelona Bàsquet FC Barcelona Bàsquet (English: FC Barcelona Basketball), commonly referred to as FC Barcelona () and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional basketball club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a part of the FC Barcelona mul ...
; as well as the runner-up of the EuroCup Basketball in the 2012–2013 edition, where they lost to the Russian team
Lokomotiv Kuban PBC Lokomotiv Kuban (russian: ПБК «Локомотив Кубань») is a Russian professional basketball team based in Krasnodar. The club participates in the VTB United League. The team is one of the top tier basketball teams in Russia. T ...
.


Main sights

File:Casco Viejo (Bilbao).jpg, Casco Viejo File:Bilbao - Guggenheim 46.jpg, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao File:Euskalduna Palace (April 2009).jpg,
Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall (''Palacio Euskalduna'' in Spanish, ''Euskalduna Jauregia'' in Basque) is located in the city of Bilbao, Basque Country (Spain), beside the Estuary of Bilbao, built in part of the area that was fo ...
File:Bilbao - Plaza Barria (Plaza Nueva) 01.jpg, Plaza Nueva File:Bilbao - Ayuntamiento 24.jpg,
Bilbao City Hall The City Hall of the borough 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 building was built in 1892 by Joaquín Rucoba ...
File:Bilbao - Catedral de Santiago 50a.jpg, Bilbao Cathedral File:Zubizuri bridge Night 3 (3820816136).jpg,
Zubizuri The Zubizuri (Basque for "''white bridge''"), also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge links th ...
bridge File:Bilbao - Zubizuri 07.jpg,
Zubizuri The Zubizuri (Basque for "''white bridge''"), also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, Spain. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, the bridge links th ...
from the other side File:Bilbao - Plaza Unamuno 01.jpg, Basque Museum and Unamuno Plaza File:Bilbao - Teatro Arriaga 4.JPG, Arriaga Theater File:Basilica de Begoña.jpg,
Basilica of Begoña The Basilica of Begoña (or Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Begoña in Spanish) 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. Histo ...
File:Bilbao San Mamés Stadium 4.jpg, San Mamés Stadium File:Bilbao - Gran Via 2.jpg,
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 (Spain). History It's named after the founder of the city, Diego López de Haro V, lord of Biscay. It was conceived in 1876, when the extension ...
File:Vistageneralriadebilbao.JPG,
Estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...
File:Bilbao - Parque de Doña Casilda Iturrízar 01.jpg, Doña Casilda Iturrizar park File:MBBAABilbao Fachada Antiguo.jpg,
Bilbao Fine Arts Museum The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum (Spanish: ''Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao'', Basque: ''Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa'') is an art museum located in the city of Bilbao, Spain. The building of the museum is located entirely inside the city's Doña Casild ...
File:Bilbao - Diputacion Foral de Vizcaya 2.jpg, Provincial Government Palace File:San anton eliza.jpg,
Church of San Antón The Church of San Antón is a Catholic church 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 o ...
and
San Antón Bridge The San Antón Bridge (Spanish: ''Puente de San Antón'', Basque: ''San Antongo zubia'') is an arch bridge in Bilbao, Spain. It spans the Estuary of Bilbao, linking the neighborhoods of Bilbao La Vieja and Casco Viejo. It is the oldest bridge in t ...
File:Bilbao - Alhóndiga 02.jpg,
Azkuna Zentroa Azkuna Zentroa (Basque for ''Azkuna Centre''), previously known as 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 ...
File:Bilbao - ria 1.jpg, Ria de Bilbao File:Bilbao - El Arenal 3.jpg, El Arenal Park File:Bilbao - Iglesia de San Nicolás 17.jpg, Church of San Nicolás File:BilbaoMetro 05 2012 2403.jpg, Metro Bilbao, a work of Norman Foster File:Bilbao - Torre Iberdrola 44.jpg, Iberdrola Tower File:Funicular de Artxanda.jpg, Funicular to
Mount Artxanda Mount Artxanda ( eu, Artxanda mendia; es, Monte Archanda) 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 (at no more than 300 m.), the closer one to ...
File:Plaza de Federico Moyúa.jpg, Moyua Plaza File:Bilbao - Ribera.jpg, Mercado de la Ribera


Notable people

*
Joaquín Achúcarro Joaquín Achúcarro (born November 1, 1932) is a Basque Spanish classical pianist. Biography and career Achúcarro was born in Bilbao, Spain, and grew up in the difficult years of the Spanish post-war period. He began piano lessons at the Bilba ...
(1932), pianist * José Antonio Aguirre (1904–1960), football player, nationalist politician and first lehendakari of Basque Government * Joaquín Almunia (1948), parliamentarian and minister of Spain and commissioner of the European Union *
Sabino Arana Sabino Policarpo Arana Goiri (in Spanish), Sabin Polikarpo Arana Goiri (in Basque), or Arana ta Goiri'taŕ Sabin (self-styled) (26 January 1865 – 25 November 1903), was a Basque writer and the founder of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) ...
(1865–1903), politician and writer, Fundator of PNV *
Gabriel Aresti Gabriel Aresti Segurola (October 14, 1933 – June 5, 1975) was one of the most important writers and poets in Basque language in the 20th century. He grew up in Bilbao, which was a Spanish-speaking environment. Although his father talked to ...
(1933–1975), promoter of poetry in euskera *
Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish language, Spanish and Manx language, Manx versions of ''John (given name), John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronoun ...
(1806–1826), composer, violinist and orchestra conductor * Pedro Arrupe (1907–1991), Jesuit priest, Superior General of the Jesuits between 1965 and 1983 *
Ramón Baglietto Ramón Baglietto Martínez (Bilbao, 1936 - Azcoitia, 1980) was a Spanish politician, councillor of UCD in the municipality of Azcoitia (Guipúzcoa), who was killed by the terrorist organization ETA on May 12, 1980. Biography Born in Bilbao o ...
(1936–1980), politician * Mariví Bilbao (1930–2013), actress *
Fito Cabrales Adolfo "Fito" Cabrales Mato (; born 6 October 1966) is a Spanish musician. Biography Adolfo "Fito" Cabrales was born on 6 October 1966 in the Zabala neighbourhood in Bilbao, and spent part of his childhood and adolescence in Laredo, Cantabria ...
(1966), singer, guitarist and composer *
Asier Etxeandia Asier Gómez Etxeandía (born 27 June 1975) is a Spanish film actor and singer, whose career includes television, theater and film performances. He is best known for his character as Raúl de la Riva in ''Velvet'' and ''Velvet Colección'' and fo ...
(1975), actor and singer *
Diego de Gardoqui Diego María de Gardoqui y Arriquibar (born November 12, 1735, Bilbao, Spain – d. 1798, Madrid, Spain) was a Spanish politician and diplomat. Biography, origins, and youth Member of an illustrious family of Basque councilors, among them Martin ...
(1735–1798), politician and diplomat, first Spanish ambassador to the United States * Ander Herrera (born 1989), professional footballer *
Álex de la Iglesia Alejandro "Álex" de la Iglesia Mendoza (born 4 December 1965) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, producer and former comic book artist. De la Iglesia's films combine grotesque and very dark elements such as death and murder: most of his ...
(1965), film director and scriptwriter *
Antonio Fernandez Saenz Antonio Fernandez Saenz (born 1947) is a Spain, Spanish-Brazilian lawyer and human rights defender. Early life When he was a small child, his family emigrated from Spain to Brazil to escape the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Political involve ...
(1947), lawyer and human rights defender *
Asier Polo Asier Polo is a Spanish cellist. Biography Polo was born in Bilbao, Spain where he studied at the Conservatory of Music with Professor Elisa Pascu. In 1987-89, he won first prizes in cello and chamber music at the National Young Musicians Competi ...
(1971), cellist *
Jon Kortajarena Jon Kortajarena Redruello (born 19 May 1985) is a Spanish fashion model and actor. He has landed advertising campaigns for Just Cavalli, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Bally, Etro, Trussardi, Diesel, Mangano, Lagerfeld, Pepe Jeans but notably H&M ...
(1985), actor and international model * Iñigo Lekue (born 1993), professional footballer *
Juan Martínez de Recalde Admiral Juan Martínez de Recalde, KOS (c. 1540 – 23 October 1588) was a Spanish Navy officer who was named admiral of the fleet and second-in-command of the Spanish Armada, and commanded the ''San Juan de Portugal''. He was a knight of the Or ...
(c.1526–1588), admiral * Rafael (Pichichi) Moreno (1892–1922), football player *
Anabel Ochoa Anabel Ochoa (1955–2008) was a Spanish writer and psychiatrist.
(1955–2008), psychiatrist, communicologist, writer and actress of ''Los monólogos de la vagina'' *
Pedro Olea Pedro Olea (30 June 1938, Bilbao) is a Spanish screenwriter, film producer and film director. His 1984 film '' Akelarre'' was entered into the 34th Berlin International Film Festival. Selected directorial filmography * ''Días de viejo color' ...
(1938), director, producer and film scriptwriter * José Luis de Oriol (1877–1972), businessman, architect and Carlist politician * Txus di Fellatio, Jesús María Hernández Gil (1970), lyricist, poet and
Mägo de Oz Mägo de Oz (Spanish for '' Wizard of Oz'', with a metal umlaut) are a Spanish folk metal band from Begoña, Madrid formed in mid-1988 by drummer Txus di Fellatio. The band became well known for the strong Celtic feel to their music strengthene ...
folk metal drummer * Miguel de Unamuno (1864–1936), writer and philosopher * Iñaki Williams (born 1994), professional footballer *
Secundino Zuazo Secundino Zuazo Ugalde (1887–1971) was a Spanish architect and city planner. Born in Bilbao, he graduated from Madrid's architecture school in 1913, and lived there until his death. Zuazo was a rationalist architect, among the most important o ...
(1887–1970), architect and urbanist * Gorka Márquez (born 1990), ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (informally known as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of usually 4 ...
'' professional dancer


International relations

Bilbao is twinned with: *
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, France *
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, Argentina *
Medellín Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
, Colombia *
Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
, Mexico *
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, United States *
Qingdao Qingdao (, also spelled Tsingtao; , Mandarin: ) is a major city in eastern Shandong Province. The city's name in Chinese characters literally means " azure island". Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, it is a major nodal city of the One Belt ...
, China *
Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...
, Argentina *
Sant Adrià de Besòs Sant Adrià de Besòs () is a city and a municipality within the comarca of Barcelonès in Catalonia, north-eastern Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean coast, at the mouth of river Besòs, extending to both sides of the estuary although th ...
, Spain *
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...
, Georgia


See also

*
Abandoibarra Abandoibarra (in Basque, ''Abando'' and ''ibar'', "Abando valley") is an area of the city of Bilbao, Spain, located next to the estuary in the neighborhood of Abando. After the process of deindustrialization experienced by the town since the mid-19 ...
* Bilbao metropolitan area * Greater Bilbao *
Lan Ekintza Bilbao {{unreferenced, date=November 2010 Lan Ekintza Bilbao is the local development agency of the Bilbao City Council with a public service mission, which started operations in 1989. Its remit is to improve the quality of life of the citizens and the ...
* Zorrotzaurre


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* {{Authority control 1300 establishments in Europe Municipalities in Biscay Populated places established in the 1300s Port cities and towns on the Spanish Atlantic coast