Once a gritty, industrial city that didn’t make it onto many visitors’ itineraries, Bilbao is now a “must see” destination for art lovers from around the world.
The turnaround began in 1991 when the Guggenheim Foundation decided to place a museum in Bilbao. The architect Frank Gehry was selected to design the building that would house a collection of modern and contemporary art.
When the museum opened in 1997 it was apparent that Mr. Gehry had not only succeeded in designing a museum that was unique in every aspect, including its shape and the materials used, but he also created a building that was just as stunning as the artwork displayed inside the museum. Thus, the building is itself a work of art, and it has inspired other buildings of similar design around the world.
Bilbao is about 400 km. from Madrid and is easily reached via highway in about 5 hours. Flight time from Madrid is about 1 hour and there are a few flights a day offered by local discount airlines. You can also take one of the daily trains that leave Madrid’s Chamartín railroad station and relax on the 5 hour train ride.
- Avenida Abandoibarra, 2
- Bilbao, Spain
- Phone: +34 (944 ) 35 90 00
- Website: Guggenheim Bilbao
Photo credit: © Christopher Pappas · All rights reserved.
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