Bilbao in northern Spain, is the biggest city in the Basque Country and the capital of the province of Biscay. The city has an estimated population of over 355,000 inhabitants. Bilbao was founded by Don Diego Lopez de Haro on June 15, 1300 in the place of a fishing settlement. The city has just undergone a key urban revitalization, in order to move away from the region’s industrial history and focus on tourism. The Port of Bilbao, previously on the river, has been moved and extended downstream on the Bay of Biscay, opening a great deal of central real estate on the river that has been the site of most of the new building. Bilbao is a sparkling city with a good selection of hotels and restaurants surrounded by gorgeous countryside and high interest for visitors. As well as the famous Guggenheim Museum, the city acts as home for the Fine Arts Museum recognized as one of Spain’s supreme art museums and newly renovated and the Maritime Museum. Since the inauguration of the Guggenheim museum in 1997, eight new hotels have been opened in the city, reflecting the growing interest for the city. Bilbao was briefly featured at the start of the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.
One of the most popular museums in Europe is the
Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was designed by Frank Gehry and
opened to the public in 1997. It was instantly vaulted to prominence as one of
the world's most impressive buildings in the style of Deconstructivism. The
museum's motif and construction serve as an object lesson in Frank Gehry's style
and this particular method.
Another place to see is the Campo Volantin Footbridge. It is also known in
Basque as Zubizuri. This is a suspension bridge across the Nervion River in
Bilbao. It allows pedestrians a convenient route from hotels to the neighboring
Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and is renowned locally for the glass bricks set into
its floor. It was opened to the public in 1997.