Bilbao is located in the North of the Iberian Peninsula. It is Spain's 6th largest city and biggest port, and is located in the heart of the Basque Country. Its impressive transportation infrastructure connects it to the rest of Europe by air, land and sea.
Since Frank O. Gehry and his spectacular Guggenheim Museum, the city has undergone an incredible urban renewal programme with projects including a new airport by Santiago Calatrava and an award-winning metro system by Sir Norman Foster.
Bilbao is the core of a metropolitan area with more than one million inhabitants. Since its foundation, more than 700 years ago, it has been the fundamental factor and the main socio-economic axis around which the Vizcaya region has set its modernisation process in motion.
Bilbao has struck a healthy balance between its deeply rooted traditions and the most updated trends, both features strengthened by the city's consolidation as a service provider.
Its gastronomic culture lies at the heart of the city's customs. Bilbao hosts plenty of top quality restaurants offering the best of Basque culinary art. Abundant raw materials have favoured Bilbao's cuisine, which has made a name for itself the world over.
Bilbao is a business city where more than 500 professional conferences and conventions are held each year. 36 hotel choices are available in Bilbao with 22 hotels that fall into the four and five star category.
Apart from Bilbao, the North of Spain offers beautiful regions and cities like the elegant San Sebastián, close to the French border, the coastal city of Santander, the world famous region of La Rioja and the natural beauty of Asturias.
“Bilbao looks fantastic and what is going on in this city is incredible” Frank Owen Gehry, Canadian-born American Sculptor and Architect (1929 - )