Schmap Bilbao Art & Entertainment

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Bilbao - Art & Entertainment
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Bilbao Home
Schmap Bilbao guide and map

Both Bilbao and its inhabitants are associated with a number of stereotypes, more or less positive. It's well known that the people are big talkers, and their hard-working nature is as famous as is the seriousness with which they go about their duties. A hard city, squeezed in by the mountains, with a rough urban landscape, which, thanks to industry, has developed (along with the surrounding towns that make up Greater Bilbao) into a sprawl of almost one million people. But it’s not all hard work and industriousness. On the contrary, having a good time is very much up on the list of important activities among the citizens of the "Villa."

Museums

What the city's got to offer in terms of culture has been improving over the last years, with the inauguration of the Guggenheim having been the impetus for a marked revitalization of the cultural life of Bilbao. The magnificent architecture of the building and its constantly changing exhibitions give the tourist the perfect excuse to come to the banks of the Nervión. Nearby we find the Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts), one of the most important art galleries in Spain, which has been able to avail itself of the success of the Guggenheim. Another museum which is in the process of gaining new life and which could be considered the third point in this museum triangle is the Palacio de Congresos Euskalduna, headquarters of the Abao (Bilbao Association of Friends of the Opera) opera season. The choice of museums is completed by the Museo Vasco (the Basque Museum) and the Museo de Reproducciones Artísticas In the world of theater we must mention the Teatro Arriaga, an architecturally impressive building situated in the Casco Viejo and where all the most important works can be seen when they come to Bilbao.

Social Traditions

And then there are all the activities that don't belong to the world of high culture, but which have a long tradition among the Basques. Perhaps the customs of our forefathers and foremothers have changed with the passing generations, but their spirit remains the same over the years. There is the "cuadrilla," the group of friends, the omnipresent social unit for those moments of recreation. The popular pastime of strolling through a city which, thanks to its dimensions, allows one to get around using nothing but the feet. The "poteo" or "txikiteo," a pilgrimage from bar to bar where good wine or beer and good conversation are the required fellow travelers. And dining—eating well and copiously, a long tradition based on quality cuisine. All of these are the core elements of leisure time spent the Bilbao way.

The Old Neighborhood

Like in any other city, how leisure time is spent depends a lot on how well the populace is doing economically. Happiness in the wallet leads to happiness among the people and a greater tendency to go out and have a good time. In the last few years there has been a certain feeling of renewal in the air and although the people are still going about their diversions in the same old way, one does notice a certain richness and all-pervasiveness to the cultural life that wasn't quite there before. The Casco Viejo continues to be the area par excellence for an evening of traditional "poteo." The quaint bars found in this area offer all kinds of tasty pinchos, or Basque-style tapas, to go with the excellent wine. The multitudes going from bar to bar create a rather curious mix of ages and types found all mixed together in the same bars,which are the perfect places for a noon-time apéritif or the evening "txikiteo."

But that's not the end to the ways you can have fun in the old neighborhood. A wide range of restaurants offering traditional food let you try some of the more typical dishes of the famous cuisine of Bilbao. It must be pointed out that bacalao, or codfish, receives excellent treatment in the restaurants in this neighborhood and should definitely be tried, especially prepared in the local style known as "pil-pil." It's past midnight, but the Casco Viejo is by no means slowing down. At these hours the streets get taken over by a younger crowd who do their own hopping from bar to bar, normally along the streets Barrenkale, Barrenkale Barrena, Somera and the other nearby streets. Some of the more popular bars in this part of town worth checking out are K2, La Granja, Celtic's and el Consorcio.

Plaza Circular

You can change the direction of your feet and within ten minutes arrive in the more modern area of the city. Around Plaza Circular and nearby streets like Ledesma, Ripa and Jardines de Albia, the "poteo," again, is a popular pastime, and there's plenty to choose from. A little bit further along, in Mazarredo, the night is king, and in pubs like Mutua and Pas Pas the people come to dance it up and have a great time. When the early hours come, it's often time to make the pilgrimage from the Casco Viejo to some of the disco-bars in Albia, Ripa and Uribitarte, where people get in the last few drinks before the sun comes up.

Rozas

A bit further along, near Plaza Indautxu, there's another very popular bar zone around the street Licenciado Poza, the area known as Pozas. Here the choice is almost as good as in the old neighborhood. There's Bar Ona, Bar Poza 40, Serantes and Oker, among many others. This is the get-together area for the young people of the city and sometimes the streets are positively overflowing with people. And on the days when the Athletic de Bilbao plays in San Mamés, near Pozas, the crowds are unimaginable, with supporters of both teams sharing the same bars. A lot of bars have sprung up in the nearby streets to take advantage of the growing popularity of the area.

The End of the Night

And if you've been out all night in Pozas, the traditional way of ending the night is by taking advantage of the pubs found in Galerías de Urquijo, where bars like Miel y Moscas, Crack or General Store, are the place to take the last drinks.

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Arriaga Theatre

Emblematic theatre

Plaza Arriaga, s/n
Bilbao 48005
Spain
+34 94 416 3533 / +34 94 416 3333
http://www.teatroarriaga.com/

Great drama has been performed by some of the country's best actors in this much-loved theatre over the years. Joaquin Ruboca designed the building using the Paris Opera House as a model to which he added some Renaissance touches. Outstanding architectural features include the two polygonal towers, the grand foyer, the mezzanine, the huge windows and the rooftop terrace with views of the river, Arenal and Campo Volantín. The elegantly furnished and sumptuously decorated interior has a magnificent imperial staircase designed by Francisco Hurtado de Saracho. The theatre opened in 1890 and was later named after a young local musician.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Rhys Wynne

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Arriaga Theatre photo by Diego Echeberria Iba

Photo: Diego Echeberria Iba

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Arriaga Theatre photo by Francisco Martins

Photo: Francisco Martins

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Arriaga Theatre photo by Alberto Ceballos

Photo: Alberto Ceballos

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Arriaga Theatre photo by Juan Ramon Peña

Photo: Juan Ramon Peña

Arriaga Theatre photo by J. G. del Sol Cobos

Photo: J. G. del Sol Cobos

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Photo: Luis Gomez

Arriaga Theatre photo by maria elcoro-iribe

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Arriaga Theatre photo by Lorenzo Solozabal M.

Photo: Lorenzo Solozabal M.

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Bar Ona

Drink and play cards Licenciado Poza, 41
Bilbao, Vizcaya 48011
Spain
The Ona is a cafe-bar in the 'Pozas' Indautxu area, where there is a great atmosphere. You can go there to have an apéritif or tapas in the morning, but it is also good for playing a game of cards whilst you have coffee and liqueur after a meal. In the evening the Ona is full of people meeting for a chat, listening to music and having a few drinks.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Bar Poza 40

Great atmosphere Licenciado Poza, 40
Bilbao, Vizcaya 48011
Spain
+34 94 441 6639 Poza 40 is a very large bar in the Indautxu area. The bar in front very long and this area has several small tables. The back of the establishment is quite roomy and has long tables where you can try a variety of tapas. Try pieces of tuna with olive and spicy onion on sticks. In the evening this part of the bar is full of people drinking and playing games, or watching the Bilbao team play football on television.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts

First-class art gallery Plaza del Museo, 2
Bilbao 48011
Spain
+34 94 439 6060
http://www.museobilbao.com/ It houses one of Spain's most important modern art collections that includes work by the best Basque painters along with an excellent display of Gothic art, fine examples of the Dutch and Flemish schools. The museum also hosts classical music concerts and its cinema offers a programme of Spanish and foreign language films. You'll find it in the midst of the peaceful and pretty Doña Casilda Park. Admission: EUR 5 for Adults, EUR 4 for students, and children under 12 are free.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: lezuck
Photo: Bruno Monteiro
Photo: Bruno Monteiro

Café Bar La Granja

Old, pretty and atmospheric Plaza Circular, 3
Bilbao, Vizcaya 48001
Spain
+34 (0)944 23 1813 Come in the morning and you'll find this place full of local workers, students and tourists having breakfast and reading the newspapers. Come after work and it's full to the brim with people having drinks and tapas, and it gets really busy at night when the music is turned up loud for dancing. La Granja opened for business in 1926 and it has been doing a roaring trade ever since!

Review © 2007, Wcities

Café Bar La Granja photo by wcities
Photo: wcities

Casco Viejo

Bilbao
Spain
We've arrived in District 5, the Casco Viejo. It's clear how one spends the time in this lively neighborhood -- eating or drinking (or both) in one of the numerous establishments, listening to the street musicians, and doing a bit of shopping. But before diving into the sensual delights of the Casco Viejo there's a few other things you could see, such as the Edificio de la Bolsa (the stock exchange building). Or try and sneak into la Sociedad Bilbaína, one of the old-established and most elegant cultural and recreational societies in Spain. Or if you're the gaming type you can try your luck at the Casino Nervión. Or for more high culture, cross the Puente del Arenal to visit the Teatro Arriaga and the San Nicolás de Bari church.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Crack

Dance, dance, dance Alameda de Urquijo, 30 (Galerías)
Bilbao, Vizcaya 48008
Spain
Always packed with people, this place stands out for its long bar with the DJ's box at the end of it. All types of music are played, from the most contemporary to old classics - anything that makes you dance. If you like to dance till you drop, this is the place for you. When you can't take any more, rest up at the bar with your favourite drink or something you've never tried before. Be prepared to wait a while, though, as people are five deep here.

Review © 2007, Wcities

General Store

Western films Alameda de Urquijo, 30 (Galerías)
Bilbao, Vizcaya 48008
Spain
+34 94 422 3180 If you decide to call in at this atmospheric venue, you'll be sipping your drink in the Old West. Dark wood walls and floors and an enormous wooden staircase with an elaborate banister simulate a cowboy saloon. Pictures of cowboys and Indians, some simple steel lamps and double swinging doors place us unmistakably in the era. This unique place gets packed full of young people who come to hear and dance to the latest and most commercial music. Prices are not the same as in the Old West, but they're still not too bad.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Museum of Artistic Reproductions

Well-known classical sculpture Conde Mirasol, s/n
Bilbao 48003
Spain
+34 94 415 7673 Created in 1927, this old museum exhibits full-size reproductions of original sculptures in plaster, of some of the best known works in the history of Art. The collections range from Ancient Art (Mesopotamic and Egyptian civilisations) to Classic Art (ancient Greek, Classical, Helenic and Renaissance). The museum is well-known among artists and painters in Bilbao, as a lot of them have been there for drawing, painting and modelling lessons from Manu, dubbed 'El Ruso', who needs no introduction. The museum also has a video library and a photographic laboratory. In the audiovisual room you can learn to sculpt using the 'grafting' method. Admission: Adults EUR 3; students and groups EUR 1,50; children under 10 and seniors free. Free entry every Thursday.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Old Town

Commercial variety Bilbao, Vizcaya 48005
Spain
Narrow winding streets, small squares and neighborhoods comprise this charming district that buzzes with activity every day of the year. As the heart of the old town, this area dates back to 1300 and in 1972 was recogized in statute as having great historical and cultural importance. After the disastrous floods in 1983 much of the district was rebuilt and improved. The Plaza Nueva, Plaza Miguel de Unamuno and Santiago Cathedral are particularly deserving of a visit, as are the many independently-owned boutiques that offer shoppers a wealth of choices.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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San Mamés Football Stadium

Bilbao Athletic's football ground Alameda Mazarredo 23
Palacio Ibaigane
Bilbao, Vizcaya 48009
Spain
+34 (0)944 24 0877 / +34 (0)944 24 0878
http://www.athletic-club.es/ Opened on 21 August 1913 in a match between the Bilbaoan team and Irún Racing, the San Mamés ground is situated in Bilbao's suburban development (Ensanche), very close to the building known as "La Feria Internacional de Muestras de Bilbao". This mythical Bilbaoan club celebrated its centenary in 1998, a celebration in which the stadium, known locally as "the Cathedral", was the main protagonist. With a capacity of 40,000, in every match of the league San Mamés seats a multitude of fans who live and breathe for the victories of their lions, as they call the players. The stadium is a technologically impressive structure whose grand arch has become one of the city's best-known symbols. En route to the San Mamés stadium the bars in Calle Licenciado Poza are essential stopping points both before and after matches, with an atmosphere well worth experiencing.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Bilbao - Art & Entertainment"
Bilbao
Bilbao - Historical Background
Bilbao - Neighborhood Guide
Bilbao - Where to Stay
Bilbao - Dining & Drinking
Other nearby cities:
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Toledo (396 miles)
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Montpellier (522 miles)
Marseille (642 miles)
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