Situated on the Costa Vasca, Bilbao might have been a small, picturesque, charming port like many others along this coast. Its advantageous situation quickly made it an important fishing and trading port, opening up routes to Northern Europe and the Americas.

The city was a particular point of attraction in the Basque Country for many years. In 1997, its fame spread further with the completion of the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry in a staggering style of architecture, with spectacular 20th century art collections, making Bilbao one of the world’s major cultural centres.