A merchants’ town, an iron river and a titanium museum that changed it for good.
Bilbao was founded in 1300 as a merchants’ port, grew rich on iron and shipyards and, when all that collapsed, reinvented itself with the Guggenheim. Its Seven Streets, its legends and its riverside promenades tell that story to anyone who walks slowly. Three free routes to discover it on foot, at your own pace, between one pintxo and the next.
Choose your free tour
All routes are free and can be combined. If it’s your first visit, start with the mixed route.
Seven centuries of Bilbao along the river: the bridge on the coat of arms, the market, the Seven Streets, the Enlightenment square, the sieges, the 1983 flood and the city hall that iron paid for.
A Virgin who refused to leave her hill, a cemetery turned park, an Iron Age idol, lions with a dog’s name and a festival that ends in flames.
Bilbao’s must-sees along the river and through the 19th-century centre: Calatrava’s white bridge, the Guggenheim with Puppy and Maman, La Salve, the Fine Arts Museum, the Gran Vía and the old Alhóndiga.
The map
The routes cross in the old town. Tap a point to see which story awaits you there.
Filled points already have a published article; the rest are in the works.
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Itineraries
We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.
All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.
See the itinerary 2A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.
See the itinerary 3The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.
See the itineraryWhat to eat
The dishes you can’t leave without trying, and the classic spots that have been serving them for years.
Salt cod has come up the estuary for centuries, and Bilbao turned it into a classic: al pil-pil, where oil, garlic and chilli are swirled in the pan until the fish’s own gelatine thickens the sauce, or a la vizcaína, in a sauce of dried choricero peppers. At Víctor Montes, on Plaza Nueva, a former grocer’s with 19th-century roots, both are house specialities.
Where to try it
Txikiteo is Bilbao’s habit of hopping from bar to bar for a txikito, a small glass of wine, with a pintxo at each stop; sometimes with a group of friends and a song. Order a gilda, the skewer of chilli pepper, anchovy and olive, and something hot from the counter. Under the arcades of Plaza Nueva, Café Bar Bilbao, open since 1911 and lined with period tiles, and Sorginzulo are two classics for a standing dinner.
Where to try it
A thick, aged beef chop, seared on the grill, almost raw inside, with coarse salt and nothing else. Casa Rufo, in the city centre, has served it since 1955 in a place that is both a wine and deli shop and a dining room.
Where to try it
Small squid stuffed with their own tentacles and stewed in a black sauce of ink, onion and pepper, with white rice on the side. At Río-Oja, on Calle del Perro next to the lion fountain, clay cazuelitas have been the house speciality for decades: perfect for dinner at the end of the legends route.
Where to try it
The carolina is Bilbao’s signature sweet: a pastry base filled with custard under a tall cone of meringue glazed with egg yolk and chocolate; tradition says a pastry cook named it after his daughter. The bollo de mantequilla, a soft bun filled with butter cream, is the city’s classic breakfast or afternoon treat. Martina de Zuricalday, a bakery founded in 1830, makes them daily.
Where to try it
Txakoli is the Basque white wine, light, fresh and tart, often poured from a height. Have it as an aperitif with a gilda at Café Iruña, open since 1903 opposite the Albia Gardens and famous for its neo-Mudéjar tiles and arabesques.
Where to try it