In addition to the history and culture covered by Thomas, there are some more interesting aspects of Bilbao, that make it an excellent choice for professors who teach the history of Spain or Spanish history. Bilbao had a noticeably controversial evolution in moving form an industrial city that was slowly falling apart and losing its appeal, as well as productivity. Instead of using the population of Bilbao’s money to try to reinvest into the industry, a decision was instead made to spend 228.3 million dollars on the creation of an art museum, which happened to be the aforementioned Guggenheim Museum.

 The reasoning behind this situation came from a desire to use innovation to fix the ongoing economic issues going on in Bilbao around the 1990s regarding their huge unemployment rate and uncertainty due to industry not providing enough for the city. With an unemployment rate of approximately 25 percent, accompanied with the floods that destroyed parts of the city as well as jobs in 1983, and a lack of efficient public transport, the city of Bilbao was left with little choice but to take a gamble to increase the quality of life and satisfaction of its citizens, as well as a solution to the economic problems present. Along with the development of the Guggenheim Museum, an airport was built, a brand-new subway line to help improve public transport, and leisure/business complexes were added to the city to help promote economic diversity. This was just the start of the plans the government of Bilbao had that led to the city being nicknamed “the city of services.” To put into perspective, about 67 percent of all economic activity that occurs in Bilbao can be attributed to the service sector, with only 24 percent coming from industry, despite Bilbao previously being an industrialized city.

Part of the draw that makes the history of Bilbao interesting, is that cities and mostly countries, will resort to far more drastic changes to their way of operating to fix economic decline or unemployment. It has been seen a multitude of times throughout history, that oligarchies, communism, fascism, and other methods or shifts of ideology have been used when a country is in rapid decline and needs a way to get back on its feet. While this is not a one-to-one comparison, since Bilbao is a city and not a country, I still think the risky decision to diversify the city to be a tourist attraction rather than a city of industry should be appreciated as being a rare choice (especially a successful one in terms of putting their bets on an art museum) in history. Bilbao has kept its ideals of providing a satisfying experience and healthy environment for its people form its transformation to a tourist city to current day. For example Bilbao’s implementation plan that spanned from 2011-2015 allocated 10 percent of the budget for promotion of programming, strengthening of business/public facility networks, and cultural events to encourage creativity and to help make all manner of artistic endeavors profitable. It would prove challenging to find a city with a more interesting history to choose for your study abroad program, especially when it comes to Spain.

 In Bilbao there are many lovely buildings spanning across the entire city. It makes you feel like you’re in a museum of historical architecture. When you look beneath your feet it will make you realize that there has been millions of people before you who helped shape this majestic city. When it comes to the size of the city it is one of the biggest cities on the north side of Spain.

 One of the most impressive parts of Bilbao is the building Guggenheim Museum the building is known as on of the most impressive and complicated building built in Spain in the 20^th century. It offers a kind eye to aspiring architects, and admirers to the arts. The Museum was design by a Canadian architect named Frank Gehry. Gehry design was selected out of several other architect’s designs. The design ended up being introduced by Juan Carlos I who was the king of Spain at the time. There are segments of different time periods throughout the city. The structures that still stand range from the medieval times to modern day.

Bilbao started out as a small town that settled along the river around 1300. In the medieval times people built there home with thin spaces between every build which was used to prevent flooding, the thin line is known as Gullies. On of the most interesting parts of magical city is the Casco Viejo. It refers to seven different ally ways that are connected and they form a massive neighborhood. Within these roads there is a market where people sell wide assortments of foods & materials. The market is called Mercado de la Ribera, it was constructed along the right side of the river.

The building that currently covers the market was built in the late 1920s and has earned an impressive reputation due to the size of it. The building is around 10,000 square feet with over 100 venders inside. Back in the 1980s there was flood that caused a serious amount of damage to the building, however there were repairs that fixed the issues that caused the damage.

With Bilbao being located along side the river it has allowed it to be able to transport goods a lot faster. A positive side about this that through the 19^th & 20^th Centuries it caused the market Mercado de la Ribera to flood in many new types for fruits, vegetables and meats into the city which helped create the delicacies in Bilbao. An interesting part of the location on the city is that the Bay of Biscay which was a massive area for ships to travel to from around the world.

If you are to study abroad Bilbao is the place to go! From a wide mix of different culture to architecture that dates back multiple centuries. You will always find something new and fascinating with in the city, the museum will capture you with its beauty inside & out. At the market you will find many types of food to material with a touch inspiration at every vendor.

“History.” Bilbao Turismo. Accessed November 22, 2021. https://www.bilbaoturismo.net/BilbaoTurismo/en/hitos.

Petroski, H. (1998). Engineering: Bilbao. American Scientist, 86(4), 320–325. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27857053

“The La Ribera Market │ the Largest Market in Bilbao.” Barceló Experiences, June 9, 2021. https://www.barcelo.com/guia-turismo/en/spain/bilbao/things-to-do/ribera-market-bilbao/.

Bilbao is a cultural epicenter located in northern Spain and the capital of the Biscay Province. Friendly, well-traveled, and located just seconds from the gorgeous Spanish coastline it is a perfect place to live and study abroad. Here you will not only be able to explore Spanish culture but Basque culture as well. Furthermore, Bilbao is a modern city but also has access to the beautiful surrounding landscapes in all directions, and this makes for an awesome environment to study abroad in.

Bilbao is a very historical and culturally rich city located in Spain. The population is around 350,000 inhabitants with a per capita GDA of 35,865 euros in 2012. Furthermore, due to the large amount of people inhabiting the city there is always some sort of event happening that you as a student/professor would be more than welcomed to participate in. Also, even more impressive the downtown is beautiful with culturally appropriate buildings that were designed by fantastic architects, these buildings will change your opinion on good looking buildings. To continue about the metropolitan scene, it is estimated that around 1 million people inhabit the area. Also, when you are walking around the town and taking in all the beautiful scenery you would never guess that it once was an industrial city that reinvented itself due to innovations made by influential public and private institutions, which in turn changed the city for the best.

There are a multitude of reasons to choose to study abroad in Bilbao Spain ranging from the culture to the historical information that can be learned. For example, there are wonderful museums that are open to the public and teach you valuable information about the city’s history and traditions. One of these museums is the Guggenheim Museum which brought worldwide recognition to the city with its extravagant architecture. When you visit the museum, you will see hundreds of people a day posing in front of the building for photos. This attraction alone shows the incredible amount of culture that is found in the city, but it doesn’t stop here if you keep walking down the riverbank you will be engulfed by Spanish culture. All the artwork around the city allows for never ending sightseeing and amazing tourism. Also, you can visit many different locations such as. Bilbo Rock which is a church that has been around since the 17th century. Inside of the building it houses a multi-functional culture center along with a movie theater, and a couple experimental installations, as well as many more attractions that will grab your attention. If you still aren’t interested about studying abroad in the greatest city, Bilbao, there are also festivals that take place throughout the year.

Guggenheim Museum

In conclusion, the city of Bilbao is one of a kind and has so much to offer both in educational information and in having fun. Anything from some of the richest culture in Spain to the greatest people in the world. The city of Bilbao is waiting for you to come explore and study abroad, it has something for everyone whether you like to hang out at the restaurants or explore the museums and tourist attractions Bilbao has it all. 

If you’re looking for more information about Bilbao including the history, culture, and places to visit and see then these sources are here to help!

With all the information available to you, hopefully the decision to travel abroad will be made easy.  Not only does Bilbao have historical and cultural significance to learn about, but it is also overall a beautiful place to visit.  On top of learning, there are amazing sights to see, food to eat, and the students and teachers are sure to have a great overall experience.

Historical Information

If you’re looking for more detailed information on the culture and history of Bilbao and Basque country, then this eBook has plenty of information that can teach you anything you need to know.

Woodworth, Paddy. Basque Country : A Cultural History, Andrews UK Ltd., 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/longwood/detail.action?docID=836832.

Places to go

Bilbao is filled with fun activities, museums, and popular attractions, here is a list of the 20 most popular things to do.

Restaurants

If you’re looking for some good local food, here is a list of different places to try.

Logistics

On your visit, you will need a nice place to stay. If you are looking for an airbnb or hotel, there are plenty of options.

Transportation can also be an issue while traveling to a new country with many people. Bilbao has many options when it comes to public transportation to get you where you need to go. If renting a car seems like a better option, then here is a website that can help!

Bilbao is very popular for its amazing Basque cuisine.  There is a wide variety from cheap and inexpensive restaurants all the way to Michelin star quality restaurants.  No matter where you end up eating, the food is sure to be amazing.  According to an article, traditional food in Bilbao includes pintxos which are small snack sized plates that are often served in bars and restaurants.  The meals often include cod and other fresh seafood.  On top of seafood, they also eat lots of meats.  Basque food is often cooked with olive oil and with garlic and peppers. 

Bacalao Al Pil-Pil

According to a tasteatlas article, bacalo al pil-pil is a very popular basque dish, and it can be ordered all throughout Bilabo. It is made with only four ingredients which are salt cod, olive oil, garlic, and chili peppers. The cod is cooked in the olive oil with the garlic and chili peppers. When the cod is cooked it creates a creamy sauce that is poured on top of the cod before eating. This recipe was created a long time ago, and there is even a legend about how the recipe came about. It is very delicious, and popular. When traveling to Bilabo, bacalo al pil-pil is a dish you must try.

Bacalao a la Vizcaína

Bacalao a la Vizcaína is another popular cod dish.  It is a salted cod stew, that has its roots in Bilbao and Northern Spain.  However, this dish is also extremely popular in Latin America.  This dish is especially popular during holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Holy Week, and New Year’s Eve.  It is also popular on Fridays during lent when Catholics abstain from eating meat.  Bacalao is a dried and salted cod fish that can be bought at local markets.  When making this soup, the fish must be soaked for up to three days.  This removes the extra salt that was used to preserve the fish, but not too much to take the flavor out of it.  The stew also has potatoes, garlic, onions, tomatoes, olive oil and many other spices and ingredients.  This dish can be bought at many restaurants, and it is also a very common dish to be made at home for family dinners.  

Desserts

If you’re in Bilbao you’re going to want to try some desserts too. Here are two popular desserts that can be found on your trip to Bilbao.

Etxeko Biskotoxa

This is the most traditional dessert from this area, and it is more commonly called Gâteau Basque or Basque cake. It is a dessert made from a short bread dough, and it most often either filled with pastry cream or a cherry jam.  This dessert is also popular in part of France.  In France they most often use the jam, whereas in Spain it is more popular to use cream.  Nevertheless, it can be found both ways in both countries.  This dessert can be made in many ways, but no matter how you get it, it will not disappoint.

Canutillos de Bilbao

This dessert is newer and more recently popular.  These Canutillos are crispy puff-pastry rolled very thin into a cylindrical shape, and then fried until they are nice and golden brown.  After they are fried they are filled with pastry cream, and served with chocolate sauce. 

All of these delicious treats and food can be found all through bakeries and restraunts in Bilbao. More information about these desserts and others can be found here. If you are looking for more popular meals and food items click here for more information.