Bilbao, Spain, by Valerie Streif, Bilbao, Spain

Tucked away in Basque Country in the north of Spain is the charming city of Bilbao. While not nearly as well-known as Barcelona or Madrid, it is the fourth most populated city in the country and is full of incredible things to see, do, and in true northern Spain fashion, EAT!

I spent just over a day here a few weekends ago, and despite the rain, I had a great time exploring this city (and checking it off my list!)

Designed by Frank Gehry (who also designed the Weisman Art Museum on my university campus) this museum is quite the sight to see. It looks like a giant boat that is brilliantly integrated with the city backdrop. There are flames that shoot out of the fountains surrounding the building every night, as well as different sculptures around the exterior of the museum. The construction of the museum had a huge impact in the surge in tourism to Bilbao.

A cool bridge adjacent to the Guggenheim museum which spans across the river in Bilbao, there is a lot of street art spray painted on the underside and an elevator to gain access to it from the north side of the river.

Many taverns and restaurants line the perimeter of this historical plaza located in the center of Bilbao. While it is nothing like the Plaza de España of Seville or Plaza Mayor of Madrid, it is a nice place to walk through and grab a beer and a pinxto at one of the restaurants in the plaza. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).