Bilbao City Hall, Bilbao

Bilbao's elegant city hall in the Plaza Erkoreka Ernesto dates from 1892 and was designed by Joaquin Rucoba, with a spire and a magnificent façade featuring balconies, columns and a sweeping staircase. The highlight of the interior is the 'Arab Room', an opulently decorated chamber used for civil marriage ceremonies. Guided tours, lasting about an hour are available, though these need to be booked in advance by phone.

Museo Vasco, Bilbao

The Museo Vasco, also known as the Euskal Museoa or Basque Museum, is in the heart of the old quarter of the city, housed in a 17th century Jesuit cloister. The museum depicts Basque culture, history and ethnology, and its exhibits span a wide range of interests including weaving, the blacksmith trade, pastoral life and maritime matters. The displays offer the chance to dip into Basque political and social life, using everything from model ships to reconstructions of rooms and gravestones to guide the visitor along. Budget at least three hours to take it all in.

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm, Sundays from 11am to 2pm

Admission:
EUR3, with concessions available. Free for children under 10 and senior citizens

Museo de Bellas Artes, Bilbao

For a more mainstream artistic experience than that offered by the astonishing Guggenheim Gallery, the Museo de Bellas Artes in the Plaza Museo fits the bill admirably with some valuable works on display behind an unassuming façade. The museum's impressive collection spans art from the 12th to 20th centuries, highlights being some excellent Flemish works from between the 15th and 17th centuries. There are also works by El Greco, Goya, Gauguin, Francis Bacon, Picasso and Velazquez. To the rear of the building is a sculpture garden.

Getting There:
Metro to Moyúa station; or bus 1, 10, 13 and 18 to Museum Plaza

Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm

Admission:
EUR5.50 (adults), free for children under 12

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

Locals in Bilbao are divided on whether it is a 'beauty or a beast', but the bizarre multi-million dollar Guggenheim Museum, opened in 1997, has brought thousands of visitors flocking to the city to be awed or floored. The massive museum, designed by Frank Gehry, has no right angles and resembles a metallic flower clad in shiny titanium, and is sited in the former dockyard alongside the Nervion River. Inside, apart from breathtaking spaces, the museum houses the works of some important 20th century artists, including Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Willem de Koonig and Clyfford Still. There are also sections displaying the work of young Basque and Spanish artists, and rotating exhibits lent by the Guggenheim museums in New York and Venice.

Getting There:
Metro to Moyua station; streetcar to Guggenheim stop; a variety of buses also service the museum

Opening Times:
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm (open on Mondays between July and August)

Admission:
EUR9, and an extra EUR2 for an audioguide.

Santillana del Mar, Bilbao

French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre called Santillana del Mar "the prettiest village in Spain" - and to this day, it remains one of the undisputed highlights of Spain's northern coastline. Santillana del Mar is tiny - only six blocks long, and home to just 4,000 permanent inhabitants - and makes a wonderful base for exploring the alluring Cantabrian coastline. In the village, which is full of gorgeous Romanesque architecture lining ironstone streets, locals still sell fresh milk from open stable doors, and well-heeled visitors have the chance to spend the night in one of Spain's grandest paradores(the Parador de Santillana), a converted 17th century mansion offering luxurious and unforgettable accommodation. Santillana del Mar is also the closest urban area to the Cuevas de Altamira(Altamira Caves), featuring amazing Upper Paleolithic cave paintings, and often dubbed 'the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art'. Because Spain's northern coastline doesn't see nearly as much annual tourist activity as its southern coastline, independent travellers keen to avoid the crush of sun-seekers on the Costa del Sol are strongly encouraged to visit Santillana del Mar, which offers a relaxing seaside atmosphere as well as the chance to feel as though you've truly 'escaped' the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

Pamplona, Bilbao

Hordes of tourists flock to this town in Navarre, Northern Spain, in early July each year for the Running of the Bulls, officially La Fiesta del Fermin. The festival, in honour of the city's patron saint, was made famous by Ernest Hemingway's novel 'The Sun Also Rises', and it has become Spain's most popular attraction. A bust of Hemingway stands outside Pamplona's bullring, where the 8-day extravaganza of dancing, dashing through the streets ahead of rampaging bulls, and drinking, begins. The practice of driving bulls through the centre of Pamplona started in the 19th century as the most practical way to get them to the ring, and for many years the city authorities tried to prevent the practice of running with the bulls. Aside from the festival, though, Pamplona is worth a visit any time of year, boasting lush parks, a splendid Gothic cathedral, a huge citadel and a quaint old quarter. Pamplona is the capital of the province of Navarre, but its roots are Basque and a large section of its population are Basque nationalists.

Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao

British visitors are reassured by the presence of a statue of Wellington, the 'Iron Duke', standing on the Plaza de la Virgen Blanca in the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, 41 miles (66km) south of Bilbao. The statue commemorates Wellington's victory in battle here against Napoleon's forces. The main reason for visiting this Basque city, however, is to enjoy the impressive new contemporary art museum, and soak up some of the charm of this green urban enclave, packed with avenues and parks. There is also an old quarter, full of Renaissance palaces, most of which are now art galleries and museums. The city also has two Gothic cathedrals, one dating from the 12th century and one, modern but designed in Gothic style, still under construction.

San Sebastian, Bilbao

The Basque region's most popular beach, La Concha, is to be found in the genteel resort city of San Sebastian, 62 miles (100km) east of Bilbao. The town became fashionable as a summer getaway during the reign of Queen Isabel when she took to holidaying there in 1845. Today the town hums with boutiques, surf-shops and nightclubs, but the elaborate boardwalk and grandiose historic mansions lend an air of sophistication. For a spectacular view of the sea and countryside, ride the funicular to the top of Monte Igueldo, or opt for the opposite side of the bay where it is possible to stroll through shady woods to the summit of Monte Urgull, topped with a statue of Jesus blessing the city. The town's Museo de San Telmo, housed in a Dominican monastery, displays some interesting prehistoric Basque artefacts, and a few dinosaur skeletons. The house where Victor Hugo once lived is in the nearby charming fishing village of Pasajes de San Juan, which can be reached by ferry from San Sebastian.