Modern. Arty. And more.

On Spain’s northern coast, just a few miles inland from the Bay of Biscay, Bilbao is richly Basque – and proud of it. Once mighty and industrial, today it’s been reborn as a civilised and cultured service city, with regeneration and optimism at every turn.

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Must see:
You can’t come to Bilbao and not see the Guggenheim Museum. Frank Gehry’s modern masterpiece, inaugurated in 1997, houses just a portion of the Guggenheim Foundation’s huge modern art collection.

Must eat at:
Daniel Garcia’s one Michelin-starred Zortziko delivers an inventive menu, with delights including braised artichokes, corvina grilled in brine and delicious farmhouse chicken.

Must be there for:
From Saturday in the third week in August, Bilbao lets its hair down for its annual Semana Grande – Big Week – when 100,000 revellers have been joining the 9-day party every year since 1978.

Well-travelled tips:
• For a whole dose of culture and entertainment in one shot, head to the Alhóndiga Bilbao, a former wine warehouse now given the Philippe Starck treatment.
• If you’re in town in early July, check out the Bilbao Live Festival. Headline acts for 2011 include Coldplay, Amy Winehouse and the Black Crowes.

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