The Guggenheim changed Bilbao. Frank Gehry's titanium building opened on the river in 1997, and the city's transformation from industrial port to destination is still called "the Guggenheim effect". You can enjoy a lot of it without going in, but go in.
Outside: free
- The building itself, best seen from the river walk and from the Zubizuri bridge.
- Puppy, Jeff Koons's giant terrier covered in flowers, guarding the entrance since the museum opened.
- Maman, Louise Bourgeois's huge bronze spider by the water, and the fog sculpture that rises around the building at intervals.
Inside
The museum shows modern and contemporary art in changing exhibitions, plus permanent works. Richard Serra's *The Matter of Time*, a room of giant steel spirals you walk through, is the one piece almost everyone remembers. Allow two to three hours.
Tickets and hours
Buy timed tickets on the official website; weekends, Easter and summer sell out. The museum usually opens Tuesday to Sunday and closes on Mondays outside summer; check the current hours and prices on the official site before you go.
A day around it
Morning at the museum, then walk the river to the old town for pintxos in Plaza Nueva; in the afternoon, the funicular up Artxanda for the view. Our Bilbao guide has the rest.
Staying connected
Your timed ticket, the audio guide app and the map back to your hotel all need data. A data eSIM for Spain gives you local data from the moment you land, without removing your own SIM.