City Guide Bilbao 

Hotel Marques de Riscal Spain
Fans of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim museum in Bilbao should head an hour south to El Ciego in the heart of the Rioja wine region, where a similar mass of extraordinary titanium ribbons awaits. The Marqués de Riscal is Gehry's first and only hotel ...
Silken Amara Plaza
** New Special Promotion for JUNE (2 nights) The Hotel Amara Plaza blends bold architecture with advanced technical facilities, and lies beside the River Urumea at the entrance to San Sebastián. Set just 15 minutes from the iconic Kursaal Congress ...
Barceló Hotel Nervion Bilbao
This elegant, contemporary hotel boasts spectacular views over Bilbao's River Nervion from its setting near the world-famous Guggenheim Museum and old town. The Barceló Nervion provides the ideal venue for business guests as well as those ...
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Bilbao has a wide-open feeling, extending more than 8km (5 miles) across the valley of the Nervion River, one of Spain's most polluted waterways. Many buildings wear a layer of grime. Some visitors compare Bilbao to the sooty postindustrial sprawl of an English port town. However, the extravagant Guggenheim Museum is cast as a symbol of Basque economic revival, and locals hope it will lead to a revitalization of their city. Bilbao was badly hit by the 1970s economic crisis, leading to a closure of shipyards and steelworks. It has benefited greatly from a $1.5-billion reconversion grant, of which the Guggenheim project is one of the main beneficiaries. Signs of revitalization are also seen in a flashy new Metro system designed by Sir Norman Foster of England and a new airport terminal, the work of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. In addition, many owners of local buildings are removing those layers of accumulated grime.

Bilbao was established by charter June 15, 1300, which converted it from a village (pueblo), ruled by local feudal duke Don Diego Lopez de Haro, into a city. Aided by water power and the transportation potential of the Nervión River, it grew and grew, most of its fame and glory coming during the industrial expansion of the 19th century. Many of the city's grand homes and villas for industrialists were constructed then, particularly in the wealthy suburb of Neguri. The most famous son of Bilbao was Miguel de Unamuno, the writer/educator more closely associated with Salamanca.