INSIDER TIPS
Kalimotxo is a drink that’s popular
across the Basque region.
Improbable though it sounds, it’s
made by mixing equal parts cola
and red wine, and tastes much as
you’d expect.Locals rarely order more than one
pintxo per bar, although no one’s
going to object if you choose to
stay put and try multiple options.The Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao is closed on Mondays, but
otherwise opens from 10:00 to
18:00. Coming later in the day is a
good way of beating the crowds.If you’re travelling by car, the
underground Arenal Casco
Viejo car park is centrally
located and has reasonable
daily parking rates.Close to Plaza Nueva are the seven
medieval streets — known as Las Siete
Calles — that make up the heart of the
Old Town. Ancient five-storey buildings
with wrought-iron balconies look down on
the cobbles. On one of these streets, Calle
Carnicería Vieja, is Bilbao’s first vegan
bakery, Bohemian Lane. Its owner, Sandra
Mateo, welcomes me with a coffee and a
slice of carrot, cinnamon and walnut cake
(verdict: two sticky thumbs up).
“Bilbao is changing,” she says. “People
thought I was crazy to go against the
usual traditions, but, as in so many places,
veganism is growing.” A steady flow of
customers through the doors underlines
her point. “I actually studied architecture,”
Sandra continues. “I still love walking
around the city and staring at buildings. I
like to think I actually use my education
in my baking. It takes architectural skill to
create a three-layered vegan cake!”
Today’s city has eye-catching buildings
by the dozen, from the 41-storey curves of
the Iberdrola Tower to the neo-baroque
detailing of the Arriaga Theatre. For me,
one in particular stands out. Not the
Guggenheim, for all its showstopping
beauty, but the Akzuna Zentroa, a bizarre
but brilliant cultural complex created by
French architect and designer Philippe
Starck in 2010. Its vast, dark foyer is
supported by a series of squat, stylised
pillars. Commuters wander through this
otherworldly gloom while families recline
on glowing benches and, way overhead,
swimmers float in a glass-bottomed rooftop
pool. It’s an oddity that somehow finds a
natural home in Bilbao.
The building was once an enormous
wine warehouse. This makes sense.
Sooner or later, everything in Bilbao
comes back to food and drink. I later
learn that the local couple I’d seen having
their photos taken on the riverside were
about to embark on a banquet of what can
only be described as Basque proportions:
a traditional seven-course wedding feast
lasting several hours. It’s no wonder they
were looking so happy.BILBAO128 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel