Start your tour at the Mercado de la Ribera, the indoor market on the banks of the Nervion River where locals buy fresh produce, meats and fish in a structure redesigned in 1929 with iron and glass elements spanning over 10,000 square metres.
From this point, move to the adjacent Iglesia de San Anton and Puente de San Anton, the oldest church and bridge in Bilbao dating to the 14th century, with the church featuring a Gothic style and Renaissance facade after restorations in the 19th century. Proceed into the Casco Viejo along the Seven Streets, the mediaeval layout forming the heart of the old town with narrow alleys once used by pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago route.
Continue to the Catedral de Santiago, a Gothic church consecrated in 1379 with pointed arches, ribbed vaults and a cloister, serving as a key site for the pilgrimage path. Head next to the Plaza Nueva, a neoclassical square completed in 1851 with 64 arches around its perimeter that house bars and shops for visitors to sample pintxos, the local small portions of food.
Cross the Puente del Arenal for views of the river before reaching the Teatro Arriaga, a Neo-Baroque opera house built in 1890 with a curved facade and balconies, named after a Basque composer. Follow the path along the Gran Via de Don Diego Lopez de Haro through the Ensanche district, the business area expanded in the 19th century with wide streets and buildings reflecting the city’s industrial growth after 1850.
Pass the Udaletxeko Zubia as you approach the modern section of Bilbao, where the route covers about three kilometres in total and takes around 90 minutes at a steady pace. End at the Guggenheim Museum, the titanium-clad structure designed by Frank Gehry in 1997 that houses contemporary art and stands beside the river as a symbol of the city’s shift from industrial decline to cultural focus.
