Bilbao by Sarah Anderson

Bilbao was not a popular destination before the Guggenheim Museum opened, but it has become so, and is a terrific place for a short break.

My first sight of the museum, with the sun shimmering on its titanium walls, was breathtaking. It is a building which really makes one’s spirits soar. My first day was spent just walking around the outside; I didn’t actually go inside until the second day. It is well-worth hiring an ‘accoustiguide’. They are very well-done, and one of the features has Frank Gehry [the architect] talking about his work. As a boy he had been fascinated by fish and this building reflects this youthful passion, with its gleaming titanium walls reminiscent of fish-scales.

Bilbao has much more to offer than simply the new Guggenheim, with its collection of modern art and changing exhibitions. The Museo de Bellas Artes has a wide-ranging collection of pictures, and featured an exhibition of Spanish Still Life at the time of my visit.

There is of course also the food to consider. Basque food is renowned and the many tapas bars have rows of tempting hams hanging from steel hooks. You can’t improve on a lunch of smoked ham and cold white wine chosen from a long counter full of other tempting items. The new metro system is fast, clean and efficient, and makes a journey to the coast easy. Near enough for an day’s visit is Vitoria, a city built with concentric streets, like Amsterdam but without the canals. Try not to go on a Monday as much is closed including the Museo Fournier del Naipe, the unique playing card museum which has a card dating from 1300 and packs of Tarot cards. A weekend in Basque, northern Spain, makes a splendid and refreshing break.