A tour of Bilbao’s ten museums
Some years ago, Bilbao embarked on an urban transformation process that paved the way for a new model of development based on people and always with an eye firmly fixed on the future. That process has made it famous the world over, but Bilbao is also a city that remains true to its roots and to those intangible values that have allowed us to weather all the setbacks we have had to endure over seven long centuries of history, with enthusiasm and proud to be in one of the best places in the world to live and work in, a place that offers the chance of a dignified life to one and all.
Presented by Bilbao City Council, this brief guide to Bilbao’s museums illustrates just to what extent culture has always played an important role in Bilbao society.
The Museum of Fine Arts
A journey through the history of art from the 12th century to the present day.
The Indautxu neighbourhood and, more specifically, the Park of Doña Casilda, is home to the Bilbao Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum boasts an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures, providing an enjoyable journey through the history of art and into the 21st century.
It contains works by the most outstanding exponents of Basque art: Arteta, the Arrue brothers, Losada, Guiard, Iturrino, Zuloaga, Quintín de la Torre, Juan de Echevarria, Chillida, Oteiza, Ibarrola, Gal, Herrero, Lazkano…
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
No visit to Bilbao would be complete it if were to fail to take in both the content and the container of this famous contemporary art museum.
The creation of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was the result of an unprecedented alliance between the Basque Government and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, which led to the Museum’s inauguration in October 1997. With both an international vocation and a strong local flavour, the Guggenheim Bilbao is a reality that has not only exceeded even the most ambitious artistic and cultural expectations but has also made an extraordinary contribution to the urban, economic and social regeneration of the city and the surrounding area.
Euskal Museoa (The Basque Museum)
Inaugurated in 1921 and located in the very heart of the Casco Viejo of the City of Bilbao, the Euskal Museoa, the Basque Museum of Bilbao occupies the former Saint Andrew’s College of the Society of Jesus. The museum is temporarily closed to the public to allow comprehensive renovation work to be carried out.
Dedicated to history and ethnography, the museum’s work has not stopped however, as it continues to research, catalogue, document, conserve and restore its collections and to get them ready for future exhibitions.
The museum’s collection contains more than 50,000 items and 38,000 photographs.
The Reproductions Museum
This artistic reproduction museum is located in Bilbao la Vieja, in the San Francisco neighbourhood. Its home, the former church of the Heart of Mary, is a small neo-Gothic gem, designed by the architect José María de Basterra, who was born in Bilbao.
The collection comprises exact reproductions of masterpieces, first copies of original works that grace the walls of the world’s most prestigious museums.
The visit also allows us to closely admire some of the most important statues in the History of Art: the Panathenaic frieze from the Parthenon in Athens, the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Apollo Belvedere, the Apoxyomenos, Laocoön and his Sons, the Slaves, Michelangelo’s Moses…
Itsasmuseum Bilbao
Located on the same site as the former Euskalduna shipyards, the purpose of the Itsasmuseum is to protect and disseminate maritime culture, particularly that of the stretch of water between the Bilbao Estuary and the Bay of Biscay.
The museum’s permanent exhibition explains the historical significance of the Bilbao Consulate that was first set up in 1511, the commercial and industrial activities of the Port, the shipyards, marine carpentry and sea rescue. Leisure and sport also have a place in the museum: from the region’s very own traineras (rowing sculls) to surfing, to which the Itsasmuseum dedicates a specific area.
Museum of Sacred Art
A charming place where sculpture and painting meet in a welcoming setting.
The Bilbao Museum of Sacred Art is located in the Atxuri neighbourhood, in what was once the Dominican convent of the Incarnation.
Restored and inaugurated in 1995, the building preserves the historical atmosphere of the old convent. Its beautiful cloister and carefully maintained rooms create an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity that enhances the enjoyment of the visit.
On display are ancient and modern paintings and sculptures, as well as gold and silver work and religious ornaments. Most of the works come from churches, convents and hermitages in Vizcaya.
Is also the setting for the original escape room, “The Abbey of Atxuri”.
The Bullfighting Museum
Opened in 1995, this museum is located in the Vista Alegre Bullring, in the Ametzola district.
It traces the history of bullfighting through didactic texts illustrated with more than a hundred photographs, prints by Goya, original posters of different bullfights, bullfighting costumes, books and models of Bilbao’s old bullrings, among other items.
The Archaeological Museum
The Arkeologi Museoa, is located in the Casco Viejo, next to the Mallona stairs, in a building that once housed the old Lezama train station.
If having to climb all those stairs puts you off, the City Council has kindly provided a lift in Calle Prim that takes you up to the Museum.
The Arkeologi Museoa
presents the history of Vizcaya through the traces left by its inhabitants, from prehistoric times to more recent historical periods. It has become a reference centre and a conduit for archaeological research in Vizcaya through its myriad activities designed to raise awareness of the history of the territory, to promote archaeological studies, and to ensure the storage, conservation and restoration of archaeological artefacts.
Museo de Pasos (Religious Floats Museum)
The Bilbao Easter Week Floats Museum is located in Calle Iturribide, in the Casco Viejo, in a neoclassical building that dates back to the 18th century.
The museum exhibits a good number of the floats of the Stations of the Cross of the Passion of Christ that different brotherhoods bear aloft during Holy Week processions, together with other floats that are kept in the churches of Bilbao.
These floats have been paraded countless times through the streets of Bilbao. Some of them were built in the 16th and 17th centuries while others are from the 20th century, made by such Vizcayan sculptors as Quintín de la Torre or Ricardo Iñurria.
Athletic Club
A thrilling journey through the history of a club with a unique philosophy.
Located in the Basurto neighbourhood, in the San Mamés stadium – the Cathedral of football – access to the museum is through gates 19 and 20 of the stadium, on the street dedicated to Rafael Moreno, “Pichichi”, the fabulous Bilbao forward who gave his name to the trophy for the top scorer in the Spanish league.
The museum provides an insight into the history of a legendary Club that even though it was founded way back in 1898, still maintains a unique sporting philosophy and values.
