Visit Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum, Frank Gehry's rippling titanium shell opened in 1997, takes two to three hours to visit; it closes on Mondays outside high season. Around it, the riverside walk links Jeff Koons's flower Puppy, Louise Bourgeois's Maman spider, Calatrava's white Zubizuri footbridge and the renovated Fine Arts Museum, ten minutes away on foot. The La Salve bridge frames the museum and is crossed on foot.

Old Bilbao is built around the Siete Calles, seven medieval streets lined with balconies. Here stand Santiago cathedral, the arcaded Plaza Nueva and the Ribera market, one of Europe's largest, closed on Sunday afternoons. The txikiteo ritual means moving from bar to bar, a pintxo and a glass of txakoli at each stop, rather than a sit-down meal. Allow an evening to do the rounds, between Calle Ledesma and Calle Somera.

The Artxanda funicular climbs in three minutes to a viewpoint taking in the whole city in its green bowl, between the hills. It runs into the evening: it is the best spot at sunset. To the south, Etxebarria park, on a former steelworks, offers a closer view of the rooftops and the estuary. Mount Pagasarri, higher up, is a half-day hike from the outskirts.

Metro line 1 follows the estuary to the sea in about thirty minutes. At Portugalete and Getxo, the iron Bizkaia transporter bridge, UNESCO-listed, carries a gondola from bank to bank in a minute and can be climbed via its upper walkway. The villa promenade of Getxo leads to the Algorta fishing harbour and the Ereaga and Arrigunaga beaches, with the Punta Begona galleries and the old harbour worth the short detour along the way.

The Basque Country fits into short trips. San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, an islet reached by a stone bridge and 241 steps, must be booked online with a time slot. Guernica, 45 minutes away by Euskotren train, keeps the oak that symbolises Basque freedoms and a peace museum. San Sebastian is 1h15 away. For a real tour, the coast of green Spain continues towards Asturias and Cantabria.