Bilbao tours and excursions

Bilbao Turismo organises two guided walking tours throughout the year. One of the tours covers the Old Town, offering a snapshot of medieval Bilbao with its cobbled streets, charming corners and squares. The second tour covers the Ensanche-Abandoibarra area and explores Bilbao's architectural and urban development from the 19th century to the present, taking a look at the heart of a city where tradition and modernity converge. The tours start at the tourism office on Plaza Circular 1 and last for about 90 minutes; reservations are not necessary.

Gernika is the small Basque town that was razed to the ground by German aircrafts sent by Hitler to support Franco's troops in the Spanish Civil War. It was an experiment for the blitzkrieg tactics and the bombing of civilians seen in later wars, and it prompted Pablo Picasso to paint his most famous work named after the town itself. Gernika is the traditional heart of Basque nationalism and the famous Tree of Gernika, under which democratic assemblies were held from medieval times up until the 19th century, has been adopted as the symbol of the Basque Country as a whole, and the Biscay Parliament sits in the house next to it. Historical significance aside, excursions should feature a poke around its bustling Monday market and a txakoli (a local dry white wine) tour.