BILBAO, Spania

Neighborhood
Our flat is situated in Deusto, an historic university neighborhood, which college buildings are just in front of the Guggenheim museum. We are less than TWO minutes from the city centre and TWENTY from beautiful countryside and coastal areas by underground. The station is a ONE minute walk from our house. The main photo is the view from our balcony.

Our house is in an excellent position for all amenities and shops. All the things you need are only 2 minute walk: supermarket, pharmacies, bakers, newsagents,family restaurants, cinema, community hall, surgery, churches, banks, children's play areas, indoor swimming pool, health suite (sauna), leisure centers, free basket ball, skate and roller hockey areas, and so on.
The train station, the coach station, the main hospital, open air and indoor swimming pools, leisure centers equipped with tennis, paddle, squash courts, where you can play at very reasonable rates, are 2 minute by underground.
The city
Bilbao is situated on the northern side of Spain, nearby beaches and dissected by the Nervión River. It´s the capital of the Biscay province and the main city of the Basque Country (= Euskadi).
It´s a beautiful town and it's easy to get around by bicycle (we have 5 bicycles in good working order) or on foot. There is a wide public transport network, incluiding a light rail tramway service. The subway was designed by Norman Foster and won the Brunel Award for Railway Architecture in 1988. It combines simplicity, functionality and aesthetics. One of the most astonishing aspects of this subway is that YOU CAN GET TO THE BEACH.
The Artxanda Funicular links downtown Bilbao with a recreational area at the top of the mountain, which has a park, several restaurants, and a sports complex. The area offers panoramic views of the city. Mount Pagasarri and Mount Kobeta are two small mountain ranges that delimit the municipality.
The Fine Arts Museum is one of the main painting and sculpture museums of Spain; the Guggenheim is been called the greatest building of our time.
Bilbao has three theatres and concert halls, and an impressive selection of restaurants and shops and many atmospheric corners. The Euskalduna Palace, that it´s a five-minute walk from our house, was rewarded as "world´s best congress centre 2003"
The city hall has regular guided tours. It´s just a five minute cycle from our house. There also boat trips from there to the Portugalete transporter bridge, a World Heritage Site.
The Basque cuisine has developed a reputation for being one of the best in the world . You can find anything from a Michelin-starred restaurant to a pintxos (Basque tapas) bar. La cuchara, Etxanobe (inside the Euskalduna Palace), Guggenheim restaurant, Zortziko, are close to our house. Don´t miss a walk through the streets of the old town (Casco Viejo).
Surroundings
There is a variety of expansive sandy beaches both quiet and more popular, e.g. Ereaga, Azkorri, Sopelana, Arrietara, Meñakoz, Barrika, Plentzia, Gorliz, Bakio, Sukarrieta, Laida, Laga, Ea, Lekeitio, Ondarroa, Motrico, Deba, Getaria, Zumaia, Zarautz, Castro, Oriñón, Sonabia, Liendo Laredo, Noja and so on. Tranquil seaside villages such as Elantxobe, Ea, Sukarrieta have a special character.
In summer there are open-air music performances and festivals all around the villages.
Some interesting links about the Basque Country:
www.bilbao.net/bilbaoturismo/
www.turismoa.euskadi.net/
www.tveuskadi.net/