This sometimes overlooked museum houses one of the world’s finest collections of Islamic Art. The museum holds a collection of over 10,000 pieces, mainly Egyptian, but also from elsewhere in the Islamic world. The are all kinds of artworks, including woodwork, stucco, intarsia, ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles, and carpets.

The original theatre, created by Joaquin Rucoba (also known as the Spanish Mozart), burned down in 1914 and a second one was built, resembling the Opera House in Paris. Today, it remains the major cultural venue of Bilbao. Beautifully located on the banks of the Nervión river, the theatre is host to world-class opera, classical music concerts, and ballet. Besides shows, you can also take a guided tour behind the scenes and see the opera costume collection and the stunning stalls.

There are 64 arches around this enclosed square, which is the oldest surviving square in town. Built in 1849, it’s a perfect place to stop and sip a cup of coffee while you watch the world go by. This plaza is home to some of the best and most up-market pintxos in the area. One of the cafés that you can try is the famous Café Bar Bilbao. Sure, the name is not very original, but it is known for its finger-licking pintxos. Look out for the squid pintxo, as well as the ham and onion one. These are the two specialities of the house.

XVIII century construction from the Baroque period, ascribed to José Sierra The church is situated in the old part of the town, just beside the Nobel house of the Orduña’s. This construction was built between 1740 and 1753 over the plot of land where the primitive temple used to be and dates from the Christian Conquest (XIII century). The church was burnt and plundered during the Civil War and was again changed in 1962, shortening its length and changing the ground floor, this led to the loss of the cupola and the transept. Between 1995 and 1996 we undertook the task of renovation and interior decoration in order to save the present day building.