Used a backdrop for weddings, the Loretto Chapel is one of Santa Fe's oldest and most dear attractions. Formerly a Roman Catholic church, it now serves as a museum and wedding venue. Perhaps beyond its grand beauty and elegance, Loretto Chapel's continued allure lies in its mysterious spiral staircase. Both the identity of its builder and the stunning physics of its construction - there were no supports holding it as it spirals into the choir loft - remain a mystery. Legend says that St. Joseph himself made it, as the man who did build the staircase disappeared before the nuns were able to pay him, and the wood used was not native to the area. It is a stunning salute to the science of physics and the hearts of believers.

Built from the late 14th to the 15th centuries, the Santiago Cathedral is the city’s oldest major church, dedicated to Saint James (Santiago), Bilbao's patron saint. The building features a mix of different styles: its core is Gothic (nave, vault, cloister), a grand Renaissance portico was added in the 1500s, while much of the façade and tower with spire were rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style in the late 1800s by Severino de Achúcarro. Inside, you’ll see three naves, several side chapels, the Gothic cloister accessible via the Door of the Angel ('Puerta del Ángel'), and beyond the main altar, there’s an ambulatory with chapels. Floods in 1983 caused damage, but the cathedral was restored and reopened around 2000.

Lionel Wendt Art Centre is a prestigious venue for the performing arts, especially music. It features a theatre and two galleries showing different exhibitions of contemporary art and crafts.

At the Colombo National Museum, you can browse through a wealth of exhibits from prehistoric times to the colonial era. Look out for traditional fearsome masks said to be linked to magical powers.