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36 Hours

36 Hours in Bilbao, Spain

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36 Hours in Bilbao

Beyond Bilbao’s Guggenheim museum, there’s much to explore, from Michelin-star restaurants and medieval streets, to a bar run by a world-class mixologist.

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Beyond Bilbao’s Guggenheim museum, there’s much to explore, from Michelin-star restaurants and medieval streets, to a bar run by a world-class mixologist.CreditCredit...Markel Redondo for The New York Times

Bilbao, in the heart of the Basque Country in northern Spain, was put on the American radar in 1997 by the opening of the Guggenheim, the scaly titanium-clad museum that made its architect, Frank Gehry, a household name.

The city, with a population of about 350,000, is an urban success story, still being written, with improved transportation, green spaces, plans to renew forgotten neighborhoods, and sleek towers shooting up beside grand old icons, themselves glowing from recent spit and polish. Bilbao has become a design town marked by its Fosteritos, the metro stops designed by the English architect Norman Foster that look like giant shrimp. It’s also a serious food town with Michelin stars and Thermomix billboards to prove it.

And since tourists tend to stick near the Googen (the local nickname for the Guggenheim), there’s an unspoiled culture and quality of life just waiting to be explored.

1. Hop On! | 4 p.m.

Euskotren Tranbia is a cute lime-green and silver caterpillar of a tram that runs on only one line, in two directions. For a flat fare of 1.5 euros (about $1.60), it’s a great way to see this small city (and its people) along the left bank of the Nervión River, past the Guggenheim, and then over to the edge of the compact medieval Casco Viejo, or old quarter, on the right bank. You can also hop on and off using a 24-hour Bilbao Card, a 30-euro pass that includes public transport, museum admission fees and various discounts.

2. Meandering | 5 p.m.

Start in the Indautxu district, at the design shop inside the Azkuna Zentroa, formerly known as the Alhóndiga Bilbao, an old wine warehouse that’s been converted into a vast cultural center (cinema, performance space, medialab, gym, and the like) with a modern interior conjured up by Philippe Starck. Stand beneath the fourth-floor indoor swimming pool whose transparent bottom frames the impromptu dance of the swimmers above. Then meander north to Calle del Doctor Nicolas Achucarro to explore a cluster of independent boutiques, like Divina Martina, a cool dress shop with shag carpeting, wire hangers, indirect lighting and small designers that have yet to appear in the States. East toward the river is Villarias, a chic little street that’s marked by Arropame, a new fashion concept store, and Persuade, a beautifully designed mini-emporium that sells everything from Comme des Garçons men’s wear to an antique canopied bed. Persuade has been plying its trade for 30 years, which goes to show that the Bilbao aesthetic existed long before Mr. Gehry waved his wand.

3. Masters and Luminaries | 7 p.m.

In the shadow of the Guggenheim hides the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Founded in 1908, it sits at the edge of the Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park and has a collection of some 10,000 major works, from old masters to Basque luminaries, such as the sculptors Jorge Oteiza and Eduardo Chillida. General admission, 7 euros; free on Wednesdays.

4. Cocktails and Pintxos | 9 p.m.

In an exclusive residential area off the tree-lined Gran Via, you can eat and drink with locals. Squeeze in among them (and their shopping bags from the department store El Corte Inglés) at the bustling Bar el Globo for an inaugural tinto. A couple of blocks away at the sleek white Bitoque Gastrobar, imaginative pintxos are displayed on upside-down fruit crates atop the bar; there’s also a menu of small plates, like grilled octopus and cured meats; and plenty of things poured by the glass. A light meal for two costs about 25 euros.

5. Among the Fishmongers | 9 a.m.

Food markets in Europe can be as thrilling as soccer matches. The Mercado de la Ribera is extensive and sits in its Art Deco glory on the banks of the Nervión River, which leads to the sea. The interior is filled with light, stained glass and beautiful sights, like freshly filleted anchovies and views onto the Casco Viejo.

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A bar at Plaza Nueva.Credit...Markel Redondo for The New York Times

6. Seven Streets | 10 a.m.

Bilbao’s original Seven Streets, a pedestrian zone, manage to maintain their ancient character and inspire new ideas. Cafe tables have sprung up alongside the Gothic Santiago Cathedral. Outside a corner bar, men throw tokens into the mouth of a ceramic frog in a Basque game of Juego de la Rana, while ladies lunch in the converted dining rooms in the ground floor of old stone buildings. Above Plaza Nueva, women in housecoats peep out white-shuttered windows while palm trees give shade below. In Calle Jardines, there’s La Quesería, a new cheese shop behind a pretty sort of Parisienne storefront, lit with Edison bulbs.

7. Hidden Lunch | 1 p.m.

In Spain, lunch is the big meal, and Bilbao has no shortage of good restaurants. But Mina feels like a discovery: in an old district (Bilbao La Vieja), behind an almost hidden door, up a flight of stairs and in a small bright dining room with white tile, a Scandinavian élan, and an open kitchen. There, the chef and owner, Álvaro Garrido, turns out tasting menus that have won him a Michelin star. Have the short one (seven courses, 55 euros), which may feature saffron-stewed lobster with tiny mushrooms and pork belly, and rabbit from the market across the river, and you’ll see why Mr. Garrido is gaining fans.

8. The Essential Museum Visit | 4 p.m.

You could spend a day at the Guggenheim, the titanium flower that grew out of an industrial wasteland and sparked this city’s regeneration in what is known as the Bilbao Effect. Never mind getting lost in Richard Serra’s maze of rusty steel, “The Matter of Time”; a world of modern and contemporary art awaits (such as Motherwell, Anish Kapoor, Jenny Holzer). Make use of the excellent, often droll audio guide that comes with admission. Even if, say, fog as a sculptural medium is not your thing, there’s people-watching to rival Times Square.

9. Small Plates | 8 p.m.

Do as the Bilbainos do and bar hop, sampling small plates as you roam. On a residential street, by the enchanted Jardines de Albia where women walk their terriers along brick paths, the classic tile-covered Café Iruña holds onto traditions, some of them very tasty. Look in the dining room with its murals, then return to the front bar for a 2.50-euro lamb sandwich (pintxo morano) made on the grill. At La Viña del Ensanche, there are tables on a pedestrian plaza opposite a glass cube of a building that’s a stark contrast to the grander Beaux-Arts and neo-Classical facades. Inside, young well-heeled professionals choose from an array of pintxos (try a seared foie gras and some fine Iberian ham) and many fantastic Spanish wines.

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The Jardines de Albia.Credit...Markel Redondo for The New York Times

10. Nightcap | 11 p.m.

No evening in Spain is complete without a nightcap. Make it a “gin-tonic” on a rooftop terrace overlooking the river and city lights. The bar on the top of Silken Gran Hotel Domine feels a bit like an exclusive club. Undiscovered by tourists, it is the province of dealmakers, sexy couples and maybe the odd boldface name. Drinks from 4 euros.

11. A Revealing Stroll | 10 a.m.

A walk along the river, from the República de Abando park to the Zubizuri Bridge, shows Bilbao in its transforming glory: new commercial buildings juxtaposed with industrial remnants, green space where not so long ago nothing grew, residents running or cycling toward the white-ribbed expanse that Santiago Calatrava built across the estuary that courses through the city.

12. 15 Courses | 2 p.m.

A meal at Azurmendi is destined to be etched into memory. On the outskirts of town, near the Calatrava-designed airport resembling a James Bond bunker, the Michelin-three-star restaurant lies at the end of an obscure driveway on a steep hill. Lunch starts with a tour — including the garden, where leeks and chiles grow, and the flower-festooned greenhouse. Then comes a “picnic” of pintxos (on my visit, I particularly liked the anchovy mille-feuille) and txakoli (the effervescent wine produced in northern Spain) and a peek into the stainless-steel kitchen. You’re then led to a wood-paneled dining room with tables set far enough apart to feel both convivial and private. The chef, Eneko Atxa, is a humble fellow whose food speaks where words fail him. Meet his Bloody Mar, a familiar yet deliciously exotic glass of tomato purée. It is an expensive afternoon (352 euros for two, with wine). But it’s an odyssey: 15 courses that are equal parts entertainment, artwork and feat of gastronomy: tiny tomato tarts served on a slate and inverted egg with truffle, for example, or the noodles of squid and delicate pigeon.

Some of the immaculate red, white and black rooms at Hotel Miro (Alameda Mazarredo, 77; 34-946-611-880; mirohotelbilbao.com, from 85 euros) have great views of the Guggenheim just across the avenue; downstairs, there are free Nespresso and mini croissants in the bar.

The Hotel Lopez de Haro (Obispo Orueta, 2; 944-235-500; hotellopezdeharo.com, from 83 euros) , near the old quarter, has the grandeur of a historical building that’s been renovated with all the modern conveniences, like free Wi-Fi and a gigantic showerhead.

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A version of this article appears in print on  , Section TR, Page 5 of the New York edition with the headline: 36 Hours in Bilbao, Spain. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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