The Guggenheim in Bilbao is probably the most famous attraction in the city, and it's definitely worth seeing. The stunning architecture is worth the visit alone, and the ever-changing collections are good too.
To control numbers, they do sell tickets for various time slots. To ensure you are able to visit when you want to, I recommend booking your tickets in advance straight from their website.
Bilbao is a small, walkable city (which I love!). Our hotel was only a 10-15 walk away from the Guggenheim. We booked 11:30AM tickets on a Sunday morning, which gave us plenty of time to enjoy a relaxing brunch at the hotel breakfast buffet (yum, jamon iberico!). We pretty much gave ourselves the whole afternoon to enjoy the museum at our leisure.
Upon arriving, the first thing you'll see is this massive dog statue made out of fresh flowers (!).
It's still a bit of a walk down these stairs before you get to the entrance.
Right when you walk in, it's hard not to be awed by architecture.
I just couldn't stop taking photos.
The Matter of Time
Walk inside a life-size exhibit, called "The Matter of Time" by Richard Serra. Through the different structures you can experience different senses of perception, time, and space.
Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now
While we were there, there was a special "Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now" exhibit going on there. It's a fantastic exhibit. Even though I'd already seen it in Hong Kong, I still enjoyed seeing it a second time here.
The entire place was decorated with her signature polka dots.
Many of these pieces we actually saw at the Hong Kong version of the same exhibit!
This mirror display was different than the Hong Kong version, which was only in black and white and involved a lot of black & white polka dots.
Walk or Jog at the Guggenheim
The area around the Guggenheim is just really pleasant. If you have time, you can walk along the river, cross the bridge, and look back at the Guggenheim from a further vantage point. During my week long stay, I loved jogging along the river on this path.
We even joined an early morning jogging group and saw the sunrise while running along the river!
Nerua Restaurant
There is a 1-Michelin restaurant called Nerua that is attached to the Guggenheim. The food there was quite good, and we loved the convenience of the location. Here is the full post on our meal there.
The Guggenheim itself is a stunning piece of art, and it's also filled with even more great art. Exhibitions rotate in and out, so definitely check the website to find out what's currently being exhibited.
Guggenheim Bilbao Spain
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Tickets
Related Posts
Bilbao Posts from this Trip!
All Spain Posts
San Sebastian
El Cellar de Can Roca - Best Restaurant in the World
