Bilbao: The Largest City of Euskadi (Basque country)

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/132084522@N05/17242473422

Bilbao’s main attraction, the Guggenheim Museum was built by Canadian artist, Frank Gehry, was built with the city’s past as its inspiration. Shapes inside reference fish scales and the outside looks like an iron ship docked on the port. The museum is home to many art collections including Basque artist Eduardo Chillida’s, “How Profound is the Air.” The material used for his sculpture, Alabaster, was used as a representation of the Basque country’s concealed beauty.

The Basque are Spain’s most ancient native cultures who were oppressed throughout most of Spain’s history. Surprisingly, the Basque have shown resilience and have, despite the odds, kept knowledge of their language and many cultural traditions. The Guggenheim was one of the Basques strategies to improve Bilbao’s struggling economy.

Today, Bilbao maintains their efforts to engage its citizens and visitors by offering more than 1000 free activities in its neighborhoods’ outdoor spaces through cooperation with the city’s cultural associations.