Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao sits on Abandoibarra Etorbidea beside the Nervion river in Bilbao, in Spain's Basque Country. Designed by Frank Gehry and opened on 18 October 1997, the building is clad in titanium, glass and limestone, and its curving forms are widely credited with helping to reshape the city's image after the decline of its shipyards and steel industry. Visitors can spend as much time outside the galleries as inside them: the exterior is a gallery of its own, with Jeff Koons's flower-covered Puppy on the landward terrace, Louise Bourgeois's giant spider Maman beside the river, and Anish Kapoor's Tall Tree and the Eye nearby. Inside, a central atrium rises around 50 metres and opens onto three levels of galleries linked by curved walkways, glass lifts and stairways. The collection and temporary shows concentrate on modern and contemporary art, and the permanent installation of Richard Serra's steel sculptures in the largest ground-floor gallery, the so-called Fish Gallery, is a regular highlight. Most visitors allow two to three hours, and the museum offers audio guides and guided tours in several languages. The best photo angles are from the Salbeko bridge side of the river, from the Puente de La Salve, and from the riverside promenade at dusk when the titanium takes on warm colours. Crowds peak from late morning to mid-afternoon, especially in July, August and around Easter, while weekday mornings soon after opening and the last two hours before closing are noticeably calmer. Admission is typically about EUR 12 to EUR 18 depending on season and ticket type, with children under 18 admitted free and reduced prices for students and over-65s. Buying a timed ticket online in advance helps avoid queues at the entrance, and the museum shop, cafe and restaurant are on site. The 20-minute riverside walk from Casco Viejo makes the museum easy to combine with a half-day of central Bilbao sightseeing.