Bilbao is a city in northern Spain and the largest in the Basque Country: at 1 January 2025 it had 351,124 residents, and the whole province of Biscay 1,166,816. The city is known for the Guggenheim Museum, which drew more than 1.3 million visitors in 2025, and for its rainy oceanic climate. Below we cover where Bilbao is, what the Basque Country is and who the Basques are, what the climate is like, what to see and try, and how to get there. If you are thinking not of a trip but of living in the city, everything about residence permits, housing, prices and Biscay’s taxes is in the article moving to Bilbao.
Where is Bilbao
Bilbao lies in northern Spain on the estuary of the Ibaizabal river, which opens into the Cantabrian Sea at Portugalete and Getxo. The country is Spain, the autonomous community is the Basque Country and the province is Biscay (Bizkaia). Bilbao is the largest city in the province and home to 30% of its population.
- Country — Spain.
- Autonomous community — the Basque Country (Euskadi).
- Province — Biscay, 1,166,816 residents.
- City population — 351,124 at 1 January 2025, up 0.9% in a year.
- Districts — eight: Deusto, Uribarri, Otxarkoaga-Txurdinaga, Begoña, Ibaiondo, Abando, Rekalde and Basurto-Zorrotza.
- Languages — Spanish and Basque, both official.
The Basque Country: what it is
The Basque Country (Euskadi in Basque, País Vasco in Spanish) is an autonomous community within Spain (Article 1 of the Statute of Autonomy). It is made up of three provinces, which the law calls historical territories:
| Province | Main city | Residents at 1 January 2025 | Speak Basque |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biscay (Bizkaia) | Bilbao | 1,166,816 | 37.9% |
| Gipuzkoa | San Sebastián | 733,365 | 57.5% |
| Álava (Araba) | Vitoria-Gasteiz | 342,161 | 31.0% |
| Basque Country | — | 2,242,342 | 43.3% |
- Capital. The Statute does not name a capital, but by law the Basque Parliament and Government sit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is why it is usually called the capital. Bilbao is the largest city, but not the capital.
- Navarre is separate. Neighbouring Navarre, with Pamplona, is a separate chartered (foral) community with its own statute. The Basque Statute leaves it the right to join, but Navarre has not used it.
- The Basque language (Euskera) is official on an equal footing with Spanish. According to the 2021 census, 43.3% of residents speak it, most of them in Gipuzkoa and fewest in Álava. Among children aged 10–14, 90.5% speak it; among people over 70, 22.1%.
- Its own taxes. Under the Economic Agreement (Concierto Económico) with the state, income tax and wealth tax are regulated and collected by each province’s own tax authority, not by the Spain-wide tax agency.
Who the Basques are and where they live. The Basques are a people with their own language, Basque (Euskera). In Spain, Basque has survived most strongly in Gipuzkoa: more than half of residents speak it there, and 40.8% use it at home and in daily life as much as or more than Spanish. In Biscay and Bilbao the everyday language is mostly Spanish: only 14.5% of the province’s residents use Basque as much as or more than Spanish. The other large Basque city is covered in the guide San Sebastián.
Bilbao climate and weather
The climate is oceanic: mild winters, moderate summers and plenty of rain all year round. Bilbao gets almost half as much sunshine as Málaga: 1,610 hours a year against 2,905.
It rains on average 124 days a year, and there are only about 34 clear days. The wettest month is January (120 mm), but even August gets 76 mm. Snow is rare, on average two days a year.
The Guggenheim Museum
The city’s main landmark is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. The building, designed by Frank Gehry, was built from October 1993 to October 1997 on the site of a former port and industrial wharf on a bend of the river, and the museum opened on 19 October 1997. The building covers 24,000 m². The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00; an adult ticket in 2026 costs €18, and entry is free for under-18s. In 2025 the museum had 1,305,003 visitors, 69% of them from abroad; May, June and July were the best months in its history.
What else to see in and around Bilbao
- The Old Town, or Seven Streets (Casco Viejo, Siete Calles) — bars, shops, the churches of Santos Juanes and San Antón, and the Cathedral of Santiago.
- La Ribera Market — next to the Old Town, with fresh produce from land and sea.
- The Abandoibarra riverside and its bridges — Zubizuri, the Pedro Arrupe bridge and the San Antón bridge; the riverside is lined by the Isozaki Towers and the Iberdrola Tower.
- The metro designed by Norman Foster — locals call its glass entrances “fosteritos”.
- Azkuna Zentroa — a cultural centre in a building remodelled to a design by Philippe Starck.
- Basilica of Begoña — a late Gothic church above the city and a place of pilgrimage for the whole of Biscay.
- Artxanda Funicular — running since 1915: about three minutes to the top of the hill, with cars every 15 minutes.
- Museum of Fine Arts — by Plaza Euskadi; after renovation it reopens on 6 October 2026, with free entry in the first week.
- Vizcaya Bridge — a UNESCO site at the mouth of the river between Getxo and Portugalete, built in 1887–1893. It was the world’s first bridge with a suspended gondola: a 160-metre span 45 metres high, and a gondola that carries about 12 cars and 200 people.
- San Juan de Gaztelugatxe — an islet with a hermitage on the coast between Bakio and Bermeo. It is reached by a stone bridge and a staircase of 241 steps; entry is free, but you need to book a ticket in advance. A bus runs from Bilbao to Bermeo with a stop near Gaztelugatxe.
Bilbao has no sea beach of its own: the beaches of Sopela and Plentzia are a metro ride away, and the only Blue Flag beach in Biscay in 2026 is Bakio.
What to try
- Pintxos — bar snacks, both traditional and modern.
- Bacalao al pil-pil, marmitako and squid in its own ink — on the official list of typical Basque dishes.
- Txakoli — a wine with the protected designation of origin Bizkaiko Txakolina.
- Idiazabal — a sheep’s cheese, also with a protected designation.
When is the best time to visit Bilbao
The warmest months are July and August: August averages 20.9 °C, with about 26 °C during the day. In winter the average is around 9 °C, and January is the wettest month. The city’s main festival is Aste Nagusia (Big Week): in 2026 it ran from 22 to 30 August, with more than a hundred concerts and a fireworks competition every evening.
How to get to Bilbao
Bilbao Airport handled a record 7.06 million passengers in 2025 — its third record in a row — and international traffic grew by 10.6%. The city and its metropolitan area are served by the metro — lines L1 and L2 of Metro Bilbao and line L3 run by Euskotren — Bilbobus city buses and commuter trains. Euskotren trains on line E1 run to San Sebastián, and Renfe trains run to Madrid Chamartín station. There are no direct flights from Russia — entry rules are in the article visa to Spain.
Living in Bilbao
Bilbao is the business centre of the Basque Country: it accounts for 15.3% of the community’s economy, and average earnings in the Basque Country are the highest in Spain, €35,170 a year. The whole city has been declared a stressed rental market area, and taxes here are foral — set by the province of Biscay itself. The Russian and Ukrainian community is small: 276 Russian citizens and 404 Ukrainian citizens. Which residence permit to choose, which district to live in, how much housing costs and which taxes apply in Biscay is covered in the article moving to Bilbao. Support programmes for entrepreneurs in the region are covered in the article business support in the Basque Country.
Frequently asked questions about Bilbao and the Basque Country
Where is Bilbao?
In northern Spain, on the estuary of the Ibaizabal river near the Cantabrian Sea. It is the largest city in the province of Biscay in the autonomous community of the Basque Country.
What country is Bilbao in?
Spain. Bilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country, one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities.
What is the population of Bilbao?
351,124 at 1 January 2025, and the whole province of Biscay has 1,166,816 residents.
What is the Basque Country?
An autonomous community within Spain made up of three provinces — Biscay, Gipuzkoa and Álava — with 2,242,342 residents. It has two official languages, Spanish and Basque, and each province has its own tax authority.
What is the capital of the Basque Country?
The Basque Parliament and Government sit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is why it is called the capital. The largest city in the community is Bilbao.
Where do the Basques live?
In Spain, in the Basque Country, above all in the province of Gipuzkoa, where 57.5% of residents speak Basque; in Biscay the figure is 37.9%, and in Álava 31%. Navarre is a separate community and is not part of the Basque Country.
What is the weather like in Bilbao?
Oceanic and rainy: an annual average of 14.7 °C, 9.3 °C in January and 20.9 °C in August. Rainfall is 1,134 mm a year, with 124 rainy days.
What is there to see in Bilbao?
The Guggenheim Museum, the Seven Streets old town and La Ribera Market, the Basilica of Begoña, the funicular up Mount Artxanda, the bridges and the Abandoibarra riverside. Nearby are the UNESCO-listed Vizcaya Bridge and the islet of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.
