We’ll meet in front of the modernist façade of the Concordia Station to start this free tour of the essentials of Bilbao. Are you ready to get to know the most emblematic corners of the Biscayan capital? Let’s go!

We’ll cross Abando Station, with an obligatory stop at its spectacular and colourful stained glass window, to head for the commercial and financial centre of the city: El Ensanche. This area is also known as the ‘Golden Mile’, as this is where the most exclusive shops, luxury homes, financial headquarters and business offices are located.

Don Diego López de Haro, founder of the town, will appear on our tour to explain how its industrial past, linked to iron, blossomed into a unique model of avant-garde city, without losing sight of its Basque charisma.

As we stroll along the Gran Vía that bears his name, we will discover marvellous buildings such as the Provincial Council, the Campos Elíseos Theatre and the Alhóndiga (Azkuna Centre), the epicentre of the cultural life of the people of Bilbao. Almost before we know it, we find ourselves in the heart of the Ensanche, the Plaza Moyúa, where we can appreciate the exterior architecture of the Chávarri Palace and the Carlton Hotel.

But it doesn’t end here, there are still a few more essentials to discover. A good example is the Museum of Fine Arts which, located next to a large garden, houses one of the most important and complete art collections in the country.

We will follow the art trail along its itinerary until we come across the famous Guggenheim Museum, one of the best-known works of the famous Canadian architect Frank Gehry. Here you will meet Puppy, the guard dog who relentlessly guards the museum’s gates.

After two and a half hours -which will fly by- we will go to the Salve Bridge to enjoy a fascinating panoramic view of this contemporary city.