Bilbao – The City for Economic Growth
Overview
The city of Bilbao is the largest in the Basque country in Spain and is the capital of the province – Biscay. This metropolis has a population of more than a million people and is industrially and financially active; this contributes for modernizing the Gulf of Biscay.
The economic growth of this city has been fuelled by architectural and infrastructure projects in the city that are of large value. These projects are – Euskalduna Concert Hall and Convention Centre, Guggenheim Museum, the airport built by Calatrava, the underground built by Norman Foster, the new tram, etc.
Fertile landscapes, forests, beaches, mountains, steep coasts, etc. surround this city, thereby making this city an excellent tourist spot. It has good roads and transportation network that makes it easy to travel to other neighboring cities – Vitoria and San Sebastion. This city has a major seaport and is a highly industrialized city.
The climate in Bilbao is oceanic because of which this place has moderately cool summers and comparatively warm winters; its temperature in the month of January hovers around 9 °C whereas it is about 21 °C in July. The rain in this place is quite heavy and on an average it snows 3 days in a year in winter.
History
Don Diego Lopez de Haro V who was the Lord of Biscay in June 1300 founded Bilbao village on the opposite side of a river bank where there was a fishing settlement existing. The origin for the name of the city is unclear; some people believe that it came from the Spanish word “bel vado” meaning good river crossing; there are others who are of the opinion that it originates from the word “bi albo” meaning two river banks.
Bilbao’s buildings and constructions have a history of 700 years. The historic quarter has been designated as a conservation area and the history of the city can easily be understood by visiting this area. One can see the best buildings of 20th century architecture in the city centre. Some of the famous foreign architectural firms involved in the construction are Foster, Gehry, Calatrava, Isozaki, Pelli, etc.
Two of the best art galleries in Spain are situated in Bilbao; it also has six themed museums, a number of modern art exhibitions and series of performances and shows – opera, theatre, symphony orchestras, dance, pop and rock ‘n roll, cinema, etc.
The Bilbao Guggenheim Museum was built in 1997 by Gehry and is covered fully with titanium sheets; this is very popular among tourists. The Fine Arts Museum is one of the best in Spain with collections over centuries – El Greco, Zurbarán, Goya and Van Dyck; it also has contemporary art by Gauguin, Tàpies and Bacon.
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