Bilbao is Spain’s sixth-largest city, its biggest port and the main industrial centre in the north of the country. It is also the predominant city in the Basque region and was the seat of the Basque autonomous government in the Spanish Civil War from 1936 until its capture by the Nationalists the year after.

Bilbao was established as a city by charter on 15 June 1300, but it was the industrial era of the 19th and 20th centuries that brought it wealth and affluence and allowed the development of a prosperous modern city. Shipbuilding and iron and steel production have been among its most important industries.

Business was good for Bilbao up until the last decades of the 20th century, when industrial decline set in. A deep economic crisis developed that necessitated a radical shift of economic focus. The solution was to invest heavily in tourism, culture and environmental and urban regeneration, and by these means Bilbao managed to turn itself around and become a world-famous success story.

Architectural wonders such as the Guggenheim Museum and Euskalduna Palace have helped to attract a large number of tourists to the city, and they have also contributed to the opening up of Bilbao’s urban space so as to allow the city to breathe again after decades of industrial congestion.

Bilbao is again shining as the icon of the Basque region, welcoming visitors from all over the world to sample its cultural treasures, and not least its gastronomic riches - Basque cuisine is among the best in Spain, and Bilbao boasts some of the region’s foremost restaurants.

The city has a population of around 350,000, but the whole metropolitan area, including the suburbs and many surrounding towns, is home to over a million inhabitants.