Cuisine And Wine Walking Tours Instituto Hemingway

Cuisine and Wine

In Bilbao there is a great importance placed on food and drink and the Basques are very proud of the variety and fantastic quality of food and wine that they have to offer. The most popular wine is the Rioja variety, which is produced very near to Bilbao. A glass of wine can cost from between 1€ to about 3,5€ depending on the quality of the wine and the bar. Also very well-liked are ‘cañas’ a light beer which is inexpensive but perfect to be accompanied by a few Pinchos.

Pinchos are small tapas, unique to the Basque Country, normally consisting of bread topped with fish, meat or tortilla presented in a sauce or with garnishes. As they are inexpensive, people will tend to eat a couple with a glass of wine as an appetiser to a meal. There is a practice now as ‘Chiquiteo’, which is the custom of going from bar to bar, in the Old Town, drinking wine and eating pinchos.

Basque cuisine has a very high fish content, as Bilbao is the cod capital of the world but there are also large selections of seafood available, and you will have to find time to sample the exquisite dishes that Bilbao has to offer.

If you are looking for somewhere to have a few drinks and pinchos head for the Plaza Nueva in the heart of the Old Town and in some of the Seven Streets you will find some restaurants full of character, and away from the tourist trail. El café Iruña is the right place to find the best combination of extravagant Spanish decor from a hundred years ago and to enjoy reasonably priced, high quality tapas and drinks.

We do recommend Instituto Hemingway for any cuisine and wine courses.

Our tour guide will show you the best of this extraordinary atmosphere.

Duration: Approx. 3 hours

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Shopping

If you are looking for value for money, Spain is definitely the location for shopping and above all Bilbao is the trendiest place to do this. It benefits from two central shopping locations with several larger, out of town shopping centres.

All the well-known Spanish stores can be found in copious amounts in various locations around the centre, for example Zara, Mango, with also a large ‘El Corte Inglés’ at the heart of the city. There are stores for all tastes and budgets with different districts within the city, where you will find everything you want. Designers include Spanish names as well as international names such as Gucci and DKNY.

If you are looking for more traditional shops, head into the cobbled streets of the Old Town, and you will come across smaller, more exclusive stores with a lovely atmosphere and exquisite architecture. Also, on Sundays there is local market in the Plaza Nueva, where people go to buy and swap stamps and coins or just to buy books or fresh food.

We do recommend Instituto Hemingway for shopping courses.

Make the best of your time in the shops with our tour guide

Price: 40 Euros per personDuration: 2 hours


Environment

Bilbao is situated in the heart of Bizkaia, along the Nervión river and boasts a huge variety of landscapes, from mountains and forests to stunning beaches.

Near to Bilbao you will find two ranges of hills that have been declared nature reserves. Here you can experience the rich flora and Fauna, as well as have a go at some outdoor activities, such as cycling, hiking or horse riding.

A few kilometres from Bilbao you will find the Urdaibai Biosphere reserve which covers an area of 220 km², which is home to thousands of different species of animals and plant, a real must see.

Bilbao is a city that has a lot to offer everyone, with amazing amenities in the centre but just a few kilometres away you will find breath-taking scenery that has to be seen to be believed.

We do recommend Instituto Hemingway for any envirironment courses.

Experience the beauty of a magical city!!



Nightclubs

The nightlife in Bilbao is buzzing, with the night starting relatively late, at about 10 o’clock. A typical night will normally involve moving from bar to bar having a drink in each accompanied by a few pinchos. The younger crowds of people will enjoy a glass of Calimocho, a mixer of red wine and coca-cola, which is served in the majority of the most popular bars and discos in the Old Town and the Mazarredo district.

In the city centre you will find several nightclubs that are open into the early hours of the morning. To find some larger clubs you will have to leave the city centre, where you will find more commercial nightclubs that have music to suit all tastes, whether mainstream or alternative. A new club to Bilbao is Fever, in Bolueta which has four different rooms, each playing a different genre of music, with something for everyone and an innovation for the nightlife of Bilbao, with guest DJs and life music most weekends.

I do recommend nightclubs in Bilbao with Instituto Hemingway

Let yourself go and see how the Spanish spend the Friday and Saturday nights with our tour guide.


Architecture

A visit to Bilbao is not complete without visiting the Guggenheim museum, which is an innovation in design and brought about a huge surge in tourism since it was built in 1997.

Since then, the government and put a lot of money into rejuvenating the city, meaning that the city is now has über-cool architecture, including several bridges, with one designed by the well-known architect, Calatrava, whose design has now been taken to Manchester in England. Also the ‘Puente Colgante’ in Portugalete is a famous transporter bridge, which is definitely worth a visit.

Taking a walk along the river in the city centre, you will come across many structures that will catch your eye, including the Town Hall, the Arriaga Theatre and there is a lot of work in progress in order and investment to create an even more modern city.

Sir Norman Foster was given the project to design Bilbao’s metro network, in 1988, and in 1995 the Metro opened with 23 stations, and now boasts a network of 34 stations. The entrance to the Metro is via ‘Fosteritos’, a glass structures affectionately named after the architect. These modern-looking tunnels stand attractive alongside the modern and innovative interior of the stations.

Come see for yourself the why so many people are enamoured about the sights of Bilbao



Religion

With the Spaniards being generally a very religious race, in Bilbao there are a lot of religious sight to be seen. The

The Basílica de Begoña is a beautiful Gothic church dates back to the first half of the 17th century; however, most of the current structure was finished in the early 1800's. Today it demonstrates the union of Renaissance and Gothic styles and the Basílica's spires are visible throughout the city.

The famous Cathedral de Santiago is one of the oldest building in Bilbao. At one time, the cathedral was the center of Bilbao, and all the city's main streets met here. Today, the cathedral, dedicated to the city's patron saint, has the Vizcaya region's most beautiful Neo-Gothic tower. The Cathedral de Santiago is considered one of Spain's national treasures. The Iglesia de San Antón is located in Casco Viejo. The church, which is built in the Gothic style, is dedicated to the patron saint of farmers and dates back to the early 15th century.The Iglesia de San Nicolás can also be found in Bilbao's historic Casco Viejo area. This church is dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, was completed in the 19th century. The church is rumored to be one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in the Vizcaya region.

See all the culture that Bilbao has to offer with one of our tour guides.



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Cuisine And Wine Walking Tours Instituto Hemingway