Bilbao\u2019s comeback has been well documented. A once thriving port city fallen on hard times, the visionary Museo Guggenheim shook it from decades of decline, sparking a new wave of interest and investment in the Basque Country. International acclaim and travelers soon arrived, drawn to the now iconic silver sails and a gleaming titanium hull forever moored on the banks of the Nervion. But while the Guggenheim is an important part of the city\u2019s story, there is more to Bilbao than a museum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A language unlike anywhere else and a lifestyle that places food and drink above almost all else, set Bilbao apart from other cities in Spain. Bilbao<\/a> is packed with museums and theaters dedicated to the Basque identity, but for the best lesson in culture head to one of the city\u2019s innumerate pintxos<\/em> bars in the early evening when Bilbao comes out for a pre-dinner snack. Do as the locals do: fill your plate, follow the crowds, and drop in the odd \u201ceskerrik asko\u201d<\/em> ( thank you in Basque). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Guggenheim may have brought the crowds, but Bilbao\u2019s best bits were there all along.<\/p>\n\n\n