AD. Rain changes the Bilbao plan, but it needn’t send you straight back to the Guggenheim. There is a maritime museum on a former shipyard, a wine warehouse full of improbable columns, and a covered market where the building deserves as much attention as the fish counters.
These places suit an afternoon spent on one or two interests rather than an ambitious march across town. If you’re between accommodation and a train, hotel storage or a place to leave larger bags makes the indoor stops and wet pavements less of a juggling act.
A Wine Warehouse With A Second Career
Azkuna Zentroa, also known as Alhóndiga Bilbao, is a particularly good answer to what comes after the famous museum. The building once stored wine, oil and pickled goods. Its conversion into a cultural centre kept the historic façades but gave the interior a very different life, with a design by Philippe Starck.
For a casual wander, the Atrium of Cultures is the main attraction. Its 43 columns were conceived by set designer Lorenzo Baraldi, and matching them up would be a hopeless task. Art Deco, medieval and Chinese-inspired designs sit among the different styles; materials include brick, marble, wood and glazed terracotta.
There is enough variety here to provoke a few disagreements over coffee afterwards. Some columns will appeal more than others, and whether they belong together is part of the interest. The interior has a personality quite separate from the warehouse façades outside.
The centre also runs exhibitions, cinema and performances. A look at the programme may give the visit a particular focus, beyond an afternoon spent admiring or arguing about the architecture.
Bilbao Before The Titanium
On the former Euskalduna shipyard site, Itsasmuseum explores the seafaring heritage of Bilbao and Bizkaia. Shipbuilding, the port and rescue at sea are among its subjects, giving the waterfront a history beyond the buildings that now draw visitors to it.
This is the option for anyone who looks at an industrial waterfront and wonders what happened there. Erain, the museum’s shipwrighting project, focuses on preserving the knowledge behind wooden boatbuilding. The visit has something more specific to offer than a general collection of nautical objects.
Outside, the Carola crane and the old docks make the site’s previous use easier to picture. On a properly wet day, the galleries are the main attraction and the outdoor section can wait for a break in the rain. The museum’s visitor information lists its opening days, particularly useful before making this a Monday plan.
A Market With Its Own Architecture
Over in the Casco Viejo, Mercado de la Ribera stands beside the estuary. Its 1929 building has Art Deco decoration and stained-glass windows, so there is plenty to notice before the seafood catches your attention.
The fish and seafood counters make a change from the art and engineering stops.
Plaza Nueva offers another kind of shelter nearby: a colonnade lined with shops, cafés, bars and restaurants. The centre of the square remains outdoors, but the covered edges make more sense in rain than a long riverside walk.
Azkuna Zentroa and the old town make one version of the day; Itsasmuseum and a meal make another. There is enough in either to fill an afternoon, with time left to sit down rather than spend the last hour crossing town in the rain.
