Abandoibarra Waterfront

Abandoibarra is the stretch of riverside in central Bilbao that once held shipyards, docks and railway yards and now holds the city's best-known modern buildings and its most pleasant promenade. The area lies along the left bank of the Nervión, on a long bend of the estuary between the Euskalduna Conference Centre and the old town, and until the 1990s it was a district of industrial decline. As the shipbuilding industry shut down, the city decided to turn it into a showcase of renewal. A public company, Bilbao Ría 2000, was created in 1992 to manage the transformation, and the master plan for Abandoibarra was drawn up in the mid-1990s with the architect César Pelli. The project reclaimed the land, built new streets, parks and housing, and opened the riverbank to the public.

The results are impressive. The promenade is wide, flat and free of traffic, with benches, trees and lawns, and it follows the water for more than a kilometre. It is lined with public art, and the area is often described as an open-air gallery. Near the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao stands a large sculpture of a spider by Louise Bourgeois, Jeff Koons's flower-covered Puppy sits at the entrance, and Daniel Buren's red arches span the La Salve bridge, which crosses the river beside the museum. The red Zubizuri footbridge by Santiago Calatrava, with its white arch and glass floor, links Abandoibarra with the right bank, and the Euskalduna Palace, a concert and congress hall built on the site of the former shipyard, recalls the old industry in its rusty-hued form like a ship's hull.

Other buildings help to define the district. The Iberdrola Tower, designed by Pelli, is the tallest in the Basque Country and rises over the waterfront like a glass obelisk, the library of the University of Deusto, designed by Rafael Moneo, stands nearby, and the Zubiarte shopping centre adds cafes and shops. A park, the Parque de Doña Casilda Iturrizar, leads away from the river toward the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, so a visit can combine art, architecture and gardens.

The promenade is a favourite place for locals to walk, jog and cycle, especially in the evening, when the sun sets over the estuary and the buildings light up. It is an easy and pleasant way to link the sights: from the Guggenheim you can walk downstream to the old town and the Mercado de la Ribera, or upstream toward the Euskalduna. The Artxanda Funicular climbs to a viewpoint on the opposite bank, from which the whole waterfront can be seen.

It suits everyone, and it is free and open at all hours. Allow at least an hour for a relaxed stroll.