Bilbao

Bilbao transformed itself from a declining industrial port into one of Europe's most exciting cultural destinations through the 1997 opening of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, whose titanium-clad curves triggered the so-called Bilbao Effect. The regenerated waterfront, the excellent Basque cuisine, and the lively Casco Viejo old quarter make this city a compelling destination. The surrounding Basque Country offers dramatic coastlines and verdant mountains.