Just outside Bilbao, in Biscay, the Vizcaya Bridge (Puente Bizkaia) — also called Puente Colgante or the Hanging Bridge — is the world’s oldest transporter bridge, completed in 1893. It connects Portugalete and Las Arenas (Getxo) across the Nervión River and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. You can cross either by the gondola, which carries vehicles and passengers in about 90 seconds, or on the pedestrian walkway, accessed via lifts in the towers. The bridge stands 45 m high and 160 m long, and its iron-and-steel design was a milestone of industrial-age engineering.

The collection of streets between the city centre and the Jeker quarter is known as the Stokstraat quarter. It’s that historic corner of the city between two statues, ‘De Mestreechter Geis’ and ‘Slevrouwe’. All of these streets ultimately lead to the ever-charming, intimate and romantic Onze Lieve Vrouweplein. In this part of the city, you can find the warmth and charm of a classic Maastricht pub on virtually every corner. The quarter takes its name from what may be the city’s most famous (or infamous) street. Today, Stokstraat is known as the place for the most exclusive and luxury shops in the Netherlands, but it was not always so. If there’s any street that has seen its fortunes turn over the years, it’s this one. In the Middle Ages, its reputation was dubious thanks to its many bathhouse-brothels; later, the street enjoyed a renaissance with many reputable merchants established in it, until, as the Industrial Revolution took hold and the city centre became overpopulated with wave after wave of migrants from the countryside, the street became synonymous with grinding poverty. Living conditions here became so dire that there was even talk of demolishing the entire street. The Stokstraat quarter of today is the result of a dramatic redevelopment between 1950 and 1973, which succeeded in preserving its historic character but transforming it into a fashionable address for living, shopping, and dining.

This stunning Art Nouveau theatre is worth a moment of your time. It was established in 1901 and reopened in 2010 after renovation. You can get a free guided tour through the highlights of the building, and the theatre's program is very interesting as well.

Algorta’s Old Port is a small fishing quarter in Getxo, just 20 minutes from central Bilbao by metro. Whitewashed houses line the narrow streets down to the water. On summer evenings, locals gather outside bars for a beer or cider, often with green olives or fried calamari.