BILBAO 2018 Index of contents 1. INTRODUCING BILBAO 3 2. THE EVENT SITE 4 3. HOTELS 6 4. MOST POPULAR TOUIST SPOTS 9 5. PLACES THAT ARE LESS WELL KNOWN 16 6. FOOD & DRINK 18 7. SAFETY TIPS 21 8. EASIEST WAY TO FLY IN TO THE CITY 22 9. OTHER WAYS TO GET TO BILBAO 23 10. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION 24 11. LOCAL GAME STORES 27 2 1. Introducing Bilbao Here you are, in Bilbao, the capital city of the Province of Vizcaya (or Bizkaia), the Spanish Autonomous Community of Basque Country (or Euskadi). It is one of the most important cities of this community and of Spain. Located in the north Spanish coast, this city bets for a balance between progress and sustainable development. Bilbao also cares on culture and his modernist buildings and theatres prove of it. Language and communication There are two official languages in Basque Country: Spanish and Basque. People speak both languages and most usual things are written in both of them: banners, indications, menus... Here you can find some essential words in both languages for not being “lost in translation” 3 2. The event site LOCATION Name: Bilbao Exhibition Center (BEC) Address: Ronda de Askue 1 48902 Ansio-Barakaldo Spain Website: http://bilbaoexhibitioncentre.com/en Metro Station: Ansio (L2) Bus: Line 3136 Bizkaibus (Bilbao-Cruces-Barakaldo) HOW TO GET THERE From the Airport: Take the Bus to the Bus Station (named Termibus, it’s the last stop) and there are two options from there. Either taking the metro from “San Mames” station (you’ll need to walk to the Metro station as it’s not directly connected to the Bus Station) or taking another bus, line 3136. From the Metro network: The “Ansio” station (line 2) is just in front of the venue. From Termibus Bus Station: You have two options. Either taking the metro o going by city bus. To get to the metro station you’ll need to walk to “San Mames” metro station (that’s a 5 minute walk) take line 2 (black) towards “Kabieces” and exit at the “Ansio” station, that’s in front of the venue. If you prefer city bus, it’s line 3136. 4 From Termibus Bus Station: You have two options. Either taking the metro o going by city bus. To get to the metro station you’ll need to walk to “San Mames” metro station (that’s a 5 minute walk) take line 2 (black) towards “Kabieces” and exit at the “Ansio” station, that’s in front of the venue. If you prefer city bus, it’s line 3136. 3. Hotels Staff Hotel Name: Hotel Puerta de Bilbao Address: Rio Castaños, 2 Website: http://hotelpuertadebilbao.com/ How to get there from the Airport By Metro: The closest metro station is the same as the venue, “Ansio” (line 2) By City Bus: The same bus that takes you to the event site also stops near the Staff Hotel. The closest stop is the previous one, “Retuerto Avenida Euskadi”. When you exit the bus you should go towards the roundabout and turn left. The hotel is 5 minutes away going straight that way, you’ll probably even see it from there (past the McDonald’s). By Taxi: A ride form the airport should last 20-30 minutes, depending on the traffic conditions and cost around 35-40€ 6 Hotels near the event site The convention center that hosts the event is in an area where there is not much choice of accommodation around. Apart form the Staff Hotel, these are the closest hotels to the venue. Prices are for a double room per night. Hotel Ibis Barakaldo Double room with breakfast: 49 € Free Wi-Fi Distance to the event site: 2100 meters Website: www.accorhotels.com/es/hotel-3316-ibis-bilbao- barakaldo/index.shtml Hotel Naval Sestao Double room: 52 € Free Wi-Fi Distance to the event site: 3300 meters Website: www.hotelnavalsestao.com Note that this hotel is not that close to the venue, it takes half an hour to get there using public transport 7 Hotels that are very cheap Given that the venue is not in Bilbao itself, to get a cheaper accommodation you’ll need to get pretty far from the PT. Make good use of the section of how to get to the venue! Pensión Don Claudio Bilbao Akelarre Hostel Double room: 39 € Double room with shared Free Wi-Fi bathroom: 38 € Distance to the event site: 3.5 Breakfast included Km Free Wi-Fi Web: pensiondonclaudio.com Distance to the event site: 7.6 Km Hostal Mardones Web: bilbaoakelarrehostel.com Double room with bathroom: 40 € Hostal Pil Pil Triple room with bathroom: 80 Shared room with shared € bathroom: 45 € Free Wi-Fi Breakfast included Distance to the event site: 8 Km Free Wi-Fi Web: hostalmardones.com Distance to the event site: 6.6 Km Moon Hostel Bio Web: pilpilhostel.com 2, 4 or 6-pax shared room: from 9 € per person Botxo Gallery – Youth Hostel Distance to the event site: 8 Km Ten people room with shared Web: moonhotelbio.com bathroom and breakfast: 13 € per person Free Wi-Fi Hotel Bilbi Distance to the event site: 8 Km Double room: 40 € Web: botxogallery.com Free Parking Free Wi-Fi Distance to the event site: 8 Km Web: hotelbilbi.com 8 4. Most popular tourist spots Bilbao is not a big city, but it has some interesting and famous museums and buildings. The best way to see Bilbao is walking along its streets and be surprised for its monuments and buildings. Museums Guggenheim Museum Bilbao It is the most important museum of Bilbao and one of the five Guggenheim museums in the world. Guggenheim Museum is a contemporary art museum, and is very famous for its building, designed by Frank Gehry, that it is very unusual. Address: Avenida Abandoibarra, 2 Getting there: By Bus: Routes 1, 10, 13, 18 and A7. Museo Henao stop. Routes 13, 27, 38 and 48 stop at Alameda de Rekalde 31 Routes 11 and 71 stop at Plaza de La Salve (take elevator to La Salve Bridge) By Metro: L1 and L2, Moyua Station. By Tram: Guggenheim stop. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00-20:00. Mondays Closed 9 Bilbao Fine Arts Museum The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum's Collection contains more than eight thousand works (pictures, statues, decorative art…). Starting from artists from 12th century to the present day, you can see artworks from El Greco, Zurbarán, Murillo, Goya, Sorolla, Zuloaga, Chillida, and Tàpies among others. Address: Museo Plaza, 2 Getting there: By Bus: Routes 1, 10, 11, 13 and 18 stop at Plaza del Museo de Bellas Artes Routes 13, 27 and 48 stop at Alameda de Rekalde Routes 26, 27, 38, 48, 72 and 77 stop at Gran Vía. By Metro: L1 and L2, Moyua Station. By Tram: Abandoibarra and Guggenheim stop. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00-20:00 Monday Closed Advice: Free entrance on Wednesday. Advice: If you want to visit both Guggenheim and Fine Arts Museums, you can buy the Artean Pass which is a cheaper combined ticket for both museums. 10 Gardens and parks Doña Casilda´s Park With 85.200 m2, it is a beautiful park with sculptures and a small lake in the middle, where you may see ducks, swans and royal turkeys. It is very nice to go for a walk, quietly enjoying the birds’ songs or take a rest reading a book. It is located between Euskalduna Palace and Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Address: Paseo Don José Anselmo Clavé Getting there: By Bus: Routes 28, 56, 62 stop at Gran Via 60/63 Route A3 stop at Gran Vía 74. By Tram: Euskalduna stop. Opening hours: Open all day Advice: It is a perfect place for resting after visiting Guggenheim Museum or Bilbao Fine Arts Museum or recovering forces to continue shopping. 11 Monuments and Buildings Bilbao streets are full of beautiful buildings designed and built in XIX and XX centuries. Most of them are in the heart of Bilbao’s citizens due to its history or its special beauty. Hereafter we are to describe some of them you cannot miss if you visit Bilbao. Arriaga Theatre Arriaga Theatre is one of the main theatres in Bilbao and one of the most notable buildings of the city. Built in the XIX century, currently you can see concerts, plays and opera inside. Address: Plaza Arriaga, 1 Getting there: By Bus: Routes 56, 72, 75, 77, 85 and A2 stop at Arriaga. By Metro: L1 and L2, Casco Viejo Station. By Tram: Arriaga stop. Carlton Hotel Carlton Hotel has been declared an Architectural, Artistic, Historical and Cultural Monument; this building has witnessed important social and cultural events during all its life. It also has a sentimental value for having been the headquarters of the Government of Basque Country during the Civil war of 1.936. Address: Plaza Federico Moyúa, 2 Getting there: By Bus: Routes 01, 10, 26, 56, 62, 72, 77 and A7 stop at Gran Vía 36/37. By Metro: L1 and L2, Moyua Station. 12 Euskalduna Palace (Conference Centre and Concert Hall) The Euskalduna Palace is a truly unique building; one of the flagships of the new Bilbao of the 21st century. Its modern style encloses a lot of vast rooms for conferences, congress and all type of events. You can visit inside the famous “Etxanobe” restaurant (granted with 1 Michelin Star), although your pocket cannot afford for it. Close to it you can find the “Forest of trees”: an urban art installation which is made up of tree-shape lampposts grouped and forming a very special forest.