Newsletter January 2019 BILBAO – AN INTERNATIONAL REFERENCE Year after year, Port and City are becoming a gateway for culture, gastronomy and worldwide acknowledged events Port of Bilbao to of living standards enjoyed by its Bilbao, and Luis Gabiola, its Ope- Miami again citizens, according to the latest rational, Commercial and Logistics Human Development Index of the Director. Among other matters they One year more, the Port of Bilbao United Nations Development Pro- dealt with “the possibility of ex- will be present with its own stand gramme. ploring new communication chan- at the Seatrade Cruise fairs, both nels in different fields of interest at the Global, to be held in Miami Miami and the Basque for both parties”, and a new con- from Monday 8 to Thursday 11 April Country working for an nection by air was one of them. (Stand 811), and at the European, air link scheduled for Wednesday 11 to Fri- Bilbao Best European day 13 September. In January, a delegation from the City 2018 State of Florida (USA) – headed by Basque society among the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Bilbao has been named Euro- the most developed Carlos A. Giménez, and accompa- pean City of the Year at the 2018 nied by several representatives of Academy of Urbanism Awards. This prize judges cities for both The Basque Country is among the the Port and Airport of Miami – their urban as well as for their en- most developed societies and visited the Mayor of Bilbao, Juan vironmental, social and innovative stands at the same level as the Mari Aburto, who in turn was ac- factors. United Kingdom or the United companied by Ricardo Barkala, States with regard to the quality Chairman of the Port Authority of Guggenheim Bilbao Basque cuisine at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants On 19th June, the annual awards More Michelin Stars for ceremony for “The World’s 50 Best basque restaurants Restaurants” was held at the Eus- kalduna Conference Centre, where Basque cuisine is up among the the top fifty world temples of hau- world’s elite and thus it is ack- te cuisine were designated. Four nowledged year after year in the Basque restaurants were among Michelin Guide starred restaurants. the award winners: Mugaritz and This year 2019 there are 23 restau- Etxebarri, ranked 9 and 10 on the rants with Michelin stars: four with list, Arzak was 31 and Azurmendi three (Arzak, Aquelarre, Martín Be- 43. Over 800 chefs, reporters, cri- rasategui and Azurmendi), one with Nerua Guggenheim Bilbao tics and communicators gathered in two (Mugaritz) and eighteen with José Luis López de Zubiria Bilbao, with the resulting economic one. impact on the city. La Vuelta – Round-Spain The legendary Belgian ex- cyclist The institutions of Bilbao and Bi- Cycling Championship Eddy Merckx believes that Bilbao zkaia have maintained several con- deserves to host a stage of the Tour tacts with the organization of the The Spanish cycle-racing cham- de France among other reasons for Tour de France so that the city can pionship –la Vuelta– returned once the “great fondness” for cycling welcome the arrival of a stage of again to Bilbao, but this time star- that exists in the Basque Country the French round in the near fu- ting one of his stages at our city. and that “I would be glad to come ture. to Bilbao to a stage of the Tour“ Passenger terminal Bizkaia International Bilbao BBK Live European Rugby Finals Music Experience, International Gathering In July 2019, during days 11, 12 In May, Bilbao was the stage for of Music Industry and 13 people from all around the the European Rugby Champions Cup world will be gathered at the XIII and the European Rugby Challen- The BIME Festival will be held as annual Bilbao BBK Live music fes- ge Cup, the most important rugby every year at the Bilbao Exhibition tival, which has been held on the competitions on the continent. Centre (BEC), this edition will be Bilbao Kobetas mountain since celebrated during the oct 30th and 2006, and is catalogued as one of Red Bull Cliff Diving nov 2nd of 2019. the most important in Spain. Competition This festival is divided into two sections: PRO the greatest inter- The attendance it is usually around For the third time, in June, Bil- national event dedicated to music 150,000 each year, thanks to the bao hosted the most extreme sector professionals, new techno- shows of bands like Guns N’ Roses, divers’ event - Red Bull Cliff logies, videogames and marketing; Markus Schulz, Iron Maiden, Red Diving. The stage was La Salve while the LIVE festival it’s the Hot Chily Peppers, Metallica, Incu- Bridge, with the Guggenheim largest covered music festival in bus, The Police, R.E.M., Lenny Kra- Museum providing the back- Spain with eminent national and vitz, Radiohead, Coldplay, Ramm- ground for the dives, carried out international bands as headliners. stein, Slayer, Pearl Jam… from a height of 27 metres. It is planned that the 2019 edi- tion will be held in September. European Rugby Finals. Bilbao Turismo Bilbao is flooded with Awards because it has managed to the world and is currently conside- music with the MTV shine with its own appeal. It has red the longest serving ferry bridge awards beautiful buildings with the signa- in the world, in addition, the 13th ture of Frank Gehry and Calatrava of July 2006 was declared a World In November, Bilbao became for but also has its own language and Heritage Site by Unesco. the 1st time Europe’s music capi- an intense industrial history“. tal, when it hosted the MTV EMAs. The bridge ferry makes trips 24 This is a worldwide event that was 125 Anniversary of hours a day, 365 days a year. Using held in the Basque city for the “Hanging Bridge” the bridge, saves a road trip of al- first time, transforming it into the most 20 km, so it is a widely used music epicentre for several days. In 2018, Biscay Bridge celebrated transport to connect Getxo with As happened in previous editions, its 125 anniversary, with its su- Portugalete. In addition there are held for 24 years, being: London, rroundings hosting cultural, spor- also touristic guided tours, with Rotterdam and Milan the predeces- ting and festive activities throug- the possibility of crossing it by a sor venues. hout this year. pedestrian footbridge located on the top of the bridge. The founder of MTV, John Lack, The Bridge, inaugurated in 1893 in an interview before the awards and built by Alberto de Palacio and said: “Bilbao has great appeal: in Elissague, disciple of Eiffel, was a few weeks it will host the MTV the first bridge of its kind built in Hanging Bridge Dragonstone is in the garyen, and which is actually found three times and then, ask for a Basque Country in the San Juan de Gaztelugatxe’s wish. The name of this medieval- shrine in Bermeo (Biscay). This pla- style shrine in Basque means “cast- Since the new season of Game of ce which can be visited throughout le made of rock” and it is precisely Thrones commenced on 17 July this the year has attracted the curio- the special effects of the series year, eyes have been fixed on one sity of the thousands of followers that have turned it into a palace of the new scenarios of the series: of the HBO series for the stunning of stone to give life to one of the Dragonstone, an impressive islet beauty of its surroundings and they most important plots of the season. with 241 steps that has been cho- have added to the local tradition sen as the ancient home of the Tar- of ringing the bell of the chapel San Juan de Gaztelugatxe Autoridad Portuaria de Bilbao Oficinas generales. Muelles Ampliación 48980 Santurtzi (Bizkaia). Spain Tel. (+34) 944871200 www.bilbaoport.eus [email protected].