2005

IT used to be a no-nonsense industrial city, all rolled-up sleeves and bare-boarded bodegas. But all that has changed, thanks to one building.

Spain

Bilbao

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The Guggenheim Museum has transformed Bilbao, in northern Spain into a true city of culture.

Excellent boutique hotels, restaurants, bars and designer shops have sprung up around this stunning piece of architecture, creating one of the nicest European cities to visit on a short break.

Here's a guide...

WHAT TO SEE: Obviously, the Guggenheim www.guggenheim-bilbao.es should be top of your list.

Completed in 1997, it is a truly extraordinary building, like a platinum spaceship with subtle murals which leap from the walls.

Inside, the building is awe-inspiring and it is home to a variety of exhibitions, ranging from the avant-garde and American Pop Art to classical works. Admission is approx £6.50. Open daily, but during the winter it is closed on Mondays.

The Fine Arts Museum, near the Duesto Bridge, houses works by celebrated artists such as El Greco, Velazquez, Goya and Picasso.

The banks of the river Nervion, which runs through Bilbao, have been totally remodelled and are criss-crossed by a number of bridges.

In the suburb of Portugalete you can cross by the world's oldest transporter bridge, the 19th century Puente Colgante. Climb to the top of this impressive 180ft structure and take the suspended gondola across to the other side.

Bilbao is a compact city, which makes it ideal for getting about on foot (although you can use the Norman Foster-designed Metro). The rejuvenated river bank is a pleasant afternoon stroll.

The old town, Casco Viejo, has the largest covered market in Spain, the Mercado de la Ribera. Nearby is the Basque Museum, in Calle Cruz, which gives a fascinating insight into the area and is worth the £2 entrance fee.

Across the river, the Gothic Santiago Cathedral is an interesting place to shelter from the rain (winter can be wet in this part of Spain).

WHERE TO EAT: Bilbao is famous for its cuisine, with fish soups served in bowls the size of lobster pots, oxtails, pigs' trotters, eels, locally-caught salmon and delicious home-cured hams.

There are restaurants and tapas bars in every square and on every street corner. A good-value bet is the old-established Cafe Iruna www.cafesdebilbao.net at the Jardines de Albia. For less than £10 a head you can dine on salmon, a seafood platter and belt-loosening desserts, washed down with a litre of the local cider.

Other good options include the Eskalduna Jantokia on Calle Eskalduna, a typical Basque restaurant serving huge meat and fish dishes and the slightly more upmarket El Viejo Zortzi www.zortziko.es which brings a little more sophistication to its Basque fare.

THE NIGHTLIFE: The liveliest area of the city is in the Casco Viejo - Calle Santa Maria and Calle Barrencalle Barrena are almost wall-to-wall tapas bars, many with live music.

Try Los Fueros in Calle Fueros, Victor in the elegantly-arcaded Plaza Nueva and Lamiak on Calle Pelota, which is full of students and loud music.

There are regular opera and musical performances at the Teatro Arriaga and the Placio Euskalduna holds classical music concerts.

At weekends there are dinner cruises down the Nervion with live music (approx £40pp), and in the summer the Semana Grande is a riotous festival, with bullfights, dancing in the streets, fireworks and processions. The International Jazz Festival in July attracts star names.

THE SHOPPING: Lots of designer shops have opened up in the past couple of years.

Ladies' leather shoes and handbags are a particular bargain (try Loewe in Gran Via). Ceramics, wines and amber and jet jewellery are also good buys.

OUT AND ABOUT: There are beaches along the estuary, or take a short trip north of the city to Sopelana and Plentzia, which has excellent white sands. The old quarter of Getxo has a fine waterfront promenade with whitewashed houses and green shutters.

Try a trip inland to the Duranguesado Massif, with its high rocky peaks and pine forests is worth the one-hour drive.

An hour west of the city are the Cuevas de Pozalagua, stalagmite caves which worm their way deep into the mountainside.

A little further on is the Torca de Carlista, one of the world's largest cave chambers.