Bilbao

The Guggenheim, the Casco Viejo and the Vizcaya Bridge gondola

Two days in Bilbao cover the Guggenheim, the Bellas Artes and a pintxo lunch in the Casco Viejo on the first, then the Artxanda funicular and a crossing of the UNESCO-listed Vizcaya Bridge in its hanging gondola on the second. A third day allows San Sebastián, about an hour away by coach, or Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Be at the Guggenheim for opening at 10:00, greeting Jeff Koons's flower-covered Puppy on the way in, and check which temporary show is on, since that is where the museum is strongest. Then follow the river path west to the Museo de Bellas Artes and the ponds of Doña Casilda Iturrizar Park. Walk back upstream along the Nervión to the Casco Viejo for a pintxo lunch around Plaza Nueva and the Mercado de la Ribera. Spend the afternoon in the Siete Calles, then climb the Mallona steps from Plaza Unamuno to Parque Etxebarria as the light fades.

On day two, ride the Artxanda funicular for the view over the whole valley, then take the metro down the estuary to Portugalete and cross the Vizcaya Bridge in its hanging gondola, a UNESCO-listed piece of 1890s engineering. Walk the waterfront on the Getxo side before heading back. In summer, look out for an open-air concert at the 1923 bandstand in the Arenal park.

How pintxos work at a Bilbao bar counter

Pintxos are the Basque version of tapas, usually more elaborate and never free with a drink. The routine is simple: point at what you want on the counter or order hot dishes from the board, have a small glass of wine or a zurito of beer, then move on. Most people visit three or four bars in an evening, and Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest.

Plaza Nueva and the streets of the Casco Viejo are the obvious starting points. Calle Zugastinobia, a narrow one-way street away from the main thoroughfares, has a cluster of bars that have done well in local pintxo contests. Ask for bacalao al pil-pil, and try txakoli, the dry, slightly sparkling local white.

For a sit-down meal, Basque kitchens put their effort into the grill, with thick steaks and whole fish cooked over coals. The Mercado de la Ribera, the big riverside market hall beside the Casco Viejo, has a food area where you can eat among locals at lunchtime. Cheese lovers should look for Idiazabal, the sheep's milk cheese of the Basque hills, often lightly smoked. Tap water is safe to drink, even from outdoor fountains, unless a sign says no potable.

Bilbao's driest months, rain gear and Aste Nagusia

June to September are the driest and brightest months in Bilbao, and August, the warmest, averages a comfortable 26°C. Rain can fall in any season, so pack an umbrella whenever you come, and plan around Aste Nagusia, the nine-day fiesta that starts on the first Saturday after 15 August.

Bilbao is green for a reason. November averages 171 mm of rain, January 130 mm and even July about 52 mm, so an umbrella belongs in the bag in every season. Temperatures stay gentle: winter days reach 14°C and rarely freeze, and August, the warmest month, averages 26°C.

The big party is Aste Nagusia, the Semana Grande, which starts on the first Saturday after 15 August and lasts nine days. Txosnas, bar stalls run by local groups, line the riverbank, there are free concerts and street theatre every day, and an international fireworks contest lights up the sky each night. Marijaia, a big rag figure with raised arms, presides over the fiesta and is burned at the end.

In July, the BBK Live music festival brings international bands to the slopes of Mount Kobetamendi. Winter has its own rituals: on 21 December the Santo Tomás fair fills the old town with farmers' stalls, and locals eat talo con txistorra, a corn flatbread wrapped around a thin sausage. The grey months suit the museums and the pintxo bars, which stay warm and full.