Bilbao

Bilbao is the reinvented capital of the Spanish Basque Country, a once-gritty industrial port transformed by the titanium curves of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim into one of Europe's great design cities. Yet the museum is only the headline, because Bilbao's real pleasure is the daily rhythm of pintxos and txikiteo, the local bar crawl where you graze small plates and sip wine or txakoli standing at the counter. Approach the city on foot and by tram along the river Nervion, which now flanks parks and sculpture rather than shipyards. Start in the atmospheric Casco Viejo, the medieval old town of seven streets, then cross to the sleek Abandoibarra district for the Guggenheim and the riverside promenade. Basque food is a highlight in its own right, from bacalao al pil-pil and grilled txuleta steak to the famous Gilda pintxo and the txakoli poured from a height. The weather is famously changeable, so pack a light rain layer whatever the season, and pace yourself: locals eat late, and the best moment is the evening buzz of full bars. Give Bilbao a few days, and the surrounding coast rewards day trips.