Abandoibarra, a stroll among works of art in Bilbao

Paseo de Abandoibarra takes you from Bilbao City Hall to Euskalduna Music and Conference Centre, alongside the river and past the Guggenheim Museum.

But, in fact, it is much more than a walk. It is an elongated park. And an open-air museum

T
wenty-five years ago, the almost 50,000 square metres that make up the Paseo de Abandoibarra along the estuary in the centre of present-day Bilbao were a menacing collection of port facilities, factories, workshops and railway lines. Charcoal, smoke, rust and the rumble of machinery.

Today, the area is full of trees and gardens. People stroll, read on the benches, contemplate the city itself. Or admire the works of art that enrich the route designed by the town planner Javier López Chollet.

ARCHITECTURE

As well as the Guggenheim itself, a fascinating work of architecture by Frank Gehry, the promenade includes the Iberdrola Tower by César Pelli, the Euskalduna Palace by Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios, and the Bizkaia Aretoa campus of the Public University, by the architect Álvaro Siza.

On the other side of the river, you can also enjoy the magnificent views of the campus of the University of Deusto, which combines buildings from the early 20th and 21st centuries. Next to the campus are the 19th-century gardens and palaces known as Casas de la Cava.

Also of interest are bridges such as the Zubi Zuri, by Calatrava; the Pedro Arrupe pedestrian bridge, by José Antonio Fernández Ordóñez; or the old Deusto bridge, which used to be a drawbridge until 1995, in order to allow ships to pass through.

SCULPTURE

But the power of the sculptural work that characterises the promenade deserves special mention. From the Town Hall, towards Euskalduna, the Sirgueras by Dora Salazar appears at the very beginning of the promenade. It is a sculptural group that celebrates the importance of women’s work, paying homage to the women who used to tow the boats along the estuary.

A few steps further on is the Puerta de los Honorables by Casto Solana, a monument to the socialist politician Ramón Rubial.

At the Guggenheim, Anish Kapoor’s «The Big Tree and the Eye», made up of 73 reflective spheres, stands behind Yves Klein’s «Fire Fountain» and Fujiko Nakaya’s «Fog», an atmospheric sculpture floating on the museum’s pond.

Next to it is Louise Bourgeois’ «Mama», a giant bronze spider.

Daniel Buren’s «Red Arches» cover part of the structure of the Salve Bridge and are illuminated at night.

EVEN MORE SCULPTURE

As we move forward, William Tucker’s «Maia» (Cairo, 1935), a 3.5-ton, 3-meter-high bronze piece full of protrusions, comes to the fore.

And Anthony Caro’s «Explorers Book», a steel and concrete sculpture with the remains of ship anchors.

Meanwhile, Markus Lüpertz’s «Judith», also in bronze, represents the Old Testament widow who beheaded Holofernes.

«Begirari IV», by Chillida, stands vertically in the same area, with its cavities almost at the top of its 7 meters of steel.

Ulrich Rückriem’s «11 Pieces» may go unnoticed, but the set of granite and slabs to be recognized proposes a mysterious code.

«Sitio y lugares» by Angel Garraza offers a different experience. It consists of two compact pieces of concrete covered with ceramic tiles that take their form from the traditional kaikus, wooden shepherds’ containers once used to boil milk or make cheese, but enlarged.

«A la deriva», by José Zugasti, next to the Euskalduna Palace, is made up of compact steel rings that simulate an unraveling pier.

In the palace pond, the «Terpsichore» by Salvador Dalí.

On the other side of the building, the «Dodeclathos» by Vicente Larrea impresses with its 72 tons of iron.

Just pass under the Carola, the only crane of the extinct shipyard that used to occupy the place where the Euskalduna and the Itsas Museum are now located.

Walk along de river banks to continue with the stroll. Towards Olabeaga? Deusto, maybe? Both of them are worth it.