bilbON Bizkaia Nº15 (autumn 2025)

As beautiful as autumn in Bizkaia

Autumn spreads through our streets with its aroma of roasted chestnuts. And it might seem that the grip of everyday life controls everything. Even more so in a land characterised by devotion to well-done work, industriousness and entrepreneurial spirit. What was once a place of mines, forges, shipyards, adventurous sailors and hardy farmers is now a place of machine tools, clean energy development and industries related to new technologies.

However, the festive spirit remains despite the intermittent rain, the cold and the falling leaves. You only have to visit Gernika on Mondays in October, where tradition and fun join hands. Or let yourself be caught up in the playful spirit of the San Martín and Santo Tomás fairs in Bilbao.
Autumn is the season for fine red bean stews with sacramentos. Order a dish in a tavern or fine restaurant, in the city or in any small town. Mushrooms and fungi. Snails. Tripe and cheek in Biscayan sauce. Cod in pil-pil sauce. Serve with a glass of txakoli. Autumn is on the menu.

Around this time, the ABAO opera season kicks off. The symphonic orchestra concerts. Jazz. New major exhibitions open their doors at museums such as the Guggenheim and others. La Liga and Champions League football. Basketball in Bilbao and Gernika. The streets are busy. The forests show off their bare skin with their nightgowns of colourful leaves. Big waves crash against the cliffs.

Bilbao and Bizkaia hold a unique beauty in autumn.