Photo: Basotxerri, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credit
From shipyards to museums: the industrial history of the Bilbao Ría
Your local guide
Ane Uriarte
View profile
Highlights
- The Ría from the old town towards the sea
- The Vizcaya Bridge, oldest transporter bridge in the world
- Iron mines and blast furnaces that built Bilbao
- Workers' towns on the Left Bank
- The 1980s crisis and the city's rebuilding
About this tour
This session traces the industrial history of the Bilbao Ría, from the old town down towards Portugalete and the Vizcaya Bridge. You see the river that once carried iron ore to the sea and the working-class towns built along its banks. It is a walk through the shipyards, mines and furnaces that made the city rich, and the crisis that followed.
The guide opens with a sound check, then follows the river out towards the coast, stop by stop, taking your questions along the way. A short list of the places and dates mentioned is sent on afterwards.
This suits anyone interested in how a city is built and rebuilt on heavy industry. It also suits viewers who prefer real streets and old docks to museum displays.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Bilbao before heading out.
-
Bilbao Ría, old town 21 min
The camera follows the Ría from the old town towards the sea, tracing the route ships once took to load iron ore. The guide explains how this same river shaped the city's wealth and its later decline.
-
Vizcaya Bridge, Portugalete 21 min
At Portugalete the camera takes in the Vizcaya Bridge, the oldest transporter bridge in the world, its gondola crossing between the two riverbanks. The guide points out Getxo on the far bank and the villas built with shipping money.
-
Left Bank workers' towns 21 min
Walking through the Left Bank's dense workers' towns, the guide contrasts the terraced housing built for the iron and steel workforce with the mansions on the Right Bank. He explains the 1980s industrial crisis and how the region rebuilt around new industries.
-
Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Bilbao: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Txakoli and Abandoibarra, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Madrid time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Bilbao, showing you Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and Mercado de la Ribera live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Bilbao live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Madrid time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Sat 7 Nov · 12 seats left From 24,00 €
Book