BILBAO... plus some grapes
PART ONE Bilbao is the largest city on Spain’s north coast and, as with much of the Basque region around it, is only begrudgingly Spanish. It is also a fine example of urban regeneration: the most dowdy of industrial ducklings reborn as a gleaming swan. Its Indautxu district is a case in point, home to the Azkuna Zentroa (azkunazentroa.eus), a 1909 warehouse redefined as a food and entertainment hub by French designer Philippe Starck. At the same time, its medieval Casco Viejo (Old Town) has never lost its lustre.
ESSENTIAL SIGHT The Guggenheim Museum (guggenheim-bilbao.eus), whose building – Frank Gehry’s incomparable confection of titanium and glass – is as glorious as the art within it.
PART TWO Bilbao may be sea-facing, but it lies remarkably close to a part of the Spanish landscape rich in misty mountainsides and malvasia grapes. It is a mere 80-mile (albeit increasingly steep) journey into the Rioja region for a day or two of wine-tasting.
DON’T MISS The Hotel Marqués de Riscal (marquesderiscal.com), a winery and boutique retreat in Elciego, just beyond the Riojan capital Logroño. The property is another Gehry design, but with its swirls of bright metal, it may be even more photogenic than the Guggenheim.
DO IT A four-night stay at the five-star Gran Hotel Domine – directly across the road from the Guggenheim – flying from Gatwick on May 4, costs from £663 per person via easyJet Holidays (0330 551 5151; easyjet.com/holidays). Northern Spain Gastronomy (00 34 6270 22780; northernspaingastronomy. com) offers a private day-trip into the Rioja winelands, which involves a gourmet lunch, as well as tasting sessions, from £250 per person.