Bilbao, Guggenheim? Erm, no

Traveller beware. 

You want to see & visit the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao? By car? 

- our TomTom (invariably named DimDim by my very clever nephew & I think he is right) brought us right opposite the museum. In between the museum and good old TomTom was a broad river and no bridge. He, Tom, refused every cooperation from there on - 

Back to you, trying to get to the museum by car. Be prepared signposts directing you to the museum are scarce. Parking near the museum is virtually impossible. 

Everyone wants to go there so the nearest carpark - also serving the city centre - is full when you arrive. 

Those everyone haven’t pre-booked their tickets so they cue to get to the ticket office. In the large entrance hall, outside before the entrance doors, up the stairs, around the corner…

You get the idea. Hundreds were waiting, 2 am., weekday.  

Do not go by car, and pre-order tickets. It will still be very, very crowded. 

The museum shop, the part of the museum we got into, was rather mediocre (for such a famous museum), apart from the book section but they were all in Spanish. 

It rained, too. 

But that seems to be the usual weather over here. 

Indeed the first time we wanted to visit the museum, a couple of years ago, we gave up due to torrential rains (yes, also in July). 

As for the photos, which might just show a bit of our disappointment.

The iconic museum is only properly visible from that other side of the river, where you as tourist almost never ever come. So these photos are from where you don't see all of the museum. 
That's what you'll see till you get very close. 

Btw., we'd love to hear your stories about the collection and the interior itself.