Ayuntamiento de Bilbao

Opened in 1892, the building that houses Bilbao's city council is the work of the architect Joaquin Rucoba, who also built the Arriaga Theatre. Among its principal features is a main exterior wall lavishly decorated in the Baroque style. The busts and statues adorning the place are of illustrious personages of the Bilbaon social scene. It was built upon the ruins of the old San Agustin convent. Climbing the exterior steps and entering the building, the first thing that stands out is the central staircase which meets with the most attention-grabbing spot in the town hall - the beautiful and singular Arab salon or reception area. This is a place of unusual beauty in which the main public acts take place. Located on the estuary's edge, opposite there is a bridge of the same name which crosses the estuary in the direction of Plaza Circular. Without leaving the town hall's pavement the visitor can get on to the Campo Volantin, or on to the other side of the estuary to walk along the recently opened Paseo de Urbitarte. The town hall's interior can be visited during the mornings all week at no charge. In half an hour, and accompanied by a guide, its most important features can be seen.

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