Vibrant nightlife in cultural Bilbao

A glass of red wine in one hand and a pintxos in the other is a great way to start a night out in Bilbao. The northern Spanish city attracts international visitors to its Guggenheim museum but the atmosphere of the old town makes it well worth a short break holiday.

Shedding its image as a centre of industry and trade, the Basque country capital has become one of the most popular cultural destinations in Spain.

Pintxos are generally described as similar to tapas - only better - and these bite-sized treats will be the best tapas you will ever taste.

They are usually served cold on a slice of bread and the variety of pintxos platters you will find lining up on the bars of Bilbao is mouth-watering.

From tortilla to inky-black baby squid, the delicacies just keep coming and nibbling on these gastronomic delights is the perfect accompaniment to conversation and laughter.

Even if you don't happen to be there on a festival occasion, there is also likely to be impromptu singing.

The tradition of eating tapas is closely allied to the Spanish tradition of bar-hopping and Bilbao has plenty of bars to choose from - just walk through the old town and find where the people are.

Bilbao's greatest tourist attraction is without doubt the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum - a spectacular titanium-clad structure with 11,000 square meters of exhibition space.

The building itself is worth the trip but the permanent collection features the works of some of the most influential artists of the second half of the 20th century, including Picasso, Warhol, de Koonig and Klein.

A highlight of this year's Guggenheim programme will be the exhibition Surreal Things, from February 29th to September 7th 2008.

Exploring the influence of the surrealist movement on the world of design, the exhibition will feature elements from theatre, interiors, fashion, film, architecture, and advertising.

Around 250 objects from public and private collections around the world will be displayed, including Salvador Dali's White Aphrodisiac Telephone.

A selection of masterpieces from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna will be visiting the Guggenheim between July 10th 2008 and March 22nd 2009.

There will also be an exciting exhibition of some of the dramatic sculptural installations of Spanish artist Juan Munoz between May 27th and September 28th 2008.

An essential day trip from Bilbao is to the famous coastal city of San Sebastian. Great beaches and a cafe culture have been drawing visitors and Spaniards alike to holiday in San Sebastian for years and it is still an essential stop on a visit to the region.

The sweeping promenade curves with white-painted wrought iron elegance around the yellow sand and sheltered bay.

Other cultural attractions in Bilbao include the Fine Arts Museum, which specialises in painting and sculpture and contains works by El Greco, Goya and Francis Bacon.

The impressive Santiago Cathedral is a confusion of gothic features after 700 years of renovation and reconstruction.

Airlines including easyJet fly direct to Bilbao or you can avoid flying by hopping on a ferry from Portsmouth.