The same way Paris has the Eiffel tower and New York has the Statue of Liberty, Santander has the…read moreCentro Botin. The Botín Center is an art center designed by architect and Pritzker winner Renzo Piano. It is located in a privileged location in Santander right on the water, and through a broader urban intervention, the architect manages to integrate the city center and the historic Pereda Gardens with its bay. Light and lightness have been essential aspects in the conception of the project. Depending on the angle that you look at the building, you an see a sliver of architecture through the tress or a massive round edifice on the water. The main thing I loved was that there is an open top floor from which you can see the entire city of Santander and the bay. You can reach this vintage point by stairs or elevator. It's free to go up. Periodically there are cultural events and art galleries inside the center.

This a very beautiful and uniquely designed art center that overlooks the bay. I believe that…read moretickets during our visit were about 10€, and I thought the exhibitions were worth the entry fee (even if a couple were not my cup of tea). From my POV, Centro Botin gave a bit of a mix of modern and classical exhibitions. While I enjoyed most of the exhibits, I will admit that the views of the city and the bay from the Centro were a bit more interesting than a couple of the exhibits. Outside of the museum, there are plenty of places to take pictures of the beautiful scenery of the bay.

I was a bit disappointed with this museum. I thought it would be similar to El Prado in Madrid,…read morewith lots and lots of master paintings but it was actually a combination of traditional Renaissance and Medieval paintings and modern art. The amount of paintings by masters of the Renaissance was very small. The museum itself was not very big either...just two floors and about 4 wings. Overall not a bad place to spend a few hours, but not a place that I would recommend to someone that liked their time at The Prado in Madrid.

I am extremely disappointed. The permanent collection is not on display during renovation and…read morethat's why I came to this city and decided on it over other cities in Spain. THERE IS NO INFORMATION ONLINE THAT THE PERMANENT COLLECTION IS CLOSED. The staff confirmed this and they receive this complaint everyday. THIS IS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING. The new building is scheduled to reopen in October. For a major museum, this lack of communication is very bad.

Gayle and I arrived in Laguardia mid-day one recent October Sunday. This is a charming "Village On…read moreThe Hill" deep in the Rioja Wine Country. We came here to walk around, have Lunch, and possibly tour one of the Bodegas that are contained underneath. Things didn't go entirely to plan as we got lost coming here and the Bodegas close early on Sunday. We were also happily delayed by our serendipitous discovery of Juanjo San Pedro's abstract, yet very inviting artwork. Plus it was a pleasure and a privilege to talk with this most kind and talented man himself. Juanjo San Pedro's work stands by itself and after the warm welcome and conversation, I was seriously rethinking the Family Art Budget. He has a separate book of his works, which unfortunately wasn't for sale with an associated purchase. I think he sensed our limitations all along, but was happy to engage (and compliment) Gayle's Spanish and chat about generational things that we all shared. He also showed us completely around his Studio and his various abstract paintings. We eventually left very impressed, and I'm pretty sure that his Studio isn't done with us yet.

I recommend buying advance tickets online! I did that and got to skip a very long ticket line…read more Some cool stuff here for sure! I came in August of 2026 and there was a big Jasper Johns exhibit and a big Ruth Asawa exhibit. It feels like quite a large proportion of the museum is devoted to specific exhibits like that, rather than having long corridors with a diverse assortment. I like to be pleasantly surprised by different takes on art as I turn every corner, and there isn't as much of that here. But that's just my taste. Whether or not that's true for you, this is a large facility, and the building and grounds themselves are a pleasure to explore. Some of you, and I include myself here, definitely would wish for more seating in the galleries than you'll find here. They are pretty strict about bringing in metal objects and bags and things. I actually am not sure what those specifics are; I had a backpack and they told me to check it in with them. Had to wait in line and give it to them and everything.

This museum was the main reason why I chose to visit Bilbao during my recent trip to Spain. It had…read morebeen on my bucket list for years! I've visited the Guggenheim museums in NYC and Venice and I have to say that this building had the most unique architecture of them all so far. Designed by Frank Gehry, the museum is a deconstructionist building with over 33,000 titanium plates. Located along the Nervion River, the industrial backdrop of Bilbao blends in with the metallic look of the museum. The interior seems a bit jumbled, which is a contrast to the sleekness of the exterior. Stairwells jut here and there, it didn't seem like there was a real flow. In terms of the collection, while I was here there was an exhibition of Jasper Johns, and while I'm not a huge fan but know his work, it was interesting. I found that the exhibits were on the niche side, albeit very comprehensive with retrospectives of their work. I really liked viewing the installation piece by Richard Serra, The Matter of Time. Also being a fan of Jeff Koons, the live Puppy outdoor sculpture is amazing to view. Honestly, I was more impressed with the architecture rather than the art here.

Stockists of many cool books, prints, water bottles, cards etc. A tempting store for those looking…read morefor something artistic a little off the beaten track. Good for treating yourself or someone else.