Funicular de Artxanda Photos
Recommended Reviews - Funicular de Artxanda
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Spent the weekend morning hiking around the mountains, had some lunch, and decided to take the funicular back down to the city. It was cool! It's a short ride (longer than Angel's Flight) and will take you where you need to go. Use your Barik card, as it'll save you a considerable amount of dough.
You would think once we arrived in Bilbao at 10 in the morning that Jamie W. and I would make a beeline to the Guggenheim since we had just one day in the city. We even saw the mammoth, Frank Gehry-designed building on the way to the hotel, but it dawned on me that the terminus was just a couple of blocks away from the hotel at Funikularreko Plaza (photo: http://bit.ly/2jlqU9s). We had just experienced the rickety funicular in San Sebastián on Monte Igueldo and thought it would be a great way to survey the city at a single glance. Even though a funicular has existed on this steep hill almost as long as the Monte Igueldo tram has been around (1915), this one has been rebuilt at least a couple of times due to bombings during the Spanish Civil War and more recent floods with the current funicular in operation since the 1980s. Like Monte Igueldo, the similarly fire engine-red funicular departs every fifteen minutes, but this was a lot smoother ride and rather more scenic (video: http://bit.ly/2jlwjgM). We arrived on what was apparently the summit of Artxanda Mountain, but since we didn't do any homework, we had no clue what we were supposed to do other than look down on the city from the small park (photo: http://bit.ly/2C1ytpY). I read now there are several restaurants and even a sports complex up there, but we couldn't tell and started to get paranoid about facing a long queue at the Guggenheim and not being able to get in after traveling all the way from San Francisco just to visit it. We took the next tram down in a passive-aggressive panic, but we did enjoy the brief time we had in our elevated state. It was a fine view of an unexpected city.
A very inexpensive and fun experience, the Funicular climbs from a station at riverside (not far from the Guggenheim) to the top of Mount Artxanda. It's a fun and easy ride. Try to get the car at the front of the train! There are two trains - one goes up and then they have a split in the tracks - and the other one goes back down. The trains run often enough (it seems like they start the run when the driver finishes his newspaper) and doesn't take more than a couple of minutes to run from the bottom to the top. Even if you're not planning on visiting the restaurants or the hotel at the top, it's absolutely worth going up for the view. At the top of the mountain, on a mostly clear day, the views are absolutely incredible. You can see all of Bilbao from here. Amazing!
This is a must see when visiting Bilbao. It's very inexpensive to take the Funicular up the hill and the views are spectacular! There's space to wander around, have a picnic, or take phenomenal photos of the city. It's one of my favorite parts of Bilbao! Additionally it's pretty close to the heart of old town so you can grab Pintxos after as well!
Highly recommended activity, especially if you're with family. I went with an old friend who now lives in the area, using my Barik card to get on. The funicular was waiting for us and we got into the top car, so we could watch the opposite car coming down at us! Once at the top, we grabbed a beverage at the Café Txakoli and walked back to the hillside adjoining the funicular depot for gorgeous views of Bilbao. Will be back! Pro tip: Use the Barik card. It is inexpensive (€0.50 each way) compared to buying a ticket (€2.50 one way and €4.30 round trip). read more
A must stop when you are in area! The cable car to the top is very convenient and the views from the top are spectacular... lot of great photo ops. The ride both up to the top and back was fun despite the cars being crammed. Thank goodness the mask rule is still in effect. read more
Spent the weekend morning hiking around the mountains, had some lunch, and decided to take the funicular back down to the city. It was cool! It's a short ride (longer than Angel's Flight) and will take you where you need to go. Use your Barik card, as it'll save you a considerable amount of dough. read more
You would think once we arrived in Bilbao at 10 in the morning that Jamie W. and I would make a beeline to the Guggenheim since we had just one day in the city. We even saw the mammoth, Frank Gehry-designed building on the way to the hotel, but it dawned on me that the terminus was just a couple of blocks away from the hotel at Funikularreko Plaza (photo: http://bit.ly/2jlqU9s). We had just experienced the rickety funicular in San Sebastián on Monte Igueldo and thought it would be a great way to survey the city at a single glance. Even though a funicular has existed on this steep hill almost as long as the Monte Igueldo tram has been around (1915), this one has been rebuilt at least a couple of times due to bombings during the Spanish Civil War and more recent floods with the current funicular in operation since the 1980s. Like Monte Igueldo, the similarly fire engine-red funicular departs every fifteen minutes, but this was a lot smoother ride and rather more scenic (video: http://bit.ly/2jlwjgM). We arrived on what was apparently the summit of Artxanda Mountain, but since we didn't do any homework, we had no clue what we were supposed to do other than look down on the city from the small park (photo: http://bit.ly/2C1ytpY). I read now there are several restaurants and even a sports complex up there, but we couldn't tell and started to get paranoid about facing a long queue at the Guggenheim and not being able to get in after traveling all the way from San Francisco just to visit it. We took the next tram down in a passive-aggressive panic, but we did enjoy the brief time we had in our elevated state. It was a fine view of an unexpected city. read more
A very inexpensive and fun experience, the Funicular climbs from a station at riverside (not far from the Guggenheim) to the top of Mount Artxanda. It's a fun and easy ride. Try to get the car at the front of the train! There are two trains - one goes up and then they have a split in the tracks - and the other one goes back down. The trains run often enough (it seems like they start the run when the driver finishes his newspaper) and doesn't take more than a couple of minutes to run from the bottom to the top. Even if you're not planning on visiting the restaurants or the hotel at the top, it's absolutely worth going up for the view. At the top of the mountain, on a mostly clear day, the views are absolutely incredible. You can see all of Bilbao from here. Amazing! read more
9 years ago
This is a must see when visiting Bilbao. It's very inexpensive to take the Funicular up the hill and the views are spectacular! There's space to wander around, have a picnic, or take phenomenal photos of the city. It's one of my favorite parts of Bilbao! Additionally it's pretty close to the heart of old town so you can grab Pintxos after as well! read more
15 years ago
Artxanda Funicular (rack railway to the top of the Artxanda mountains) links downtown Bilbao with a recreational park at the top of the mountain, which has a park, with beautiful panoramic views of Bilbao, several restaurants, a hotel, and a sports complex all at the summit of the Artxanda Mountain. This was a fascinating experience. A bit on the scary side as I am afraid of heights but once your up there it's all worth it. I hope to visit again. read more
9 years ago
8 years ago
16 years ago
