Locals in Bilbao are divided on whether it is a 'beauty or a beast', but the bizarre multi-million dollar Guggenheim Museum, opened in 1997, has brought thousands of visitors flocking to the city to be awed or floored. The massive museum, designed by Frank Gehry, has no right angles and resembles a metallic flower clad in shiny titanium, and is sited in the former dockyard alongside the Nervion River. Inside, apart from breathtaking spaces, the museum houses the works of some important 20th century artists, including Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Willem de Koonig and Clyfford Still. There are also sections displaying the work of young Basque and Spanish artists, and rotating exhibits lent by the Guggenheim museums in New York and Venice.

Address: 2 Abandoibarra Et.

Website: www.guggenheim-bilbao.es

Telephone: +34 94 435 90 00

Transport: Metro to Moyua station; streetcar to Guggenheim stop; a variety of buses also service the museum

Opening times: Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm (open on Mondays between July and August)

Admission: €9, and an extra €2 for an audioguide.