Exciting cultural activities for October 2021: celebrating all things Spanish

Autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons to visit Bilbao. The leaves change colour and it’s the perfect time to enjoy seasonal specialties and fiestas. In the Basque Country, for example, they celebrate Gaztainerre, which means the arrival of chestnuts. As the 12th of October is a bank holiday in Spain, it is the perfect time to take a break and explore the beautiful cities and beaches around Bilbao, or to visit vineyards, as the harvest will just have taken place. In Rioja, one of the most famous regions in Spain for winemaking, they celebrate the Rioja Wine Harvest Festival.

We will start this month on Friday the 1st at 16:00 by soaking up some autumnal atmosphere with an amazing view at the top of mount Artxanda. The funicular will take us to the top of the mountain where we get to enjoy the city from another angle with panoramic views.

The second week of October is all about trying traditional food of Spain, such as the famous Chocolate con Churros on Monday the 4th of October at 16:30. On Wednesday, we will meet at the institute at 19:00 to experience a wine Masterclass. This will be a special occasion, as we will not only be tasting different red wines, but we will also be pairing jamon with the red wines. As Bilbao has some of the best pintxo bars in Europe, we will end this week on Friday at 16:00 by trying different pintxos.

On Monday the 11th of October, will watch a Spanish movie at the cinema. The 12th of October is the National Day of Spain and is celebrated massively. Many events will be organised throughout the country and as the institute will be closed, take this day as an opportunity to enjoy the festivities. Later this week, on Wednesday at 19:00, we will experience a second wine Masterclass. This time, we will be trying other wines from different regions in Spain. On Friday at 17:00, we get the opportunity of visiting the famous Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao, which is known for its unique architecture.

Is there anything more Spanish than la tortilla de patata? Come try this dish with us at the Plaza Nueva on Monday the 18th of October at 16:30. On Wednesday, we will visit the Puente Colgante, a “hanging bridge” that links the towns of Portugalete and Las Arenas and on Friday at 18:45, we will listen to a famous Basque Orchestra: Orquesta de Euskadi.

During the final week of October, we will try some famous pintxos on Monday, and on Wednesday the 27th we will experience a last wine Masterclass and become true wine connoisseurs! Our final activity will be the highlight of the week, as we will go to see a live Flamenco Show. Come join us!