The old, legendary San Mamés has disappeared, but Bilbao is still a wonderful football city. With a beautiful new stadium, lovely football courts, lots of football bars and the Palacio de Ibaigane, the most beautiful headquarter in Spain.
Football romantics still talk wistfully about the old San Mamés (1913-2013), one of the most atmospheric and intimidating stadiums in Spain. Nearby the former stadium, a new and great stadium has arisen from the ground. Walk to the other side of the River Estuary and enjoy the wonderful view, with the stadium rising high above the houses close to the river. The enlightened, futuristic facade is reminiscent of the Allianz Arena of Bayern Munich, but the location of San Mamés is much better. From the inside, there's a good atmosphere: Athletic has even by Spanish standards a very fiery fan base.
When you're in Bilbao, you will probably go to the famous Guggenheim Museum, which is two kilometres east of San Mamés along the same river. But don't forget about the 'Athletic Club Museoa', under the stadium at the side of the river. The club's museum is beautifully designed and has trophies, shirts and lots of interactive options.
The street behind San Mamés is the Paseo Rafael Moreno "Pitxitxi", named after Pichichi, a legendary former player of the 1910s and 1920s. On this street, the old San Mamés was located as well, which was also known as La Catedral among the fans.
That Bilbao is a true football city is something you see in the enormous amounts of tiny football courts and small stadiums spread all over the city, including Campo Futbol Elorrieta, Campo de Futbol de Mallona and Etxezuriko Futbol Zelaia. The latter one, across the river at San Mamés, has the most beautiful location and offers a great view of the city. The pitch is artificial, like most in Spain. Normally not our preferred option, but because of the climate Spanish teams played on gravel for decades. So after all, artificial turfs ain't that bad.
An absolute must-see for football fans in Bilbao: The Palacio de Ibaigane in the heart of the city. This beautiful building in the neo-Basque style of architect Gregorio Ibbareche is since 1988 the headquarter of Athletic. From the inside, there's a lot of wood and stained glass. It's the place where all important meetings and gatherings of the club are, but also where several departments of the club work. The flower garden is in the club colours, the crest is shown above the door and in the garden the club flag is proudly waving in the wind.
Typical for a real football city: In Bilbao there are lots of places where you can eat and drink in proper football decor. We advise 'Peña Athletic del Casco Viejo', a great diner slash fan café in the heart of town, at the Pilota Kalea 7. Basque specialities for a good price, with lots of Athletic pictures and souvenirs on the wall.
Other tips: a small cocktail bar called Bar Athletic is close to San Mamés. A little further you find Gol Taberna, a charming small football café where fans love to come.
A little outside of the town, in the hills south of Bilbao, you have the Athletic Taberna at the Pagasarribidea Bidea. It's a little bit obscure and run-down, so check if it's still open.
In San Mamés you can also find La Campa de los Ingleses, a beautifully designed sports bar.
You can buy tickets for matches in San Mamés on the club's official site. Don't be shocked by the prices for upcoming matches that are not in the near future. These huge prices mean that only the sale of VIP tickets has started. The regular sale, usually, starts a bit later.
There's barely any parking space around San Mamés. You have to come by foot or by public transport. Luckily the metro of Bilbao runs nearly under the stadium. The station Santimami/San Mamés is with the metro just a couple of minutes away from the city centre.
Images: Shutterstock, BSR Agency
