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The Enviroment:
Itinerary 12 days/11 nights
Bilbao, with its fascinating Guggenheim Museum, provides an ideal starting point for this remarkable collection of rail journeys by narrow gauge trains through the scenic highlights of northern Spain. From the Basque Mueseum at Zumaia we board a steam train for a memorable ride into the hills. At Llanes we take a funicular to Bulnes, high in the Picos de Europa where we explore the village and later there's the opportunity for a walk through the dramatic Canal de Tejo gorge.
The Museum: The Permanent Guggenheim Collections are comprised of the works belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the works acquired through the program of commissions at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, as well as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao's own collection. Together, the collectionsoffer a comprehensive overview of the visual arts of the 20th century.
Atlantic Coastal Train
After enjoying Llanes' attractive shoreline we strike westwards once more before pausing in historic city of Oviedo. With some free time here we can choose to take side trips by train, for example to the coastal town Gijon which also houses the Asturias Railway Museum, a great way to set our rail explorations into context. One of the highlights of our tour will be the journey along Spain's wild Atlantic coast to Ferrol, passing round rocky headlands to re-emerge to catch glimpses of the sea pounding on the shore.
Medieval Spain
We spend two nights in Santiago de Compostela, the final destination for pilgrims, who, since the 9th century, have been following the ancient route from France to the legendary resting place of Saint James. After exploring the city's historic streets, we board the ARCO train for Ponferrada. Here we have the chance to walk a short section of the Camino de Santiago before continuing by train to the medieval city Leon. Our final journey back to Bilbao is fittingly by narrow gauge train and gives us a last chance to take in the dramatic views of the Picos.
Itinerary
Day 1: Fly Bilbao.
Day 2: From Bilbao we take the train east to Zumaia where we visit the fascinating Basque Railway Museum and ride the historic steam train to Lasao. Later we return to Bilbao.
Day 3: This morning we catch the local train to Santander where the afternoon is free to enjoy the spectacular bay.
Day 4: Continuing to Llanes, we take a dramatic funicular ride up into the Picos de Europa for stunning views across the mountains.
Day 5-6: Our train journey continues to Oviedo where we have free time to take some side trips by train or wander around this historic town.
Day 7-8: The train carries us along Spain's remote and wild northern shores to Ferrol where the line ends. From here, we drive to Santiago de Compostela for a free day to explore.
Day 9: Boarding the ARCO train to Ponferrada, this afternoon we walk on a short section of the Camino de Santiago (optional).
Day 10-11:The narrow gauge lines take us to the medieval city of Leon where we can visit the famous cathedral. We transfer back to Bilbao for our last night.
Day 12: Flay back
Being Responsible
Train travel is a great way to meet local people and get a more personal experience of travel in their country. This is an excellent opportunity to get chatting, so we do encourage you to try a few words of Spanish! Ensuring that local people benefit from tourism is core to our philosophy and relevant to all countries, regardless of the level of development. We use locally owned transport and hotels and try to spread our custom to a variety of local restaurants. It’s not just good for the local communities; we believe you get a better experience as a result.
The Learning Through Art Program uses the creation of art to supplement the primary school curriculum, while helping children to learn to respect their own work and the work of others. Each program is designed to integrate art with student learning across the curriculum. The Education Department of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao brings teaching artists into local schools to collaborate with classroom teachers and facilitate art workshops that take place over the course of the entire school year. | 
