The Ensanche
Bilbao
In the Plaza de España (also called the Plaza Circular) stands the statue of the founder of the city, Don Diego López de Haro, at the start of the Gran Vía, the main street and heart of Bilbao. Along it you will find buildings of great beauty next to imposing banks, shop fronts of some of the best international designers and one of the most beautiful and pleasant squares in the city, the Jardines de Albia.
The Gran Vía is split into two sections by the Plaza Moyúa. This square is surrounded by iconic buildings such as the Palacio Chavarri, whose peculiarity is that all its windows and balconies are different, the Hotel Carlton, and the striking entrances to the Metro, called "Fosteritos" in honor of their designer Sir Norman Foster, plus one of the most commercial areas of Bilbao, the pedestrianized calle Ercilla, that leads up to the center of the Plaza de Indautxu.
The fifty-metre-high statue of the Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) at the western end of the Gran Vía is the point that marks the end of the city center. The San Mamés stadium is just up the hill on the right from here.
