The Vizcaya Bridge is one of the most unique creations of that kind in the world. The massive steel structure, 60 metres high and 160 metres long, crosses the Nervion River before the Bay of Biscay and connects two neighbouring cities, Getxo and Portugalete, located on opposite banks.

Without exaggeration, this bridge is regarded as one of the most important architectural achievements of late 19th century Europe. Its establishment is connected with the unprecedented industrial and economic developments of Bilbao. It was from there that large sea vessels stuffed with iron ore travelled to England. Getxo and Portugalete required a foot- and road bridge, whereas Bilbao needed free access to the Bay of Biscay and the ocean. The construction of a regular bridge wouldn’t have solved two problems at once. That’s how the revolutionary concept for a new creation was born.

The Vizcaya Bridge was built in 1893 based on the designs of Basque architect Alberto de Palacio, one of famous Gustave Eiffel's disciples. The French engineer Ferdinand Joseph Arnodin was in charge of the construction process.

Locals commonly call the Vizcaya Bridge "the Puente Colgante", which in Spanish literally means "hanging bridge". However, the structures of those frameworks differ significantly. During the construction of the bridge across Nervion, they used light and thin iron cables, which became an engineering discovery. It can be crossed either in a special gondola that can fit several dozen passengers and six cars, by a footpath located 50 metres off the ground.

After its establishment, the service of the Vizcaya Bridge was only interrupted once, for four years. On July 17, 1936, the Spanish Civil War started. Not long before death, the architect Alberto de Palacio saw the upper section of his masterpiece dynamited during the hostilities. Soon after the war ended, the Vizcaya Bridge was restored. Today, it continues to operate as the main crossing system across Nervion for the residents of Getxo and Portugalete.