In Bilbao there are not residents, there are txikiteros. Txikiteros are names given to those who drink txikitos, small glasses of wine served in the bars.
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Athletic Bilbao's football stadium, San Mamés, is known as the Cathedral of football and this nickname could not be more accurate or contain more meaning.
Being the home of the lions since 1913, the stadium began to be called "The Cathedral" to differentiate between those who went to the San Mamés Hermitage and those who went to Athletic's stadium. In this way, everyone went to worship, some to the hermitage and others to the cathedral.
In 2010, its reconstruction and modernisation began so that it could be used for the first time, after the first phase of the work was completed in 2013. In 2015, the stadium was awarded the World Architecture Festival as the best new sports building in the world, but not only that, two years later it won the distinction as the best stadium in the world, in 2017, from the World Football Summit, and in 2020 it would win the highest distinction in the category of sports and recreational facilities at the World Design Awards.
In this way, its creation goes hand in hand with the evolution and urban revolution of Bilbao, which has been both awarded and admired worldwide.
The first stop must be its museum, AC Museoa. There you can enjoy "The Collection", an incredible exhibition of more than 1000 objects that are real treasures from the history of both the club and football. From the first kit in the team's history to Zarra's boots. In addition to 900 videos from the team's Museum Archive.
Stroll through its different areas where you will start at its "Origins", as the first stop is called, from the foundation of the club in 1898, go through the "Time Line" to make a journey through the history of the club.
Take a second and sit in a real grandstand of the old San Mamés in "The Wooden Grandstand" to get to know Athletic's centenary history a little better. The "Red Zone", where institution, players and players come together, is the perfect prelude to the long-awaited "Trophy Room" with the long-awaited Copa del Rey of the 2024 edition.
We continue with the largest videowall in Europe, with 102 screens, which will make you feel how a San Mamés full of fans pushes in the "Green Zone". Ready for some fun? In the "Ludoteca" you can test your knowledge with a quiz, narrate a goal or try to score a goal for the legendary goalkeeper Iribar. Fun for young and old alike.
We come to the last stops on the tour, "San Mamés" shows us the life and history of the San Mamés stadium, a feeling with deep roots. And finally, we visit "Los socios y socias", a space dedicated to paying tribute to all the supporters of the Lions, more than one hundred thousand members throughout their history.
The San Mamés Tour is a must for all lovers, not only of the team, but of football in general.
Take a tour of San Mamés with a guided group visit or, if you prefer, take the tour with an audio guide that you can use on your mobile phone.
Visit the team's changing rooms, jump onto the pitch through a tunnel that is unique in the world of football, step onto the pitch of the stars, feel like the coach on the bench, meet the legendary Pichichi, go through the mixed zone and the press room and finish your tour in style; stepping into the presidential box and enjoying the magical views of the VIP Area.
As every year, 18 May is International Museum Day and the club always wants to be part of such a special day by launching special promotions, including free tickets to visit their museum and facilities.
If you want to see the inside of the stadium, with privileged views practically for free, stop by access gate 26 and go for a coffee in their cafeteria. For the price of a coffee you will have a unique view of the stadium.
And if you want to enjoy the best of Bilbao; San Mamés and its Basque gastronomy, stop by San Mamés Jatetxea, the restaurant with access through gate 14 and which, in addition to its ample spaces and fantastic menu, will leave you speechless with the impressive views of La Catedral stadium.
