Old Quarter

When the city of Bilbao was founded over 700 years ago, its inhabitants made their living from market gardens and fishing, and the river was beginning to emerge as the best means of communication with the outside world.  There were at that time two different centres of population; on the one hand, the left bank or Bilbao la Vieja, which was a mining area where iron was worked in the foundries, and secondly, the right bank, called the Old Quarter ("Casco Viejo"), which engaged in commerce and port activities. The heart of the Old Quarter was surrounded by walls and consisted of three parallel streets. Later it became necessary to take down the walls and build four streets perpendicular to the river, which along with the first three, make up what is known today as the Seven Streets.

Location

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General and/or specific data

  • Since 1979, this area has been pedestrianized, becoming a figurative shopping center of 240,000 square meters, with hundreds of commercial establishments, bars and restaurants.
  • The 1983 floods were the greatest catastrophe to hit the city of Bilbao in living memory and devastated and destroyed the Old Quarter. Despite the devastation, the Casco Viejo or Old Town managed to re-emerge and become one of the leading tourist and commercial areas of the city.

Information about accessibility

https://www.visitbiscay.eus/en/accessible/route-old-quarter-of-bilbao

A Good Idea

If you are in the Old Town, be sure to take a guided tour or a route through its main resources, such as the Cathedral of Santiago, the RiBera Market and so many other emblematic buildings. Take the opportunity to go shopping for truly unique products, or enjoy the gastronomy in its wide range of bars and restaurants. The city of Bilbao offers an endless number of interesting visits, on foot, by boat, by bicycle, thematic routes, etc.

Did you know?

If you like to visit historic centres of cultural and scenic interest, Bizkaia is full of charming and historic municipalities, many of which offer guided tours such as the City of Orduña, the Villa de Balmaseda, Gernika, the fishing villages of Bermeo, Ondarroa, Plentzia, Santurtzi, inland towns such as Lanestosa, Otxandio, Areatza, Durango, Elorrio and many others.

More information

https://bilbaoturismo.net/BilbaoTurismo/en/historia

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