Casco Viejo
Good for: architecture, culture, bar food, amazing food, Politics
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Lonely Planet review for Casco Viejo
The compact Casco Viejo, Bilbao's atmospheric old quarter, is full of charming streets, boisterous bars and plenty of quirky and independent shops. At the heart of the Casco are Bilbao's original seven streets, Las Siete Calles, which date from the 1400s.
The 14th-century Gothic Catedral de Santiago has a splendid Renaissance portico and pretty little cloister. Further north, the 19th-century arcaded Plaza Nueva is a rewarding pintxo haunt. There's a lively Sunday-morning flea market here, which is full of secondhand book and record stalls, and pet 'shops' selling chirpy birds (some kept in old-fashioned wooden cages), fluffy mice and tiny baby terrapins. Elsewhere in the market children and adults alike swap and barter football cards and old stamps from countries you've never heard of; in between weave street performers and waiters with trays piled high. A sweeter-smelling flower market takes place on Sunday mornings in the nearby Plaza del Arenal.
Traveller reviews for Casco Viejo (1)
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Great for history, bars, shops and pintxos
roblugg recommends this,
The original medieval core of the city, atmospheric and with plenty to see.
I recommend the small cluster of radical nationalist bars in Dorre Kalea/Calle de la Torre near the cathedral for something uniquely Basque. As long as you don't wear/say anything overtly pro-spanish you'll be welcomed, especially if you attempt a few Basque words (Kaixo, Egun on, Eskerrik Asko, etc. - found in most guide books to the region).
The best Pintxos (Basque equivalent of tapas) are to be found on the Plaza Nueva, which is a lovely place to sit anyway. Gure Toki and Cafe/Bar Bilbao are the best.
The Cathedral is worth a quick visit but you won't be blown away but this is a great place to shop (especially for shoes) and wander (especially in the evening). Also worth climbing the stairs from Plaza Miguel Unamuno to get a nice panorama of the city.
Good for: architecture, culture, bar food, amazing food, Politics, bars, History and Culture
