Las Siete Calles

Forming the heart of Bilbao's Casco Viejo are seven streets known as the Siete Calles (Zazpi Kaleak in Basque). These dark, atmospheric lanes – Barrenkale Barrena, Barrenkale, Carnicería Vieja, Belostikale, Tendería, Artekale and Somera – date to the 1400s, when the east bank of the Ría del Nervión (Ría de Bilbao) was first developed. They originally constituted the city's commercial centre and river port; these days they teem with lively cafes, pintxo bars and boutiques.