A stroll through Bilbao’s nucleus, zazpi kaleak, should be first on the list for a visitor looking for the city’s soul. This medieval grid, seven of the most important streets when the city was first founded over 700 years ago, is the real Bilbao – dark and a bit mysterious. These streets are home to ancient walls, the birthplace of famous characters such as author Miguel de Unamuno, and ghosts of tradesmen and fishermen traipsing up and down with their wares. Nowadays, visitors spend a few hours wandering in and out of boutiques, churches and pintxo bars.
Insider tip: All the small, dimly lit pintxo bars in the Seven Streets are worth peeping into. Around the corner of the St. James cathedral, you’ll find one of the trendiest, however – Baster is the hippest place in town for a glass of vermouth.