☰Casco Viejo

The old quarter — known in Basque as Zazpikaleak, the Seven Streets — is Bilbao's medieval heart, a tight grid of pedestrian lanes lined with pintxo bars, independent shops, and the city's oldest churches. The neighbourhood has considerable charm despite the tourist trade: locals still use it as their daily market and meeting ground. The covered Mercado de la Ribera, on the riverbank, is one of the largest covered markets in Europe and a good place to eat at lunchtime.