Spain · Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa · Bilbao
Zazpi Kaleak, Bilbao — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Zazpi Kaleak is the medieval quarter of Bilbao, the Seven Streets that Spanish calls Casco Viejo, held inside the Ibaiondo district.
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Where to stay in Zazpi Kaleak
The right area depends on your trip — here's what each neighbourhood is best for.
A bed inside Zazpi Kaleak means a bed in the medieval street plan itself, the walled section Bilbao kept until the end of the 19th century, with Plaza Nueva and the Euskal Museoa among the names on the city's register. Streets first, hotels second. Rooms here suit an arrival who wants the compact half square kilometre of Alde Zaharra underfoot rather than the newer avenues of Bilbao.
Few places to stay in Zazpi Kaleak — most visitors book in Bilbao nearby.
About Zazpi Kaleak
What are the main landmarks in Zazpi Kaleak?
Churches crowd the list: the Church of San Nicolás, Bilbao, the Church of los Santos Juanes, Bilbao, the Church of San Francisco de Asís, Bilbao and the Monasterio de la Purísima Concepción, Bilbao. Plaza Nueva anchors the squares, with the Monument to Miguel de Unamuno in Plaza Miguel de Unamuno a second address of that kind. Museums follow.
The Euskal Museoa, the Archaeological Museum (Bilbao) and the Museo de Pasos de Semana Santa share the register with Euskaltzaindia's headquarters and the Alhóndiga Bilbao.
What is the history of Zazpi Kaleak?
The medieval plan survives. Zazpi Kaleak carries four names in two languages, Las Siete Calles and Casco Viejo in Spanish, Zazpikaleak and Alde Zaharra in Basque, and each of them points at the same walled ground inside Bilbao. That wall stood until the end of the 19th century.
The quarter sits within the Ibaiondo district, and the older labels, Seven Streets and Old Town, stayed in use.
Where is Zazpi Kaleak?
Half a square kilometre of medieval street plan makes up Zazpi Kaleak, a once-walled quarter of Bilbao lying within the Ibaiondo district.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Zazpi Kaleak?
Bilbao: visitors pairing the old quarter with the Alhóndiga Bilbao and the city museums.
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More areas in Bilbao
Updated September 2026