Attractions and Places To See around Gordexola - Top 20

Neoclassical square in the heart of Bilbao's Old Town (Casco Viejo). • The square was laid out in 1821 and completed in 1851. • It is surrounded by arcades and columns, beneath which are numerous pintxos bars and restaurants. • Plaza Nueva is a popular meeting place and considered the heart of the old town. • A flea market takes place in the square on Sundays.

Must do

A beautiful sight in the old town of Bilbao on the Nivounriver.

Just stroll through the alleys.

The Plaza Nueva is a beautiful neoclassical square that was built in 1821. This square is the lively heart of the Casco Viejo, the old district of Bilbao. Plaza Nueva is surrounded by buildings, where the lower floor consists of arches. Under these arches you will find numerous pintxos bars and restaurants. The square is therefore ideally suited to grab a terrace at the end of the afternoon and watch the Basque life while enjoying pintxos, the Basque form of tapas.

Plaza Nueva is now a landmark in the old town of Bilbao and has become one of the most important hubs of the city's social life. The colonnades of this neoclassical building complex alternate between bars, restaurants and cafés, which visitors should definitely visit to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the square. Every Sunday there is a street market for collectors with used books and records, minerals and fossils, coins and stamps, handicrafts and much more. And on December 21st, St. Thomas' Day, the square provides the backdrop for a remarkable agricultural market with countless typical products from all over the Basque Country. The square was inaugurated in 1851 after a long construction period of 65 years.

The Mercado de la Ribera, which entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1990 as the largest urban market in the world, is located in the now defunct Plaza Vieja in Bilbao. Located on the right bank of the Nervión, its central location makes it a vantage point for centuries of history. The famous Seven Streets of the Casco Viejo, which border the market, retain their lively medieval spirit. The nearby Estación de Atxuri train station and the bourgeois urban palaces on the opposite bank, on the other hand, are a reminder of the industrial growth that the city experienced in the 19th century. The writer Emiliano de Arriaga mentioned this square in one of his Costumbrist stories: "a well-stocked market that could please even the most demanding restaurateur". However, these words, referring to the old market, which was replaced by the current one in 1929, have not lost any of their value and reflect reality as never before. Traditional stalls offering a wide range of fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, mostly brought from nearby farms, compete with the ten gastrobars in a place where, thanks to a new initiative, people shop and eat to the rhythm of jazz every day.

The oldest building in the city of Bilbao. The current Gothic church was built on an even older pilgrimage chapel, dating from the time of the pilgrimages in honour of Saint James. The cathedral has three naves with ribbed vaults. Although it was originally built in the Gothic style, the current façade and tower date from the 19th century. The choir and cloister are of extraordinary beauty, the latter a late Gothic work. The crypt is built into the former pilgrimage chapel, whose walls have been incorporated into the building.