Plaza Nueva

Plaza Nueva, also known in Basque as Plaza Barria, is the formal square of Bilbao's Casco Viejo, the Old Town, and it stands out because everything else around it is a tangle of narrow medieval streets. It was laid out in the early nineteenth century, with the first plans drawn up in 1821 by the architect Silvestre Pérez and the work finished in the middle of the century. The square is a large rectangle, enclosed on all four sides by uniform neoclassical buildings with stone arcades on the ground floor. Its calm symmetry was meant to give the town a dignified civic space, a place for markets and gatherings protected from the weather by the colonnades.

The arcades are the great attraction today. Under the arches, there are rows of bars and restaurants, many of them serving pintxos, the small plates of bread topped with cured ham, tortilla, anchovies, peppers or grilled seafood that are the Basque way of eating out. People go from bar to bar, taking one pintxo and a small glass of wine or cider in each, and the whole square fills with conversation in the evenings and at weekends. Tables spill into the open space in good weather, and when it rains, the arcades offer cover.

A traditional Sunday market is another reason to come. On Sunday mornings, collectors set out stamps, coins, postcards and old books under the arches, and locals browse while they have a coffee. The pace is relaxed, and it is one of the best moments to see the square. During festivals, the plaza becomes a stage for music, dances and events, and in the Aste Nagusia, the Great Week of Bilbao in August, it fills with people. The Basque language academy, Euskaltzaindia, has its headquarters in one of the buildings.

The plaza is also the gateway to the seven original streets of the Old Town, the Siete Calles, which run toward the cathedral and the river. A short walk leads to the Mercado de la Ribera on the estuary and to San Nicolás Church, while the Bilbao Cathedral stands a little farther. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and the Abandoibarra Waterfront are a walk along the river, and you can also take the Artxanda Funicular to the viewpoint on the hill.

It suits anyone who wants to try Basque food in a historic setting, and it is free and open at all hours. Allow an hour or two. Evenings are the liveliest, while Sunday morning is best for the market.