The Zollo Alley - Disfruta Bizkaia

Bilbao also has pockets that nobody notices, even a lot of people who walk around the city centre every day. The Zollo Alley, located at Alameda San Mamés number 11, is one of those places that is remarkable precisely because it’s located where you’d least expect it, in a narrow passageway on a hill and with a look very different from the surrounding area.

Part of its charm is the way it looks. The white walls, blue doors and windows and its secluded and luminous feel make a lot of people associate it with an almost Mediterranean image, which is quite uncommon in the middle of Bilbao.

The interesting thing is that it’s not just a pretty passageway, it’s also a tiny remainder of the old urbanism of Bilbao. An analysis of the historic remnants of the urban design of Bilbao defines it as a vestige of an old rural road linked with the surroundings of the Zabalburu palace and the Estraunza estate. That is to say, what today looks like an urban rarity was originally a connection with a much more practical function in the city of another era.

In addition, the alley has kept up a very clear relationship with the arts and crafts. Among the references found there are spaces like the Molcris custom frame shop and the Aire gallery, both of which have been associated with the alley and its cultural activity for many years.

It’s not an imposing monument or a traditional tourist attraction, but it is one of those spaces that condense a less visible part of the city very well, which are the hidden passages, urban details with history and small concentrations of art that survive among much more highly trafficked streets and buildings.

The visit, furthermore, works very well as a short stop along the way if you’re in the area of Indautxu, San Mamés or the Azkuna centre. It doesn’t take a specific route or a lot of planning, you just have to know it’s there, go in and take a look and enjoy the feeling of having found a unique spot in a very central part of Bilbao.

The Zollo alley is, certainly, one of those little urban rarities that give Bilbao personality. It’s a discrete, artistic and very pleasant spot for people who enjoy discovering inconspicuous details in cities that seem all too well known.

What makes the Zollo alley special

It’s located at number 11 on Alameda de San Mamés.
It has kept the character of a narrow passageway on a hill inside the urban fabric of the centre of Bilbao.
Its appearance with white walls and blue details make it very recognisable.
It houses activities related with arts and crafts, like galleries and workshops.