Bifunctional, Lewis, and Bronsted acidic molecular sieves were prepared by stepwise zinc ion exchange of zeolite BEA. The relation between the location of the Zn2+ cations in the zeolite structure and the Lewis acidity of the metal cations was explored. Several techniques were used for the detailed characterization of the material, including IR spectroscopy, with pyridine and acetonitrile as probe molecules, temperature programmed desorption, with ammonia and 2-propylamine as probe molecules, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and Al-27 MAS and MQMAS NMR spectroscopy. At low zinc concentrations (<0.15 Zn/Al) the cations are preferentially incorporated in the vicinity of two framework aluminum atoms. With increasing zinc loading (0.15 less than or equal to Zn/Al less than or equal to 0.26), additional cation sites are created at nearby framework aluminum pairs with two zinc cations being bridged by an oxygen atom. At higher zinc loading (0.26 < Zn/Al < 0.77) zinc oxide is formed in addition to the other two Zn2+ species.