Things to do in San Sebastian Spain
Just 12 miles (19 km) from the French border, on Spain's North Atlantic Coast, San Sebastian is a world apart from the rest of the country, and also a city unlike any other in the Basque Country. Its cafes serve the best croissants south of the Pyrenees, it's the only city in Spain without a bullring, and it has no real business area. Its avenues are broad and tree-lined, its shops luxurious and chic, and its climate is more Atlantic than Mediterranean. Set around one of Europe's finest natural bays, the Bahia de la Concha (Seashell Bay), this most elegant turn-of-the-century Belle Epoque beach resort is protected from northerly winds by Mt. Urgull and Mt. Igeldo, which rise up on either side of the town.
The wide, curved Playa de la Concha, one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain, is topped by an exquisite promenade of ornate railings and impressive buildings, and the walkways on either side of the Rio (River) Urumea are another taste of 19th-century elegance in this otherwise modern, tidy, and pretty city. In the summer, San Sebastian is packed with visitors from France, Italy, and the rest of Spain, and is especially busy during the international jazz and film festivals in July and September. Yet even during peak season, when there isn't a spare hotel room to be had, this surprisingly small city has the calm air of a small town.
The first recorded mention of San Sebastian was in 1014, when a donation was made by King Sancho el Mayor to a monastery here. In 1200 the watchtower on Mt. Urgull began to be expanded into a wider system of city defenses, and the Kingdom of Navarre, of which the town was a part, was joined with King Alfonso VI's Castile. San Sebastian joined the Sea Brotherhood with other coastal towns in 1294 and established trade relations with England and Brittany.
The history of San Sebastian Spain
Harbor construction began in 1450; in the Middle Ages, the city's inhabitants were well known for the whaling and cod fishing that took them as far as the Newfoundland banks. San Sebastian became a large port, and from its wharves, oil and wine were shipped to the rest of Europe. By the 18th century, the city had a special cacao trading deal with Caracas, Venezuela. With the growth of Bilbao along the coast, however, the city's importance as a port declined, and today its seafaring activities are limited to a little anchovy, sardine, and tuna fishing.
In 1813, near the end of the Peninsular War, which was fought by Napoleon and France against Great Britain, Portugal, and the Spanish guerrillas on the Iberian Peninsula, the town was burned down. Local residents rebuilt; in 1814 they laid the four cornerstones of the Plaza de la Constitucion in the center of the Parte Vieja (Old Town) adjacent to the old fishing port on the city's eastern promontory. By the 1840s, the Parte Vieja was resurrected and San Sebastian had quietly re-established itself as the major town on the Spanish coast between France and Bilbao.
It wasn't until 1845, however, when Queen Isabella II spent the surmmer in San Sebastian, that the city became a high class holiday resort. In 1863, the town was demilitarized and the city walls were demolished. This allowed urban expansion to boom in the 1860s, and the first buildings in the residential and shopping districts were raised as the glorious line of promenade buildings above Playa de la Concha began taking shape.
By the 1870s, San Sebastian was the summer home for many European aristocrats; in 1887 La Concha was awarded the title of royal beach; and in 1902 a municipal company was established to promote the city and build a grand hotel. By this time, San Sebastian had been a Spanish pioneer in installing a tram system, electric street lighting, and telephone service.
Hotel King Alfonso VIII San Sebastian Spain
On July 8; 1912, Queen Maria Cristina opened the grand hotel named after her. The hotel became her husband King Alfonso XIII's winter residence, and members of many European royal families spent long periods there. Completely restored during the 1980s, it's still one of the best hotels in northern Spain and, with the majestic Teatro Victoria Eugenia (Victoria Eugenia Theater) standing alongside, it is a marvelous example of the Belle Epoque architecture for which San Sebastian is renowned.
Basque language and traditions
Located in the midst of the Basque Country known as the Pais Vasco to the Spanish, as Euskadi to the Basques themselves, San Sebastian is also a center of Basque culture and nationalist pride. The town is in the province of Guipuzcoa (Gipuzkoa in the Basque language), the smallest province in Spain and of the three that make up the Basque Country the one that has best preserved its Basque customs.
The town is known to its inhabitants by its Basque name, Donostia, and the complex euskera language (also called euskara) is spoken by at least 50% of the donostiarras, as the city folk are known, and by up to 90% of the people in neighboring towns. If you want to make an impression on a donostiarra, try a couple of phrases in Basque: Egunon (pronounced Ehgoonawn) for good morning or good day, agur (ahgoor) for goodbye, and eskerrik asko (ehsskehrreek ahssko) for thank you.
Since the 1960s, Basque political upheaval has put San Sebastian on the front pages of Spanish newspapers for all the wrong reasons. Since Franco's reign ended with his death in 1975, the Basque nationalist movement intensified, resulting in the assassinations of some 800 people (most of them police or military men). San Sebastian's Parte Vieja and Alameda del Boulevard were, until the late 1980s, the scenes of frequent clashes between radical separatists and riot police.
Most Basques are nationalists who are demanding greater political independence from Madrid, but now only a small minority back the ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna; Euskadi and Freedom), who advocate armed struggle, not unlike Ireland's IRA. The Parte Vieja's walls still are splashed with graffiti extolling the justice of the Basque fight for self-determination and the violence of the ETA, but the 1990s have brought relative calm to the city. The Basque autonomous government established under Spain's 1978 constitution is currently dominated by the moderate PNV (Partido Nacional Vasco, or Basque National Party), and support for radical separatism has dwindled.
Basque festivals San Sebastian
The local sense of Basque national identity is also displayed during the many fiestas held throughout the year, when traditional Basque music is played on three-holed tin whistles known as txistus, and on small drums and there's Basque folkloric dancing. Rural sports are also an integral par of Basque culture; pelota (better known to Americans as jai alai), is well known outside the Basque region.
Basque food in San Sebastian
San Sebastian is also renowned for excellent food. The city is acknowledged as the birthplace of the nueva cocina vasca (new Basque cuisine), a culinary culture that emerged in earnest about 20 years ago. But the city's reputation as a culinary center goes back more than 100 years, when the first gastronomic societies were founded by local fishermen, who cooked their catches in quayside kitchens.
Today, there are 1,000 all-male societies in the Basque Country, whose dining rooms are for members and guests only (the best-known ones in San Sebastian's Parte Vieja now allow women to dine at certain hours). Visitors can inquire at the tourist office about the chances of being invited to a society dining room, but if it can't be arranged, San Sebastian's restaurants offer some of the best food in Spain, second only to the restaurants of Madrid.
To truly appreciate San Sebastian, take an early evening stroll along the Paseo de la Concha, walking along the charming streets surrounded by the deep, still bay and low, undulating hills. Then stop for the pre-dinner poteo (a glass of wine or two) and tapas in the Parte Vieja before feasting at one of the city's fine dining spots. You'll soon begin to understand why visitors fall in love with this beautiful, fascinating city.
Places to visit in San Sebastian
San Sebastian is best surveyed from either Mt. Igeldo or Mt. Urgull. Urgull, the more accessible of the two, is criss-crossed by wooded and winding paths that can be joined where the Parte Vieja (Old Town) meets the fishing port, or from the Paseo Nuevo, the promenade that begins beyond the aquarium and skirts the hill. Below is the tiny fishing port, brightly colored and more touristic than industrial. Then there's the splendid Playa de la Concha, backed by two miles of elegant hotels and apartment blocks (no building is higher than seven stories).
A rocky promontory separates La Concha from the next beach, Playa de Ondarreta, and beyond it is the higher Mt. Igeldo. Mt. Igeldo (the Basque form of the name is the one more widely used these days; in Spanish it's Igiieldo) is best ascended by car, by the bus (marked Igeldo) that leaves every few minutes from the Alameda del Boulevard, or by the funicular that leaves from the end of Ondarreta. The hill dominates the western end of the bay, and It offers wonderful views of the Basque coast toward Zarauz and Getana.
Special places to go in San Sebastian
Playa de la Concha is the pearl in the San Sebastian oyster and, with its promenade, the beach dominates the city except at night, when the Parte Vieja (Old Town) and the fishing port at La Concha's eastrn end take over. South of the Parte Vieja and La Concha is the charming shopping and residential area, bordered to the east by the Urumea River. This placid, pleasant area (from the Alameda del Boulevard to Plaza de Guipuzcoa, then on past Avenida de la Libertad to Plaza de Bilbao and the cathedral), which this year is to be made off-limits to all vehicles except those of district residents, is not much more than 100 years old.
Every single sight, monument, and museum can easily be exhausted in a day - even more reason for a calm and unhurried visit.
Car hire in San Sebastian Spain
If you are planning to travel to San Sebastian Airport or Bilbao Airport you can arrange car hire before you travel. If you plan to tour around the north of Spain, pre-book car hire to save you money and delays when you arrive. Car hire from San Sebastian Airport and Bilbao Airport will provide you with the perfect way to get around northern Spain.
Places to go in San Sebastian
Playa de la Concha
This superb strand is the symbol of San Sebastian and undoubtedly the most famous stretch of coastline in Spain. When the tide is out, several acres of fine sand are exposed. In the summer, it is a family beach, thankfully free of hordes of radio-blasting rowdies, In the winter, there are soccer tournaments here. The promenade above the beach - Paseo de la Conchais equally delightful, with ornate balustrades and richly ornamental Belle Epoque lampposts. Extending westward beyond a small rocky outlet is Playa de Ondarreta, another clean and excellent beach, but smaller than La Concha.
The old town of San Sebastian
The Parte Vieja is not architecturally significant, apart from a handful of buildings that survived the burning of the city in 1813, but it is the marketplace and social center of San Sebastian. Its narrow, bustling streets, bordered by the Alameda del Boulevard, the estuary of the Rio Urumea, Mt. Urgull, and the port, are packed with bars, taverns, specialty shops, restaurants, and gastronomic societies. The arcaded Plaza de la Constitución, with the former city hall at one end, stands in the center.
Bullfights used to be held in the square, and the numbered balconies where spectators once gathered still remain. The city's two most important churches are survivors of the 1813 fire -the Gothic Iglesia de San Vicente. San Sebastian's oldest building, dating from 1570, and the Baroque Iglesia de Santa Maria.
The Museum of San Telmo San Sebastian
The early 16th-century building opposite the Iglesia de San Vicente began as a Dominican monastery, became an artillery barracks in 1836, and was converted into a beautiful museum in 1932. Of greatest interest is the section dedicated to Basque ethnography, with paintings, statues, farming utensils, fossilized skeletons, and spinning tools. Artist Jose Maria Sert painted a series of works on the subject of Basque mythology especially for the museum; there also are three paintings by EI Greco.
City Hall San Sebastian
Originally a casino, this twin-towered building is now one of the most impressive city halls in Spain, with an exquisite decor and numerous marble staircases. Opened in 1887, the Gran Casino instantly became the center of business activity and progress in the city. Among other things, the casino financed the Jardines Alderdi Eder, gardens which brighten the area around the Ayuntamiento with squat tamarind trees and a children's playground. A ban on gambling in 1924 closed the building until 1947, when the City Council moved in.
The Aquarium San Sebastian
Officially known as the Museo Oceanografico, the aquarium has many types of marine fauna on view; the first-floor museum boasts collections of shells, fish, seabirds, seaweed, crustacea, and coral.
The Naval Museum San Sebastian
Set in an 18th-century building on the wharf, near the aquarium, this charming museum opened in 1991. Hundreds of nautical instruments, models, and maps document the historical Basque connection to the sea. A library and a video room are open.
The Santa Cruz de la Mota Museum
Around the ruins of the castle on top of Mt. Urgull are the remains of several rusting cannon left by Napoleon's troops when the Duke of Wellington stormed the town in 1813. Within the castle are three modern chapels topped by a nearly 100-foot statue of Christ, visible from anywhere in the city. Mass is held on Sundays in one of the chapels. Grounds open daily. No admission charge.
The River Urumea San Sebastian
The real delight here consists of the walks along either side of the river as it flows into the Bahia de Vizcaya (Bay of Biscay). The Urumea is spanned by three Parisian-style bridges of great charm for lovers of the Belle Epoque ornate. The 1905 Puente Marfa Cristina, which leads from the residential area at Plaza de Bilbao to Estación Norte, the main France-Madrid railway station, is especially flamboyant, with tiered turrets at either end. The Puente Santa Catalina, nearer to the sea, takes traffic over to the unspectacular Gros district, where there is a third San Sebastian beach, Playa de Gros, which is due to complete a $20million makeover by next year as a more spacious and protected strand with a breakwater and a promenade.
The third bridge, Puente Zurriola de Kursaal, is just yards from the sea, near the historic Teatro Victoria Eugenia and the Marla Cristina hotel. The 10-minute stroll to the bay on either side of the river, along the Paseo Republica Argentina or the Paseo de Francia, offers a pleasant alternative to La Concha.
The Good Shepherd Cathedral San Sebastian
The 250-foot high cathedral was inaugurated in 1897. A neo-Gothic structure with striking exterior flying buttresses and a belfry that opens to a central nave, it stands in a large square in the modern quarter. It made headlines on July 18, 1946, the 10th anniversary of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, when Basque nationalist Joseba EIosegui climbed to the top and raised the then banned Basque flag. Open daily. Plaza del Buen Pastor.
The Miramar Palace
The English-style edifice (whose name translates as Seaview Palace) stands on a low hill overlooking La Concha and Ondarreta Beaches, with the residential district of Antiguo behind it. Built in 1893, it served as a royal residence until 1929, the year Queen Maria Cristina died. It was recently renovated but is closed to the public. The expansive lawns, however, are open daily. No admission charge.
The Ayete Palace San Sebastian
Built by the Duke of Bailen in 1878, this was the summer residence of King Alfonso XII and Queen Marfa Cristina until the Palacio Miramar was constructed. Set back from the bay on the Ayete estate, amid more than 25,000 acres of beautiful parkland, the palace was also the summer residence of Generalissimo Francisco Franco from 1940 until his death in 1975, and the site of his cabinet meetings every summer. The palace is closed to the public, but the lush forest trails are worth a stroll.
Monte Igeldo
A trip to the heart of Mt. Igeldo affords some idyllic panoramas of the dramatic coastline of the Bay of Biscay and the Guipuzcoan countryside, not to mention a chance to sample some traditional local sidra (cider), second in fame and quality only to that from Asturias.
Fuentrrabbia
Known as Hondarribia in the Basque language, euskera, this beautiful town lies 15 miles (23 km) east of San Sebastian, and overlooks the French town of Hendaye, from which it is separated by the Bidasoa River. Not surprisingly, Fuenterrabia was a fortress town for centuries, and historians have lost count of the number of sieges it suffered. So many Castilian kings honored it for fighting off French attacks that the town bears an official title meaning very noble, very loyal, very courageous, and always very faithful.
The town's Nagusi Kalea (Main Street) is straight out of the Middle Ages, and the nearby narrow streets are flanked by Renaissance and Baroque mansions with huge carved eaves and wroughtiron balconies. Its many fine restaurants make it a popular destination on Sundays. The town is dominated by an 11 th-century fortress that was restored by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in the 16th century and is now home to the Parador el Emperador, which has reopened after extensive repairs.
San Sebastian Events
One of Spain's great undiscovered festivals, the January 19 and 20 Tamborrada (Festival of Drums), takes place in San Sebastian. January 20 is the Fiesta de San Sebastian (Feast Day of St. Sebastian), but the festivities start on the 19th, with a hearty feast in one of the gastronomic societies or restaurants. Then, for 24 hours beginning at midnight on the 19th, the Parte Vieja (Old Town) is filled with people dressed as 19thcentury soldiers, bakers, and chefs, all banging tambores (drums), in keeping with a tradition that began in the early 19th century although nobody knows exactly how or why. There are over 40 tamborrada processions, but the two most important are the adults' procession at midnight on the 19th in the Plaza de la Constitución, and the children's procession with 4,000 chiIdren at midday on the 20th outside the
Ayuntamiento.
The next important event is the Festival Internacional de Jazz, or Jazzaldia during the second half of July, followed by the Aste Nagusia (Big Week) of carnivals around August 15, which involves Basque Sports, processions, folklore displays, gastronomic competitions, and even pro-independence alternative events, in addition to incredible nightly fireworks displays.
The last two weeks of August offer the Quincena de Musica Donostiarra (Don ostia Music Fortnight), a cycle of classical music concerts. The Basque Fiestas, and celebrate euskera, the Basque language, begin on the fIrst Sunday in September. The famous Regatas de Traineras (fishing boat rowing races), which have been held on Bahia de Ia Concha since 1879 are held on the first two Sundays in September.
Tens of thousands gather to watch and wager money on teams from every town and village along the Basque coast and, during the week between the races, to participate in Basque Sports tree chopping, rock lifting, pelota, oxen dragging rocks as well as folkloric dancing, improvised poetry and theater performances in Basque, and basket making. San Sebastian's most prestigious annual event is the Festival Internacional de Cine de San Sebastian (San Sebastian International Film Festival), during the second half of September, now one of the premIer events of its type in Europe.
The wide, curved Playa de la Concha, one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain, is topped by an exquisite promenade of ornate railings and impressive buildings, and the walkways on either side of the Rio (River) Urumea are another taste of 19th-century elegance in this otherwise modern, tidy, and pretty city. In the summer, San Sebastian is packed with visitors from France, Italy, and the rest of Spain, and is especially busy during the international jazz and film festivals in July and September. Yet even during peak season, when there isn't a spare hotel room to be had, this surprisingly small city has the calm air of a small town.
The first recorded mention of San Sebastian was in 1014, when a donation was made by King Sancho el Mayor to a monastery here. In 1200 the watchtower on Mt. Urgull began to be expanded into a wider system of city defenses, and the Kingdom of Navarre, of which the town was a part, was joined with King Alfonso VI's Castile. San Sebastian joined the Sea Brotherhood with other coastal towns in 1294 and established trade relations with England and Brittany.
The history of San Sebastian Spain
Harbor construction began in 1450; in the Middle Ages, the city's inhabitants were well known for the whaling and cod fishing that took them as far as the Newfoundland banks. San Sebastian became a large port, and from its wharves, oil and wine were shipped to the rest of Europe. By the 18th century, the city had a special cacao trading deal with Caracas, Venezuela. With the growth of Bilbao along the coast, however, the city's importance as a port declined, and today its seafaring activities are limited to a little anchovy, sardine, and tuna fishing.
In 1813, near the end of the Peninsular War, which was fought by Napoleon and France against Great Britain, Portugal, and the Spanish guerrillas on the Iberian Peninsula, the town was burned down. Local residents rebuilt; in 1814 they laid the four cornerstones of the Plaza de la Constitucion in the center of the Parte Vieja (Old Town) adjacent to the old fishing port on the city's eastern promontory. By the 1840s, the Parte Vieja was resurrected and San Sebastian had quietly re-established itself as the major town on the Spanish coast between France and Bilbao.
It wasn't until 1845, however, when Queen Isabella II spent the surmmer in San Sebastian, that the city became a high class holiday resort. In 1863, the town was demilitarized and the city walls were demolished. This allowed urban expansion to boom in the 1860s, and the first buildings in the residential and shopping districts were raised as the glorious line of promenade buildings above Playa de la Concha began taking shape.
By the 1870s, San Sebastian was the summer home for many European aristocrats; in 1887 La Concha was awarded the title of royal beach; and in 1902 a municipal company was established to promote the city and build a grand hotel. By this time, San Sebastian had been a Spanish pioneer in installing a tram system, electric street lighting, and telephone service.
Hotel King Alfonso VIII San Sebastian Spain
On July 8; 1912, Queen Maria Cristina opened the grand hotel named after her. The hotel became her husband King Alfonso XIII's winter residence, and members of many European royal families spent long periods there. Completely restored during the 1980s, it's still one of the best hotels in northern Spain and, with the majestic Teatro Victoria Eugenia (Victoria Eugenia Theater) standing alongside, it is a marvelous example of the Belle Epoque architecture for which San Sebastian is renowned.
Basque language and traditions
Located in the midst of the Basque Country known as the Pais Vasco to the Spanish, as Euskadi to the Basques themselves, San Sebastian is also a center of Basque culture and nationalist pride. The town is in the province of Guipuzcoa (Gipuzkoa in the Basque language), the smallest province in Spain and of the three that make up the Basque Country the one that has best preserved its Basque customs.
The town is known to its inhabitants by its Basque name, Donostia, and the complex euskera language (also called euskara) is spoken by at least 50% of the donostiarras, as the city folk are known, and by up to 90% of the people in neighboring towns. If you want to make an impression on a donostiarra, try a couple of phrases in Basque: Egunon (pronounced Ehgoonawn) for good morning or good day, agur (ahgoor) for goodbye, and eskerrik asko (ehsskehrreek ahssko) for thank you.
Since the 1960s, Basque political upheaval has put San Sebastian on the front pages of Spanish newspapers for all the wrong reasons. Since Franco's reign ended with his death in 1975, the Basque nationalist movement intensified, resulting in the assassinations of some 800 people (most of them police or military men). San Sebastian's Parte Vieja and Alameda del Boulevard were, until the late 1980s, the scenes of frequent clashes between radical separatists and riot police.
Most Basques are nationalists who are demanding greater political independence from Madrid, but now only a small minority back the ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna; Euskadi and Freedom), who advocate armed struggle, not unlike Ireland's IRA. The Parte Vieja's walls still are splashed with graffiti extolling the justice of the Basque fight for self-determination and the violence of the ETA, but the 1990s have brought relative calm to the city. The Basque autonomous government established under Spain's 1978 constitution is currently dominated by the moderate PNV (Partido Nacional Vasco, or Basque National Party), and support for radical separatism has dwindled.
Basque festivals San Sebastian
The local sense of Basque national identity is also displayed during the many fiestas held throughout the year, when traditional Basque music is played on three-holed tin whistles known as txistus, and on small drums and there's Basque folkloric dancing. Rural sports are also an integral par of Basque culture; pelota (better known to Americans as jai alai), is well known outside the Basque region.
Basque food in San Sebastian
San Sebastian is also renowned for excellent food. The city is acknowledged as the birthplace of the nueva cocina vasca (new Basque cuisine), a culinary culture that emerged in earnest about 20 years ago. But the city's reputation as a culinary center goes back more than 100 years, when the first gastronomic societies were founded by local fishermen, who cooked their catches in quayside kitchens.
Today, there are 1,000 all-male societies in the Basque Country, whose dining rooms are for members and guests only (the best-known ones in San Sebastian's Parte Vieja now allow women to dine at certain hours). Visitors can inquire at the tourist office about the chances of being invited to a society dining room, but if it can't be arranged, San Sebastian's restaurants offer some of the best food in Spain, second only to the restaurants of Madrid.
To truly appreciate San Sebastian, take an early evening stroll along the Paseo de la Concha, walking along the charming streets surrounded by the deep, still bay and low, undulating hills. Then stop for the pre-dinner poteo (a glass of wine or two) and tapas in the Parte Vieja before feasting at one of the city's fine dining spots. You'll soon begin to understand why visitors fall in love with this beautiful, fascinating city.
Places to visit in San Sebastian
San Sebastian is best surveyed from either Mt. Igeldo or Mt. Urgull. Urgull, the more accessible of the two, is criss-crossed by wooded and winding paths that can be joined where the Parte Vieja (Old Town) meets the fishing port, or from the Paseo Nuevo, the promenade that begins beyond the aquarium and skirts the hill. Below is the tiny fishing port, brightly colored and more touristic than industrial. Then there's the splendid Playa de la Concha, backed by two miles of elegant hotels and apartment blocks (no building is higher than seven stories).
A rocky promontory separates La Concha from the next beach, Playa de Ondarreta, and beyond it is the higher Mt. Igeldo. Mt. Igeldo (the Basque form of the name is the one more widely used these days; in Spanish it's Igiieldo) is best ascended by car, by the bus (marked Igeldo) that leaves every few minutes from the Alameda del Boulevard, or by the funicular that leaves from the end of Ondarreta. The hill dominates the western end of the bay, and It offers wonderful views of the Basque coast toward Zarauz and Getana.
Special places to go in San Sebastian
Playa de la Concha is the pearl in the San Sebastian oyster and, with its promenade, the beach dominates the city except at night, when the Parte Vieja (Old Town) and the fishing port at La Concha's eastrn end take over. South of the Parte Vieja and La Concha is the charming shopping and residential area, bordered to the east by the Urumea River. This placid, pleasant area (from the Alameda del Boulevard to Plaza de Guipuzcoa, then on past Avenida de la Libertad to Plaza de Bilbao and the cathedral), which this year is to be made off-limits to all vehicles except those of district residents, is not much more than 100 years old.
Every single sight, monument, and museum can easily be exhausted in a day - even more reason for a calm and unhurried visit.
Car hire in San Sebastian Spain
If you are planning to travel to San Sebastian Airport or Bilbao Airport you can arrange car hire before you travel. If you plan to tour around the north of Spain, pre-book car hire to save you money and delays when you arrive. Car hire from San Sebastian Airport and Bilbao Airport will provide you with the perfect way to get around northern Spain.
Places to go in San Sebastian
Playa de la Concha
This superb strand is the symbol of San Sebastian and undoubtedly the most famous stretch of coastline in Spain. When the tide is out, several acres of fine sand are exposed. In the summer, it is a family beach, thankfully free of hordes of radio-blasting rowdies, In the winter, there are soccer tournaments here. The promenade above the beach - Paseo de la Conchais equally delightful, with ornate balustrades and richly ornamental Belle Epoque lampposts. Extending westward beyond a small rocky outlet is Playa de Ondarreta, another clean and excellent beach, but smaller than La Concha.
The old town of San Sebastian
The Parte Vieja is not architecturally significant, apart from a handful of buildings that survived the burning of the city in 1813, but it is the marketplace and social center of San Sebastian. Its narrow, bustling streets, bordered by the Alameda del Boulevard, the estuary of the Rio Urumea, Mt. Urgull, and the port, are packed with bars, taverns, specialty shops, restaurants, and gastronomic societies. The arcaded Plaza de la Constitución, with the former city hall at one end, stands in the center.
Bullfights used to be held in the square, and the numbered balconies where spectators once gathered still remain. The city's two most important churches are survivors of the 1813 fire -the Gothic Iglesia de San Vicente. San Sebastian's oldest building, dating from 1570, and the Baroque Iglesia de Santa Maria.
The Museum of San Telmo San Sebastian
The early 16th-century building opposite the Iglesia de San Vicente began as a Dominican monastery, became an artillery barracks in 1836, and was converted into a beautiful museum in 1932. Of greatest interest is the section dedicated to Basque ethnography, with paintings, statues, farming utensils, fossilized skeletons, and spinning tools. Artist Jose Maria Sert painted a series of works on the subject of Basque mythology especially for the museum; there also are three paintings by EI Greco.
City Hall San Sebastian
Originally a casino, this twin-towered building is now one of the most impressive city halls in Spain, with an exquisite decor and numerous marble staircases. Opened in 1887, the Gran Casino instantly became the center of business activity and progress in the city. Among other things, the casino financed the Jardines Alderdi Eder, gardens which brighten the area around the Ayuntamiento with squat tamarind trees and a children's playground. A ban on gambling in 1924 closed the building until 1947, when the City Council moved in.
The Aquarium San Sebastian
Officially known as the Museo Oceanografico, the aquarium has many types of marine fauna on view; the first-floor museum boasts collections of shells, fish, seabirds, seaweed, crustacea, and coral.
The Naval Museum San Sebastian
Set in an 18th-century building on the wharf, near the aquarium, this charming museum opened in 1991. Hundreds of nautical instruments, models, and maps document the historical Basque connection to the sea. A library and a video room are open.
The Santa Cruz de la Mota Museum
Around the ruins of the castle on top of Mt. Urgull are the remains of several rusting cannon left by Napoleon's troops when the Duke of Wellington stormed the town in 1813. Within the castle are three modern chapels topped by a nearly 100-foot statue of Christ, visible from anywhere in the city. Mass is held on Sundays in one of the chapels. Grounds open daily. No admission charge.
The River Urumea San Sebastian
The real delight here consists of the walks along either side of the river as it flows into the Bahia de Vizcaya (Bay of Biscay). The Urumea is spanned by three Parisian-style bridges of great charm for lovers of the Belle Epoque ornate. The 1905 Puente Marfa Cristina, which leads from the residential area at Plaza de Bilbao to Estación Norte, the main France-Madrid railway station, is especially flamboyant, with tiered turrets at either end. The Puente Santa Catalina, nearer to the sea, takes traffic over to the unspectacular Gros district, where there is a third San Sebastian beach, Playa de Gros, which is due to complete a $20million makeover by next year as a more spacious and protected strand with a breakwater and a promenade.
The third bridge, Puente Zurriola de Kursaal, is just yards from the sea, near the historic Teatro Victoria Eugenia and the Marla Cristina hotel. The 10-minute stroll to the bay on either side of the river, along the Paseo Republica Argentina or the Paseo de Francia, offers a pleasant alternative to La Concha.
The Good Shepherd Cathedral San Sebastian
The 250-foot high cathedral was inaugurated in 1897. A neo-Gothic structure with striking exterior flying buttresses and a belfry that opens to a central nave, it stands in a large square in the modern quarter. It made headlines on July 18, 1946, the 10th anniversary of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, when Basque nationalist Joseba EIosegui climbed to the top and raised the then banned Basque flag. Open daily. Plaza del Buen Pastor.
The Miramar Palace
The English-style edifice (whose name translates as Seaview Palace) stands on a low hill overlooking La Concha and Ondarreta Beaches, with the residential district of Antiguo behind it. Built in 1893, it served as a royal residence until 1929, the year Queen Maria Cristina died. It was recently renovated but is closed to the public. The expansive lawns, however, are open daily. No admission charge.
The Ayete Palace San Sebastian
Built by the Duke of Bailen in 1878, this was the summer residence of King Alfonso XII and Queen Marfa Cristina until the Palacio Miramar was constructed. Set back from the bay on the Ayete estate, amid more than 25,000 acres of beautiful parkland, the palace was also the summer residence of Generalissimo Francisco Franco from 1940 until his death in 1975, and the site of his cabinet meetings every summer. The palace is closed to the public, but the lush forest trails are worth a stroll.
Monte Igeldo
A trip to the heart of Mt. Igeldo affords some idyllic panoramas of the dramatic coastline of the Bay of Biscay and the Guipuzcoan countryside, not to mention a chance to sample some traditional local sidra (cider), second in fame and quality only to that from Asturias.
Fuentrrabbia
Known as Hondarribia in the Basque language, euskera, this beautiful town lies 15 miles (23 km) east of San Sebastian, and overlooks the French town of Hendaye, from which it is separated by the Bidasoa River. Not surprisingly, Fuenterrabia was a fortress town for centuries, and historians have lost count of the number of sieges it suffered. So many Castilian kings honored it for fighting off French attacks that the town bears an official title meaning very noble, very loyal, very courageous, and always very faithful.
The town's Nagusi Kalea (Main Street) is straight out of the Middle Ages, and the nearby narrow streets are flanked by Renaissance and Baroque mansions with huge carved eaves and wroughtiron balconies. Its many fine restaurants make it a popular destination on Sundays. The town is dominated by an 11 th-century fortress that was restored by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in the 16th century and is now home to the Parador el Emperador, which has reopened after extensive repairs.
San Sebastian Events
One of Spain's great undiscovered festivals, the January 19 and 20 Tamborrada (Festival of Drums), takes place in San Sebastian. January 20 is the Fiesta de San Sebastian (Feast Day of St. Sebastian), but the festivities start on the 19th, with a hearty feast in one of the gastronomic societies or restaurants. Then, for 24 hours beginning at midnight on the 19th, the Parte Vieja (Old Town) is filled with people dressed as 19thcentury soldiers, bakers, and chefs, all banging tambores (drums), in keeping with a tradition that began in the early 19th century although nobody knows exactly how or why. There are over 40 tamborrada processions, but the two most important are the adults' procession at midnight on the 19th in the Plaza de la Constitución, and the children's procession with 4,000 chiIdren at midday on the 20th outside the
Ayuntamiento.
The next important event is the Festival Internacional de Jazz, or Jazzaldia during the second half of July, followed by the Aste Nagusia (Big Week) of carnivals around August 15, which involves Basque Sports, processions, folklore displays, gastronomic competitions, and even pro-independence alternative events, in addition to incredible nightly fireworks displays.
The last two weeks of August offer the Quincena de Musica Donostiarra (Don ostia Music Fortnight), a cycle of classical music concerts. The Basque Fiestas, and celebrate euskera, the Basque language, begin on the fIrst Sunday in September. The famous Regatas de Traineras (fishing boat rowing races), which have been held on Bahia de Ia Concha since 1879 are held on the first two Sundays in September.
Tens of thousands gather to watch and wager money on teams from every town and village along the Basque coast and, during the week between the races, to participate in Basque Sports tree chopping, rock lifting, pelota, oxen dragging rocks as well as folkloric dancing, improvised poetry and theater performances in Basque, and basket making. San Sebastian's most prestigious annual event is the Festival Internacional de Cine de San Sebastian (San Sebastian International Film Festival), during the second half of September, now one of the premIer events of its type in Europe.
Labels: Places to go in San Sebastian
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