Travel San Sebastian: What to Visit
San Sebastian is called the pearl of Northern Spain – the city with its unique setting around the beach La Concha is without a doubt one of the most attractive spots to visit. Which are the places you shouldn’t´t miss when you travel to San Sebastian?
At the eastern end of La Concha you will find the Ajuntamiento (mayors office), the place in front of the pretty building is a popular meeting point for families – kids are attracted by the carrousel and the street vendors that sell cheap toys and sweets.
Walking eastwards you will get to the harbour with its sport- and fishing boats. You will pass the departure point of the little ferry that brings you to Santa Clara, the island that marks the center of San Sebastian bay. A short stroll and you reach the new Aquarium. It had basically to be rebuild completely after the ceiling almost broke down. The dull little basins that dated back to 1928 gave way to a modern exhibition well worth a visit.
The path around the Monte Urgull is a popular spot for walks, although using it with bad weather might prove to be a wet pleasure. When the wind is too strong and the waves to high, authorities close the pass, because it is notorious for accidents – you can actually be sucked out in the Atlantic by the tide… On top of the Monte Urgull you will find the Castillo de la Mota, the most important point of defense for San Sebastian in former times.
Having walked around the Monte Urgull you will get to La Parte Vieja, the old part of town. The pretty streets will be one of the highlights when you travel to San Sebastian. The old city center is actually not that old, in 1813 San Sebastian was burned down almost completely by British and portuguese troops. But its narrow streets dotted with little shops and bars, where you can try the famous tapas are still a nice for a stroll. One of the buildings that weren´t destroyed completely is the monastery San Telmo. It houses one of the most important museums of the city. The exhibition shows a collection of ethnographic objects f the region and paintings of Basque artists.
The center of La Parte Vieja is the Plaza de la Constitución with the building that used to be the mayors office. Check out the balconies – they are numbered, a reminiscence of times when the place was used for bull fights.
The market La Brexta (the gap) was the spot where the British and Portuguese started their final attack – thus the name. Today it closes the gap between traditional and modern shopping culture: during the week there are stalls od fruit- and vegetable vendours outside the building, inside are the meat- and fish stalls. Right next to the market there is a modern shopping mall to be found. The Boulevard Zumardia markes the limit between La Parte Vieja and the modern San Sebastian.
From the bridge Puente Zurriola you already see the Kursaal, like two shiny ice cubes deposited at the beach of the Barrio Gros. When it was build in 1999 it raised a lot of controversial discussions – some of the inhabitants of San Sebastian liked it a lot, and some not at all. Today it is just another element of the city and everybody pretty much got used to it… Since it is home to the famous San Sebastian film festival people all over the world can contemplate it on TV every year in September.
Walking along the pretty promenade that runs along La Concha towards the Monte Igeldo you will get to see where traditionally the royal family (and later the Spanish dictator Franco) spend their summers. The royal bath house still exists, today it houses a restaurant.
Crossing the Playa Ondarreta you will get to the Peine del Viento (the wind comb) by Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. Supposedly he was inspired to the gigantic iron sculptures by his wife – one windy day he watched her straitening out her hair.
There is in fact a lot more to discover when you travel San Sebastian, these are only the most important sights. There are excellent brochures at the tourist office near the Puente Zurriola, or you can buy a little guide at local bookshops. If you have time, you might rent a car and explore the surroundings of the city, the lush green hills dotted with little villages and excellent restaurants are among the most rewarding travel destinies the north of Spain hast to offer
