San Sebastian

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San Sebastián Travel Guide

City Map

City Introduction

San Sebastián is a city in the Basque Country in northern Spain, and it is also known as Donostia–San Sebastián. Humans have lived in the area for thousands of years, but settlements were founded by the Romans in the first centuries AD in the area that today forms the old town. However, San Sebastián did not formally became a city before 1181. It developed but burned down almost completely in 1489 and was then rebuilt with stone houses. France occupied San Sebastián from 1719-1721 and again in 1813. In 1863, the city walls were demolished, making way for many new districts and thereby a larger city.

Today, the old town lies to the north of the city in the streets around the Plaza de la Constitución, where you can see the city’s former town hall to the west. The other buildings are identical, and the individual windows are numbered, as the numbers indicated seating for previous bullfights in the square. In this part of the city, you can also see the beautiful baroque church, Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Coro, which was completed in 1774. Close to this is the church Iglesia de San Vicente Mártir from 1507, which is the oldest building in the city, and the museum San Telma Museoa, which is set up in a former Dominican monastery. At the museum you can learn more about Basque culture and history.

To the south of the old town is the newer part of San Sebastián, which was built after 1863, when the city was expanded. The first building along the bay is the former casino from 1887, which is today the town hall. In this part of the city, you also find the Teatro Victoria Eugenia, which was inaugurated in 1912 and was the stage of the city’s famous film festival until 1999. You should as well take a walk past the beautiful square, Plaza de Gipuzkoa, which is a small oasis with its green space. A little to the south, the Puente de María Cristina bridge crosses the Urumea River with its four monumental obelisks as decoration. In this area you will also find San Sebastián’s large neo-Gothic cathedral, inaugurated in 1897.

San Sebastián is very scenic, and the nature and location are parts of the attractions of visiting the city. San Sebastián is famous for the bay and the beach of La Concha, and there is a hilly terrain making it all even more beautiful. Just to the north of the old town is the Urgull Hill, which is 123 meters high. At the top of the hill stands a 12-meter-high statue of Jesus, and you can enjoy a fantastic view. From Urgull you can walk along Urumea to the east and along the picturesque La Concha to the west towards Palacio de Miramar, which was built as a summer residence by the Spanish royal family in 1893.

Other Attractions

Day Trips

Bilbao, Spain

Bilbao

Bilbao in northern Spain is a city that really became a tourist destination after the opening of the Guggenheim Museum, but here is also so much more to see. You can look forward to interesting sights, beautiful surroundings and local gastronomy such as the delicious pintxos of the Basque Country, the small pieces of bread with mixed cold cuts.

On a trip to Bilbao, the old town, Casco Viejo, is the place to start. It is a neighborhood with narrow streets, cozy squares and colorful buildings. There are of course many cafes that you can enjoy between sights with the city cathedral, other churches and the Archaeological Museum as some of them.

More about Bilbao

 

Pamplona, Spain

Pamplona

Pamplona is a city in northern Spain, and it is one of the largest cities in the Basque cultural area. The city’s history goes back to 74-75 BC, when the Roman general Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus camped here. He is considered to have founded Pompaelo, which in Spanish has become Pamplona. Throughout the first thousand years, there were different rulers in the city, which developed from the 11th century, from when it has been on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

More about Pamplona

 

Bayonne, France

Bayonne

Bayonne is a city located in southwestern France close to the Atlantic Ocean and the Spanish border. Its history goes back at least to a fortified settlement in the first century. There was a similar military presence in Roman times before an actual settlement developed. By the 11th century, Bayonne had grown to become the capital of the province of Labourd, and in the following century, the first city was built at the river Adour, enabling new growth.

More about Bayonne

Geolocation

In short

San Sebastián San Sebastian, Spain San Sebastián San Sebastian, Spain[/caption]

Overview of San Sebastián

San Sebastián is a city in the Basque Country in northern Spain, and it is also known as Donostia–San Sebastián. Humans have lived in the area for thousands of years, but settlements were founded by the Romans in the first centuries AD in the area that today forms the old town. However, San Sebastián did not formally became a city before 1181. It developed but burned down almost completely in 1489 and was then rebuilt with stone houses. France occupied San Sebastián from 1719-1721 and again in 1813. In 1863, the city walls were demolished, making way for many new districts and thereby a larger city.

Today, the old town lies to the north of the city in the streets around the Plaza de la Constitución, where you can see the city’s former town hall to the west. The other buildings are identical, and the individual windows are numbered, as the numbers indicated seating for previous bullfights in the square. In this part of the city, you can also see the beautiful baroque church, Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Coro, which was completed in 1774. Close to this is the church Iglesia de San Vicente Mártir from 1507, which is the oldest building in the city, and the museum San Telma Museoa, which is set up in a former Dominican monastery. At the museum you can learn more about Basque culture and history.

To the south of the old town is the newer part of San Sebastián, which was built after 1863, when the city was expanded. The first building along the bay is the former casino from 1887, which is today the town hall. In this part of the city, you also find the Teatro Victoria Eugenia, which was inaugurated in 1912 and was the stage of the city’s famous film festival until 1999. You should as well take a walk past the beautiful square, Plaza de Gipuzkoa, which is a small oasis with its green space. A little to the south, the Puente de María Cristina bridge crosses the Urumea River with its four monumental obelisks as decoration. In this area you will also find San Sebastián’s large neo-Gothic cathedral, inaugurated in 1897.

About the San Sebastián travel guide

Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English

About the travel guide

The San Sebastián travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Spanish city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

San Sebastián is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

Read more about San Sebastián and the Spain

Spain Travel Guide: https://vamados.com/spain
City tourism: https://visitsanse-bastian.es
Main Page: https://www.vamados.com/

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to San Sebastián you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

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