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STAGE 6: SAN SEBASTIAN-DONOSTIA
San Sebasián or Donostia, framed against the backdrop of the three coastal mountains of Igeldo, Urgull and Ulia, the Cantabrian Sea, an elegant bay and the island of Santa Clara, is famous around the world.
As well as La Concha, the city also boasts two other beaches: Zurriola in the Gros neighbourhood which is popular with surfers, and Ondarreta, close to the famous Eduardo Chillida statue, El Peine del Viento (The Comb of the Wind).
San Sebastian has survived twelve different fires since the 13th century, the last in 1813 when the city was almost completely destroyed.
The Old Part of town, at the foot of Mount Urgull, is a maze of narrow streets which conserve their original medieval feel and whose pintxos bars are a gastonomic paradise.
San Sebastian is also a world reference in terms of jazz with the Jazzaldia Festival in July and the World Cinema Festival in September.
TOURISM IN SAN SEBASTIAN, THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Cultural tourism:
- San Telmo Museum (16th century)
- San Vicente Church (16th century)
- Santa María Basilica (18th century)
- Buen Pastor (Good Shepherd) Cathedral,
- Town Hall
- Chillida Leku museum
- Aquarium
- Musical Fortnight (August)
Gastronomy:
- Portuetxe grill: Traditional Basque Cuisine since 1982
- Casa Urola restaurant
- Rekondo restaurant
- Restaurante Bernardo
- The pintxos route in the Old Quarter of town and the neighbourhood of Gros.
- San Sebastian restaurant guide:
https://sansebastianturismoa.eus/en/
Other paces to visit in the local area:
- Txillida-leku: an extensive area of gardens and woodland with a refurbished farmhouse (Zabalaga) and a large collection of the sculptor Eduardo Chillida’s work on display.
OTHER INFORMATION OF INTEREST
Local festivals calendar:
- San Sebastián (drum festival), 19th – 20th January
- Jazz Festival, summer courses in July
- Semana Grande, the week of the 15th August
- Fantasy and Horror Film Festival, in October
- Santo Tomas Fiesta in December
And also:
- Bandera de la Concha, ragatta, on the first two Sundays of September
- Euskal Jaiak, last week of August and first week of September
- Basque handball festivals, tennis, equestrian events, swimming events etc. in the summer months.
Hiking:
- San Sebastian has a wide range of parks and gardens, both in and outside the city: there are also numerous routes for mountaineers and hikers: routes on foot in San Sebastián
Other addresss of interest:
- Basque Country official tourism website
- San Sebastian Tourist Office
Address: Paseo de Francia 8
Tel.: +34 943 48 11 66