Saint Sebastian

San Sebastián (co-officially in Basque, Donostia) is a Spanish city and municipality located on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 kilometers from the border with France. The city is the capital of the province of Guipúzcoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The population of the municipality is 187,850 inhabitants (2021) and its metropolitan area reaches 436,500 (2010). It is the head of the Bayonne-San Sebastián Basque Eurocity, a conurbation of more than 620,000 inhabitants.

Its main economic activities are trade and tourism, constituting in the past one of the most famous tourist destinations in Spain. Its landscape, dominated by the bay of La Concha, as well as its modern architectural development that began in the second half of the 19th century, which shaped a city with a French and bourgeois style, fostered the development of tourism on a European scale. All of this, together with international events such as the San Sebastián International Film Festival, the San Sebastián Jazz Festival, the Musical Fortnight or the Horror Film Festival, has given the city international projection, despite its small dimensions.. It was the European Capital of Culture in 2016 together with Wroclaw, Poland.

Toponymy

San Sebastián has different names:

San Sebastián

It's the official name in Spanish. Its origin is due to a monastery dedicated to San Sebastian that was at the current location of the Palace of Miramar, next to the neighborhood of El Antiguo. The medieval village was founded by the Navarre King Sancho el Sabio towards 1180 in the vicinity of the monastery and it established in the letter-population that the villa was called for it San Sebastian. Since the document was written in Latin the name mentioned is that of Sanctus Sebastianusthat would evolve in romance until he gave the name of San Sebastian. San Sebastian has been the official name of the city until 1980. It is the most well-known name internationally and the name of the city in other languages. Thus, the usual denomination in French is Saint-Sébastien and English Saint SebastianNo accent on the a and pronounced accentuating the syllables. The name in Spanish is usually abbreviated with Sn. Sn., S. S. (correct forms), Sn.Sn., S.S., SnSn or SS (SS it was the acronym that appeared in the Motor Vehicles of Spain recorded in the province of Guipúzcoa until the system was changed in 2000).

Donostia

It's the official name in Basque. According to the most accepted theory, it is a form derived from the ancient euscheric denomination of the patron saint, Done (. Domine) Sebastiáne, in the same way that the Basque forms Donibane (San Juan), Doneztebe (Santesteban) or Donejakue (Santiago) arose, and in the current form it was reached by the following steps, as explained by Koldo Mitxelena, a linguist, more than half a century ago in his book Basque name 1953: «... the Basque name of San Sebastian, whose approximate evolution will have been Donasa(b)astiai, Donasastia, Donastia, Donostia» (2nd edition, 1955, p. 96). Donosti is used in two more references to this saint: the hermitage of San Sebastian (in Basque) Jaun Donosti) in Orendain, and another ruined medium of the same name in Arano. Another theory derives the Latin name: Domine (San) Ostium (“Ostia”, “puerto”. Or what is the same, "sir of the port", in reference to Sebastián Mártir. Anyway, the first written reference to that name in euskara is of the centuryXVIby the hand of the wingman Juan Pérez de Lazarraga: «Donostiako San Frantziskuan / doan gizon soldadua». Donostia has not been an official denomination until a few decades ago, although from it derives the people of the city, "donostiarras", both in Spanish and in Basque.

Donosti

It's a variant of Donostia. The singular Basque article (nominative case) is suffix -aadded to substantive and adjectives: etxea (The House) etxe handia (“the big house”), although several nouns, both common and own, possess a -a end of its own, as Arab (Alava) Frantzia (“France”), Espainia (“Spain”), Donostia, suede (“thing”), Square or inparantza (“place”), Gorila and anaia (“male brother”). One of the characteristics of the Guinean dialect is precisely to delete that -a organic in some cases of decline or followed by determinants (suede asko ▪ gauz asko "Many things." Anaia bat ▪ anai bat "a brother." Ez dago gorilarik ▪ ez dago gorilik "there are no gorillas," Italy ▪ Italiko «from Italy»). For this reason, it is incorrect to eliminate and use it, in euskara batua, *Donostiko "of Donostia",Donostin «in Donostia» or *Donostitik «from / by Donostia», instead of, respectively, Donostiako, Donostian and Donostiatik. However, “Donosti” is a very common denomination, especially when speaking in Spanish.

Donostia-San Sebastián

It was the official denomination between 1980 and 2012. Due to its null social roots and the confusion that this composite denomination created, the plenary of the City Council, on the proposal of the municipal government, unanimously decided to adopt the official bilingual denomination, Donostia / San Sebastián, in order to officialize the exclusive use of Donostia in the communications in Basque and San Sebastian for the communications in Spanish.

Bella Easo or Easo

It is a denomination arising from the belief in the past centuries that the ancient Roman city of Oiasso or Easo was in the location of the modern San Sebastian. The “Asian” Gentiles used as a culte variant of donostiarra, and currently in disuse, derived from this belief. Recent archaeological findings confirm that the ancient Oiasso was in Irún and not in San Sebastian. As a heritage of the name Easo, the IATA code of San Sebastian Airport is EAS.

Irutxulo or Hirutxulo

Which means "three holes" in Basque, is the name that the fishermen gave to San Sebastian, since from the sea the city looked like three entrances or holes: the one formed between Mount Igueldo and the Island of Santa Clara, the one between Santa Clara and Mount Urgull and the one between Urgull and Mount Ulía.

Sanse

It is a colloquial and affectionate form that derives from San Sebastián, also used by the neighbors of San Sebastián de los Reyes, Community of Madrid.

Symbols

The coat of arms of San Sebastián shows, in a field of azure, on waves of azure and silver, a gold brig, with three masts, silver trimmed and accompanied by the silver letters SS, one in each canton. Silver border with the legend "Won by fidelity, nobility and loyalty", in sable letters. At the royal crown ringing.

The flag of the city is white with a blue canton, in a proportion of three parts long by two parts wide. It corresponds to the password of the Maritime Province of San Sebastián.

Geography

San Sebastián sits on the shores of the Cantabrian Sea, and has several beaches (the best known being La Concha, in the bay of the same name) and a small port sheltered by Mount Urgull. It also has other mountains, both coastal promontories and inland, with its highest peak, Urdaburu (599 meters), in an exclave of the same name, although the peak does not belong to the municipal area, giving the municipality the highest altitude of about 585 meters., on the south face of the same mountain, near the top. Although the relief is rugged, there are some fairly wide flat areas in the valleys and plains, where a good part of the urban center is concentrated.

Night view of San Sebastian from Monte Urgull

The altitude of the municipality oscillates between 585 meters in the exclave of Urdaburu and sea level, although the mountains Igueldo (205 m), Kutarru (215 m) and Urgull (127 m) stand out to the west and east of the city. The city stands 12 meters above sea level.

The Urumea River, coming from Hernani, crosses the city and flows into the Cantabrian Sea between Mount Urgull and Zurriola beach.

Northwest: Cantabrian Sea	North: Cantabrian Sea	Northeast: Passage
West: Orio and Usúrbil		This: Rent
Southwest: Usúrbil and Lasarte-Oria	South: Hernani	Sureste: Astigarraga

La Concha Bay from the promenade overlooking the beach.

Beaches

Ondarreta beach view from the Igueldo Mountain

View of the Zurriola beach from Sagüés, with the Kursaal at the bottom

The city has a total of five beaches, three of them urban: Ondarreta, La Concha and La Zurriola, the first two located in La Concha bay and the third on the other side of the Urumea river. All three are included in the same Environmental Management System, which tries to guarantee their sustainable use.

• La Concha beach is one of the most famous urban beaches in Spain. It has a length of 1350 m and an average width of 40 m. Like the other two beaches, its sand is fine. It has 38 outdoor showers, awnings and beach chairs, and shower and changing rooms. On the beach you will find the spa of La Perla, the old Royal House of Baths and the Royal Nautical Club, buildings that, along with the famous rail, the elegant lamps, two great watches of early century and the Palace of Miramar, which closes it in the west, make up an elegant and unique beach.

• The beach of La Zurriola, with a length of 800 m, is the most open to the sea and with the strongest waves, so it has become the most frequented by young people and surfers. In 1994, a beach refurbishment was carried out, until then practically unusable, with the construction of a sprain that reduced the danger of water and with the overall improvement of the quality of sand and water. The practice of nudism on that beach since 2004.

• The beach of Ondarreta is located between the Palace of Miramar and Mount Igueldo. It's the smallest of the three beaches. A bit more informal than La Concha, it's a less urban cutting beach. On the promenade there are some gardens in which you find a statue in honor of the regent Maria Cristina. It has a length of 600 m.

In addition to these three beaches, the small beach that forms on the island of Santa Clara is also usable, which can be accessed by boat in the summer months, or by swimming, since it is located just 500 m away Ondarreta at low tide. In Donostia we also find the Agiti beach which is located in the faults of Igueldo. It is a 900 m pebble beach, unguarded and partially nudist, which is accessed from the Agiti path that starts from the Igueldo campsite. It is well known in the world of surfing for its big waves.

Climate

Climograma de San Sebastián

San Sebastián has a Cfb-type oceanic climate according to the Köppen climate classification and is one of the rainiest cities in Spain, with an annual average of about 1500 mm. The rains are abundant in all seasons of the year, especially in autumn, having a minimum in summer that is unremarkable. In 2007, San Sebastián was the city with the most rain in Spain, with 1,536.1 millimeters, according to the data available to the National Institute of Statistics, collected in its statistical yearbook. Precipitation in the form of snow is scarce (between 1 and 3 days a year, although there are winters like 2004-05 and 2009-10 in which the number of days was greater than 10). In turn, the number of frosts usually varies between 5 and 10 per year. At the end of September and beginning of October there are usually "spring tides", higher high tides and lower low tides than normal.

Temperatures are mild and temperate (with an average of 15 °C), although in summer and winter the high humidity (around 70-80% most days of the year) causes higher thermal sensations hot Cold. On days when the south wind blows (causing the foehn effect) temperatures rise to 20 °C in the middle of winter and almost 40 °C in summer: humidity drops considerably (although this situation of high temperatures in Summer usually lasts a few days or even a few hours, interrupted by a turn of the wind to the NW component, which comes from the Cantabrian Sea; this phenomenon is the gale and is accompanied by a sudden drop in temperatures and sometimes clouds, storms or even sea fog). On June 18, 2022, the highest temperature recorded in the city since records were kept was reached, with several observatories exceeding or approaching the values of 40 °C, among them the EMA of Monte Igueldo, with 39.7 °C, and San Sebastián airport, where the 43.3 °C maximum temperature. This phenomenon was associated with a succession of winds from the south-southeast component, which was quickly followed by a gale situation, which meant a drop in temperatures close to 20° in a matter of hours.

In a situation of invasion of cold air from Europe (winds from the NE), San Sebastián is one of the first cities to notice the cold and is usually one of the most affected Spanish coastal capitals, given its proximity to France. This is due to the fact that the winds do not have a maritime path and therefore are less temperate than in other cities, so it is not uncommon to see La Concha beach covered in snow. The extreme temperatures recorded at the San Sebastián meteorological observatory range from –12.1 °C to 39.7 °C.

Average weather parameters of San Sebastian Observatory (Igueldo) (251 msnm) (Reference period: 1981-2022)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	21.0	25.6	28.0	30.5	33.2	39.7	39.0	38.6	36.3	30.0	25.6	22.0	39.7
Average temperature (°C)	11.0	11.5	13.4	14.5	17.7	20.0	21.8	22.5	21.1	18.5	14.0	11.6	16.5
Average temperature (°C)	8.5	8.7	10.3	11.3	14.4	16.9	18.9	19.5	18.0	15.5	11.3	9.1	13.5
Temp. medium (°C)	5.9	5.9	7.2	8.1	11.1	13.8	16.0	16.5	14.8	12.4	8.7	6.6	10.6
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	−10.0	−12.1	−5.5	−0.4	1.6	6.1	9.4	9.4	8.0	0.8	−3.4	−8.4	−12.1
Total precipitation (mm)	141.4	110.4	113.2	137.8	119.9	90.4	86.4	116.7	111.4	159.3	168.8	151.1	1506.7
Precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	13.2	11.6	12.4	13.4	12.2	10.6	9.8	10.5	10.1	11.8	13.0	12.4	141.1
Days of snow (≥)	1.3	1.6	0.3	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.5	4.0
Hours of sun	98	107	144	157	181	189	196	190	179	140	102.	93	1816
Relative humidity (%)	75	74	74	77	78	82	82	83	79	75	76	75	78
Source: State Meteorology Agency

History

Puerto de San Sebastian, topographic drawing of Pedro Texeira for his incomplete Description of Spain and the coasts and ports of its kings, manuscript dedicated to Philip IV in 1634

There is evidence of the existence of Roman settlements (from around AD 50-200) in the current Old Town of the city, according to excavations carried out in the convent of Santa Teresa, on the slopes of Mount Urgull. In the same place, remains have been found as early as the X century, prior, therefore, to the foundation of the town and to the first written mentions.

Foundation

Although its exact foundation is unknown, the first information is provided by a document from the year 1014 by Sancho el Mayor de Navarra, according to which the monastery of San Sebastián is placed in the hands of the abbot of Leyre and bishop of Pamplona. This document will be confirmed, in 1101, by King Pedro Ramírez (Pedro I of Aragon, King of Navarre and Aragon). The first written news of San Sebastián refer to a monastery, located in the neighborhood that is still called San Sebastián El Antiguo today. That place was originally known, according to some historians, as Izurum. The Spanish term San Sebastián and the Basque word Donostia refer etymologically to said saint; in the case of Basque, from the evolution of the word Donesebastian, from Done (from Latin, Domine) + Sebastian.

In the 11th and 12th centuries, the monastery of San Sebastián El Antiguo, at the same time as a spiritual center, was the center of the nascent social and administrative life of the population of this area, which, over time, if it were not Due to various vicissitudes that will take place later, it would have crystallized into a municipality.

San Sebastián was founded around 1180 by Sancho el Sabio, King of Navarre, to be a maritime port for Navarre, and initially fulfilled its mission as such. Guipúzcoa, from the year 1200, was conquered and annexed to the Crown of Castile by King Alfonso VIII, an enemy of Sancho el Fuerte. Traditionally, it has tended to be believed that this change from one kingdom to another occurred through a negotiation or pact. However, based on a rereading of known historical sources, it is known that San Sebastián passed to Castile through military conquest. In any case, the merchants of San Sebastián quickly got used to the change, since it went from being the port from a small State with no possibility of territorial expansion (Navarra), to serve as the outlet to the sea for a monarchy, the Castilian one, much larger, richer and in full expansion.

Middle Ages

Church of Saint Vincent, in the Old Part. The first was built in the centuryXIV. The current is the 16th century

In 1248, the Kings of Castile relied on naval forces from San Sebastián for the first time, which took part in disabling the Moorish squadron and the Triana bridge, the result of which was the surrender of the city of Seville.

Alfonso VIII swore the fueros and began the long series of privileges granted to San Sebastián, some intended to keep Navarrese traffic alive and others to preserve a privileged position for merchants from San Sebastián in the Spanish market. This prosperity is what made it rise again from the multiple fires it suffered from 1266, burning down six times in two and a quarter centuries.

The Hundred Years' War, the faction wars and the evolution of Navarre in the French direction for dynastic reasons brought San Sebastián in the second half of the century XIV, a serious consequence: the displacement of the main traffic lines towards Bilbao, replacing San Sebastián as the center of gravity of commercial traffic. In January 1489 a fire reduced the town to ashes. This unfortunate event was measured by the stone construction of the villa. This fire would be the last of the medieval times in San Sebastián.

Starting in the last quarter of the XV century, San Sebastián went from being a mercantile emporium thanks to its strategic location, to being a military square and its main port, Pasajes, from being essentially commercial to fulfilling the functions of a naval base.

Military square: XV-XIX centuries

Basilica of Saint Mary (XVIII), in the Old Part

After the catastrophe of 1489, more than a reconstruction of the town, we must speak of a new way of life for the San Sebastian community. From the last quarter of the XV century, San Sebastián will go from being a mercantile emporium, due to its strategic location, to being a plaza military man; and its main port, Pasajes, will go from being essentially commercial, to serving as the naval base of the Cantabrian Fleet, a maritime force that will maintain the fight against the French, Dutch and British fleets for centuries (until the 19th century).

This new role of San Sebastián as a fortress, in charge of stopping the attacks of the French, will give rise to the town taking new paths, for which it won the titles of Noble and Loyal. In the period between the Catholic Monarchs and Felipe V, approximately three hundred years, the town suffered numerous sieges. This continuous state of war implied a sharp deterioration of its economy for San Sebastián, motivated by the expenses in the fortifications, the maintenance of the garrison and the continuous drop in maritime trade, which, from 1573, worsened even more, since Seville acquired the monopoly of transactions with America.

After spending two centuries heroically fulfilling his war mission, Felipe IV granted it the title of City in 1662. Until its foundation, there were only small residential areas in the Antiguo neighborhood, in the Old Town and in the Urumea valley, dating back to the XV century. a slow growth process.

Plaza de la Constitución, old coso taurino

In 1719 San Sebastián was taken, for the first time, by a powerful French army commanded by the Duke of Berwick, who found himself a city weak in fortifications and a small garrison with a shortage of food and ammunition. The city was occupied by a garrison of 2,000 French soldiers until August 25, 1721, when it was evacuated by the Treaty of The Hague.

During the War of Independence, San Sebastián was occupied in 1808 by Napoleonic troops. Named José I (José Bonaparte) sovereign of Spain, he entered San Sebastián on June 9 and walked through Narrica street, where all the windows remained closed. In June 1813, the allies (Anglo-Portuguese troops, under the direct command of Sir Thomas Graham and having the Duke of Wellington as their generalissimo, with a strong contingent of troops and arms), besieged the city. After several days of intense bombardment and a first failed assault, the final assault took place on August 31, carried out through the breach opened in the walls, which forced the French troops to withdraw towards the Castle, where they capitulated on September 8th.

The looting of the Anglo-Portuguese troops caused a great fire, from which only thirty-five houses were saved, which served as accommodation for British and Portuguese officers, located on the same street, which today bears the name of August 31 in honor of being the only street that was saved from the fire. The troops also began the attack on the Castle, as well as the buildings located to the north of Calle de la Trinidad (Churches of Santa María and San Vicente and convents of San Telmo and Santa Teresa).

19th century: towards the expansion

Plano del Ensanche de Cortázar, initiated in the second half of the centuryXIX and completed in 1913, a century after the beginning of the reconstruction of the city in 1813

Ayete Park and Palace

After the war, the most representative residents met on the outskirts, in Zubieta, and decided to rebuild the city.

In the year 1823, during the invasion known as Los Cien Mil Hijos de San Luis, despite the poor situation of its defenses, still not fully rebuilt, the city opted for resistance against the French absolutist army. This, instead of a formal siege, opted for a land and sea blockade that lasted from April 9 to September 27, when the city capitulated.

The division of the kingdom into fifty-two provinces establishes the capital of Guipúzcoa in San Sebastián; until then this had alternated between San Sebastián, Tolosa, Azpeitia and Azcoitia, depending on where the meetings of the Boards were held and where the corregidor (king's representative in the province) resided. After a new transfer to Tolosa (1844), in 1854 San Sebastián was declared the capital of the province. It is decided to withdraw the customs to the Ebro and the closure of San Sebastián as a port enabled for trade with America.

In the province two sides were formed, Carlist and Liberal, the latter supporters of the Constitution. Both defended the fueros, but in different ways. San Sebastián opted for liberalism over most of rural Guipúzcoa.

In 1863, and after an intense debate, the walls were demolished, which limited the development of the city. On May 4, to the chords of a march expressly made for such an event, the first stone was removed, which, in pieces, was distributed among the guests in the front row.

San Sebastián changed direction: once its period as a fortress ended, it began to fulfill the role of capital of the province, beginning its expansion reflected in Antonio Cortázar's plan for the new city.

The Belle Époque of San Sebastian

Queen Maria Cristina was key in the consolidation of San Sebastian as a tourist and summer town of the bourgeoisie. In love with the city, she sailed in it every year (except 1898) between 1893 and 1928, a year before her death. The city council appointed her Honorary Mayor in 1926 and dedicated a bridge, Reina Regent Street and the city's main hotel, as well as various sculptures

Original Wallace Fountain, located on the Paseo de Francia

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, built in 1897

View of the port in 1890

On the death of King Alfonso XII of Spain, in 1885, his widow, Queen Regent María Cristina, moved the court to San Sebastián every summer, residing in the Miramar Palace. The San Sebastián City Council, in recognition of her great work in favor of the city, named her honorary mayor. Later on, already in full development of the Ensanche Cortázar, which gave the city its current architectural appeal, the construction of the Casino in 1887 increased the number of vacationers.

All the noteworthy buildings in the city date from this period (apart from those present in the Old Town, the oldest), such as the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd of San Sebastián, the School of Arts and Crafts (current headquarters of the Post Office) and the Peñaflorida Institute (later occupied by the School of Industrial Engineers and today by the Koldo Mitxelena Cultural Center), the Miramar Palace, the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, the María Cristina Hotel, the villas on the Paseo de Francia or the station del Norte, as well as the rest of the buildings in the Romantic Area, all of them with a markedly French style that earned San Sebastián the nickname of Little Paris or Paris of the South.

In 1914, and with the start of World War I, San Sebastián became the most cosmopolitan city in Europe. In its Casino all the characters of European life gathered, Mata Hari, Leon Trotsky, Maurice Ravel, Romanones, Pastora Imperio, the famous bullfighter, the ostentatious banker...; Those were the days of the San Sebastián Belle Époque, and the French operetta company, Russian ballets, opera singers and many other famous artists performed in San Sebastián.

In 1930, the city hosted the meeting of republican politicians that came to be called the Pact of San Sebastián, which had great importance in the subsequent advent of the Second Republic on April 14, 1931; in fact, the first republican government was formed, to a large extent, by the nucleus of politicians participating in the "pact." The choice of the capital of San Sebastián was due, on the one hand, to the proximity of the city to the French Republic and to the fact that San Sebastián was the summer capital of the Court. Fernando Sasiaín, host of the Pact, was the mayor of San Sebastián during the Republic.

Franco's dictatorship

At the start of the Civil War, the Basque nationalist Telesforo Monzón took charge of the Public Order Commission, created by the Guipúzcoa Defense Board, which brought together Basque nationalists, republicans, communists and socialists. Once the Government of Euskadi was constituted, on October 7, 1936, Telesforo Monzón also held the Ministry of the Interior.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Spanish civil war, San Sebastián fell into the hands of the coup plotters on September 13, 1936. The dictatorship kept San Sebastián in the role of Summer Capital City. Franco lived during the months of August from 1940 to 1975 in the Ayete palace, which, bought by the city council, was offered to the general. During that period, the Councils of Ministers were held in that place.

In 1946, during the mandate of Rafael Lataillade Aldecoa, the recovery of the Gran Casino was carried out to convert it into the Town Hall.

In 1953, and at the initiative of a group of city merchants, the San Sebastián International Film Festival was born, with the double objective of extending the summer in the capital of San Sebastián and returning to San Sebastián cultural activity and glamour lost since the Civil War. The success of the first edition led the dictatorship to take over the event, which gradually gained weight and prestige until it became one of the most important cultural events with the greatest international projection in Spain, and one of the best film festivals. in the world, the scene of some historic film premieres and a meeting point for many of the most important stars of the seventh art.

Modern development

Aerial view of San Sebastian. The coastline of about 10 kilometers is observed, highlighting the bay of La Concha and the beach of the Zurriola. From the nucleus of the Old Party in the second half of the nineteenth century, a widening was built (Cortázar) that extended the city to the south and already in the early twentieth century the neighborhood of Gros, which extended the city to the east. A second widening (Amara) extended the city even further south. Current urban development points are the Ancient, Loyola and Alza

In 1955 the second and most important expansion process of the city began, in what was called Ensanche de Amara, giving rise to a neighborhood of the same name (which alluded to the marshes that existed on said land before it was built). building). There was significant population growth during the Spanish economic miracle (1959-1973). One of the first steps in the construction of the expansion was the transfer of the School of Arts and Crafts and Commerce, located in the center, to newly built schools, as well as the Peñaflorida Institute, renamed the Usandizaga Institute in its section female. It can be considered that the consolidation process of the Amara neighborhood ended in 1993, with the construction of the Anoeta Stadium and the total renovation of the city's sports complex (located in Amara).

After both extensions, the city consolidated its main axis, around which it continues to expand, although at a much slower rate. Today the priorities of the city are the improvement of infrastructures (improvement of the airport, better railway communications, improvement of highways), the regeneration of suburban neighbourhoods, the maintenance and promotion of tourism, the main source of income, and even a few years ago the fight against ETA terrorism and street violence, which severely punished the city. Urban growth is intended to be combined with caring for the environment, the fight at the municipal level against climate change and sustainability. As a result of the efforts made in this direction, San Sebastián was awarded in 2008 by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces as the most sustainable city in Spain.

On the death of the dictator Francisco Franco, a manager was set up in 1978, chaired by the socialist Ramón Jáuregui, in charge of directing the municipal institutions until the first municipal elections of democracy, in 1979. In said elections, the PNV was the winner and the first mayor of the new democratic stage was Jesús María Alkain. He was succeeded in 1983 by Ramón Labayen, also from the PNV, who in turn was replaced by the nationalist Xabier Albistur, from Eusko Alkartasuna, in 1987. Within the framework of the strong industrial restructuring that the Basque Country experienced in the 1980s and the climate of internal tension, some reports of the time placed San Sebastián as the city with the highest proportion of drug addicts in the world. The socialist Odón Elorza, from the Euskadi Socialist Party, became mayor in 1991 despite to be the candidate of the third most voted force, thanks to the support of the PNV and the PP. On January 23, 1995, on the eve of the May municipal elections, the terrorist group ETA assassinated the deputy mayor, Gregorio Ordóñez, a candidate for the Popular Party. Ordóñez had progressively improved his electoral results in the Basque Country, to the point that the polls gave him as the winner. After his assassination, the candidate of the Socialist Party, Elorza, revalidated his position, although the Ordóñez PP list was the one with the most votes, and he held the mayoralty of the city without interruption from then until his defeat in the municipal elections of February 22. May 2011.

Administration and politics

Municipal government

In 1991 Odón Elorza (PSE-EE) became mayor, with the support of the Basque PP and EAJ-PNV. With various pacts (with EAJ-PNV and EA in 1995; with PP in 1999) he remained in charge of the consistory until the local elections of 2011. In 2007, he formed a government with the municipal group of Ezker Batua-Berdeak / Aralar.

In 2011, Bildu's candidate, Juan Carlos Izagirre, was elected mayor with the votes of the 8 councilors of his coalition; the PSE and the PP voted for the socialist candidate, Ernesto Gasco (in total 13 votes) and the PNV voted for its candidate Eneko Goia (6 votes). As no candidate had an absolute majority (14), the candidate from the list most voted for by the citizens was elected mayor. By neighborhoods, the PSE-EE was the force with the most votes in Bidebieta, Alza and Loyola; the PP in Ayete, Centro and Amara, and EAJ-PNV in Ibaeta and Antiguo. The Bildu coalition was the force with the most votes in the Old Town, Añorga, Igueldo, Inchaurrondo, Eguía, Gros, Ulía and Martutene.

In 2015, the PNV candidate Eneko Goia was elected mayor with the votes of his party and the PSE-EE, a position that he reissued in 2019.

The Town Hall, former casino built in 1887, became the headquarters of the City Council in 1946

Territorial organization

View of the bridge of the Kursaal, with the Hotel Maria Cristina (left) and the Teatro Victoria Eugenia (right) to the bottom, from the river Urumea

The bridge of Maria Cristina connects the Centre with the neighborhood of Eguía

The facades of Reina Regente street, in front of Victoria Eugenia Theatre, are a good sample of the typical Donostiarra architecture of the late centuryXIX and beginnings of the centuryXX.. They are part of the one named new neighborhood of Salamancawhich developed in Eastern sense from the Old Part to the Urumea River, and not in the southern sense of the Ensanche de Cortázar

Headquarters of the Provincial Council of Guipúzcoa in the Plaza de Guipúzcoa

The Zubieta district is located in a rural setting within walking distance of Lasarte. In it is the Hippodrome of San Sebastian and the training facilities of the Real Society of Football

View of the beach of La Concha from the gardens of Alderdi Eder, facing the town hall

The beach of La Concha, whose width varies greatly depending on the tides, with high tide

Since 2003, the San Sebastián City Council has officially divided the city into 17 neighbourhoods:

• Alza (in Basque: “Altza”). It is the easternmost neighborhood of the city, beautiful with the neighboring municipality of Pasajes, and one of the most densely populated. Alza was for a few years an independent municipality, returning to San Sebastian in 1940. Of a mainly rural nature, it experienced a great growth between the 60-80s being the main area of urban expansion of the city with high-rise buildings for the working classes immigrated mainly from other regions of Spain. The current district of Alza comprises only part of the old municipal district of Alza, i.e. the part between the AP-8 motorway and the port of Pasajes, separated from the rest of the city by the AP-8 link to the east of the city. In the next few years the urban planning augurs an important urban development. Population in 2008: 21 500 neighbors. Numerous areas or bars are distinguished within the neighborhood: Alza-Gaina, Arria, Auditz-Akular, Buenavista, Eskalantegi, Herrera, Larratxo, Molinao and Oleta.

• Amara Nuevo (in Basque: "Amara Berri"). Main residential neighborhood of the city, was built by an ensanche towards the 1960s. To the south of this neighborhood is the sports town of Anoeta, which includes the Municipal Stadium of Anoeta (Real Sociedad de Fútbol). Its hostel establishments are also outstanding. Population in 2007: 26 309 neighbours.

• Long. Neighborhood located on the outskirts of San Sebastian, halfway from the municipality of Lasarte-Oria. It is separated from the urban nucleus and communications with it are problematic due to the N-1 road. Population in 2007: 2261 neighbours.

• Ategorrieta-Ulia. Residential neighborhood composed of stately villas, occupied in its emergence by the city's affluent population.

• Help (in Basque: "Aiete"). Eminently residential neighborhood located on a small mountain in the center of the city. In this neighborhood you will find the Ayete Palace (in the Ayete Park) and the Arbaizenea Palace. Population in 2007: 12 931 neighbours.

• Centre (in Basque: “Erdialdea”). Born in the middle of the centuryXIX (after the demolition of the walls in 1864) and is the result of the merger of two projects signed by the architects Cortázar and Saracibar. The first took the general plane and the second the Boulevard of union between the Old Party and the new Ensanche. On this first project numerous variations were made (such as the Plaza del Buen Pastor, to give shelter to the new church of the same denomination; Prim Street, Easo Street, etc. In this area, the city centre and the “km 0” of the Guipuzkoan roads (at the junction of the Avenida de la Libertad, one of the most important streets of the city and its economic center, with Hernani Street) were located. Its orthogonal plane or grid is typical of modernism, which organizes the buildings in grids and perpendicular streets. In fact, it is considered that the center of San Sebastian is comparable, in architectural terms, with that of Barcelona, Bilbao or Paris. Population in 2007: 23 456 neighbours.

• Eguía. (in Basque: "Egia"). Separated from the center of the city by the railroad tracks, in it are the park of Cristina Enea and the cemetery of Polloe. The old Atocha football field was located in that neighborhood. Population in 2007: 15 258 neighbours.

• The Ancient (in Basque: "Antigua"). Neighborhood that derives from the first settlement next to the old monastery of San Sebastian (where the Palace of Miramar is currently located). Initially populated by workers, today it performs functions of residential neighborhood as well as tourist accommodation in its area closest to the bay of La Concha. Population in 2007: 15 271 neighbours.

• Gros. Barrio with a lot of commercial activity located on the east bank of the Urumea River. The expansion of the Zurriola beach and the creation of the Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio Kursaal have revitalized it economically and socially. Population in 2007: 20 001 neighbours.

• Ibaeta. Expansion zone, both for industrial and housing purposes. The university campus of the University of the Basque Country and the technological campus (Tecnun) of the University of Navarra is located in this neighborhood. Population in 2007: 8961 neighbours.

• Inchaurrondo (in Basque: «Intxaurrondo»). Divided into its old and new parts (south and north), it concentrates much of the Donostiarra population. It is an eminently residential neighborhood located on a small mountain, formerly belonged to the municipality of Alza. Population in 2007: 16 424 neighbors.

• Loyola (in Basque: Loiola). In this neighborhood is the Military Government. The banks of the Urumea River at the height of Loyola are in the process of building an extension of its residential nucleus. Population in 2007: 4676 neighbours.

• Martutene. Neighborhood where the prison of the same name is located. It is being, together with Loyola, subject to reforms and improvements. Population in 2007: 2853 neighbours.

• Miracruz-Bidebieta. This is one of the newest neighborhoods in the city. Limtrofe with Pasajes is the subject of various structural reforms aimed at improving their quality of life and services. Population in 2007: 9239 residents.

• Miramon-Zorroaga (in Basque: “Miramon-Zorroaga”). Lindando con el municipio de Hernani, en este barrio se encuentra el Parque Tecnológico de San Sebastián y el Hospital Donostia. Population in 2007: 1664 neighbors.

• Zubieta. Neighborhood shared with Usúrbil. This neighborhood is divided between the municipal terms of San Sebastian and Usúrbil. In it are the sports facilities of the Real Sociedad de Fútbol, as well as the Hipódromo de San Sebastián.

Other neighborhoods traditionally identified by the Donostiarras are officially considered by the city council as part of the "downtown" of the city.

• Amara Viejo (in Basque: "Amara Zaharra"). Neighborhood emerged at the end of the centuryXIX with the development of the railway. The neighbors of this neighborhood present one of the highest average ages in the city.

• Miraconcha. (in Basque: “Mirakontxa”). The privileged framework in which it is located (against the bay of La Concha) has conditioned its configuration, since the end of the centuryXIXLike a luxury residential area. It is mostly occupied by palaces surrounded by green spaces. Its creation responds to the demand for high-quality residency of the population who were living in San Sebastián and its nobility classes. In that area you will find the Municipal Palace of Miramar, an old royal palace.

• Old part (in Basque: “Parte Zaharra”). Neighborhood that corresponds to the old walled city, and next to which is the fishing port. According to an ancient tradition, its inhabitants are divided into Joxemaritarras (them baptized in the church of Saint Mary) and koxkeros (them baptized in the church of Saint Vincent). From that neighborhood you have access to Mount Urgull.
• Banks of Loyola (in Basque: “Loiolako Erriberak”). Between the neighborhoods of Loyola and Amara, it is a newly built neighborhood. It is officially part of the Amara Nuevo district.

Enclaves

San Sebastián has three enclaves:

• Standard. Rural land located between Astigarraga and Rentería. It is populated by a few farms that add 19 neighbors.
• Urdaburu. Located next to the Navarre border. It's uninhabited.
• Zubieta. Neighborhood shared with Usúrbil. This neighborhood is divided between the municipal terms of San Sebastian and Usúrbil. In it are the sports facilities of the Real Sociedad de Fútbol, a garbage incinerator inaugurated in 2020, as well as the Hipódromo de San Sebastián.

In addition to these exclaves, the San Sebastián City Council owns the Articuza farm, located in Navarre territory, within the municipality of Goizueta. In it there is a reservoir (it is the rainiest point of the Iberian Peninsula) and it has great ecological value. Its surface is 37 km² (equivalent to more than half of the municipality of San Sebastián).

Demographics

The population of San Sebastián grew progressively throughout the XX century. Between 1900 and 1930, growth was regular, doubling in the barely 35 years between 1930 and 1965. This rebound in demographic growth was tempered by lower growth from the 1970s onwards, even reducing the population for the first time in the century at the end of the 80s, as a consequence of the general drop in birth rates throughout the country.

Graphic of demographic evolution of San Sebastian between 1900 and 2020

Population of Law (1900-1991) or resident population (2001) according to population censuses of the INE. Population according to the 2010 INE Municipal Register.

The current growth of the population is slow, although the phenomenon of immigration is still in its infancy in the city (immigrants, as of 2006, reached 5% of those registered, according to the Sociedad de Fomento del Ayuntamiento de San Sebastián), may influence a rebound in population growth. According to the latest data, as of January 1, 2009, the total population is 185,357 inhabitants, of whom 97,192 are women (53%) and 86,116 men (47%).

Metropolitan Area

59.86% of the population of Guipúzcoa is concentrated in its metropolitan area, which has 436,500 inhabitants.

Economy

In the avenue of Freedom, the city's main economic and commercial artery, have offices and offices more than 20 banking entities

Despite certain forays into the world of banking in the second half of the XIX century, with the creation of the Banco de San Sebastián (which would later be integrated into Banco Hispano-Americano) or Banco Guipuzcoano, the city will not stand out for its banking activity, but will do so in the tourism sector. The choice of the city as a place of rest and summer resort by the Spanish Royal House was the catalyst for the development of tourist activity and its consequent French-style architectural configuration after the demolition of the walls that limited the expansion of the city. Some organizations were already created at the beginning of the XX century to attract tourism, among which the Sociedad de Fomento de San Sebastián stands out, created by private initiative for the construction of a luxury hotel (the María Cristina Hotel) and a theater (the Victoria Eugenia Theater). Even today, tourism continues to be the main economic activity in San Sebastián, which follows the same strategy of attracting tourists through claims such as summer festivals.

The commerce sector is also important, a constant throughout the history of the city. Commercial activity is intense in the Center, especially on Avenida de la Libertad, with a large concentration of banking entities and important shops. The family businesses in the center are being progressively relegated by large multinationals, some of which have several stores in the city. The proximity to France attracts many visitors, who fill the shops and local department stores. As regards the latter, there are four in the city, one in the Amara neighbourhood, two in the center and a fourth, the largest, located between the Alza and Inchaurrondo neighbourhoods. In any case, the phenomenon of large stores came late, since the first of them did not open until 1996.

Industry, for its part, has little presence in the city and is concentrated in other parts of the province of Guipúzcoa.

Culture

Festivals

El Kursaal, work of Rafael Moneo, photographed from the Teatro Victoria Eugenia

Interior of the Kursaal Auditorium during the 2006 Festival

Festivals are one of the main features of the city. Film and music competitions are numerous in the city, and some of them have great international prestige.

• San Sebastian International Film Festival, held in mid-September each year. The city hosts the most outstanding figures of the cinema in one of the most important Film Festivals in the world, created in 1953 and with the highest category (A) of the international film festival circuit accredited by FIAPF. The stars stay at the most important hotel in the city, the Maria Cristina Hotel, and the ceremonies are held in the Kursaal, separated from the hotel by the Urumea River. Prior to the inauguration of the new Palacio de Congresos designed by Rafael Moneo, the inauguration and closing galas took place in the historic Teatro Victoria Eugenia. The Festival has paraded the main film stars of the last 55 years. These include Alfred Hitchcock, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Spielberg, Luis Buñuel, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Al Pacino, Michael Douglas, Francis Ford Coppola, Anthony Hopkins, Robert De Niro, Bernardo Bertolucci or Woody Allen, whose film Melinda " Melinda " (2004) had its world premiere at the Festival. Many of the aforementioned received the Donostia Award, an annual festival award in recognition of their film career.

• Quincena Musical de San Sebastian, created in 1939, is a festival dedicated to classical music. It's the oldest in Spain. At present it does not last a fortnight, but about a month and a half during the summer period. There are daily concerts both in the Kursaal and in the Victoria Eugenia Theatre and in other scenarios, such as Chillida-Leku.

• San Sebastian International Fireworks Competition, created in 1964, is the oldest in the West and one of the most important in the world. It is held during Big Week in mid-August. Every night a different pyrotechnic company launches the fireworks from the Alderdi Eder Gardens over the bay of La Concha.

• San Sebastian Jazz Festival, also known as Jazzaldia, was created in 1966 and is currently one of the main in Europe. It is the oldest jazz festival in Spain. It is held annually in July, and its usual scenarios are the terraces of the Kursaal, the beach of the Zurriola, the Trinidad Square in the Old Part, the Kursaal and the Victoria Eugenia Theatre.

• dFERIA, is a theatre fair that has been held since 1988, despite not being organized several years. In addition to the theatre plays represented in the city's theatres, certain theatre groups act on the street in an attempt to bring the theatre closer to the public. In 2008 it adopted its current denomination and gave a relevant turn to internationalization.

• Week of Fantastic Film and Terror, created in 1990, is a film contest organized by the Donostiarra Town Hall focused on fantastic cinema and terror. It awards, among others, the Digital+ Short Project Award.

• San Sebastian Film and Human Rights Festival, launched in 2003, is premiered or screened in films projected at other festivals that are closely related to human rights and all kinds of social themes. Organized by the City Council in collaboration with the Secretary of State for Cooperation and various NGOs, it is in full expansion. Since 2010, Amnesty International has awarded a special award to one of the feature films.

• Street Zinema, initiated in 2003, is an independent audiovisual festival, conducted with the help of the cultural centre Arteleku, which analyzes the massive videographic production of skateboarding and other cultural manifestations in the urban context.

Municipal Museum of San Telmo (s. XVI), convent converted into museum

Tabacalera, international centre for contemporary culture

• Surfilm Festibal, started in 2003, is a young and modern sample of films and short films rolled around the surf, which reinforces the city's attractiveness for organizing events related to this sport and for the practice of it.

Municipal property, the Palace of Miramar (1893) is the headquarters of the Summer Courses of the University of the Basque Country and of Musikene

View of Victoria Eugenia Theatre, opened in 1912. Between 2000 and 2007, a comprehensive reform process was carried out that improved the obsolete theatrical machinery, but substantially altered its original essence

San Sebastian 2016

San Sebastián was the European Capital of Culture in 2016. This title was officially awarded to it on June 28, 2011, after the evaluation of the final project by the Spanish and European jury in charge of deliberation. Thus, a three-year process that began in 2008 was successfully completed when all the city's political groups supported the initiative of the then socialist mayor Odón Elorza to officially present the city's candidacy. In September 2010, the city passed the first selection phase, and finally reached the title in June 2011. The capital of San Sebastian explored the role of culture in the regeneration of coexistence and the resolution of social problems derived from terrorism and of the political and cultural division of San Sebastian society and, in general, of Basque society.

Musical ensembles

• The Euskadi Symphony Orchestra is centrally located near the Sanitary City and the Technological Park.
• The Donostiarra Orphen is one of the most important coral formations in the world. Its headquarters is located in the Old Party.
• The Coro Easo is the most prestigious male choir in the Basque Country. Its headquarters is located in the Ayete district.
• The Golden Apple Quartet is the best-known vocal quartet in the Basque Country and Spain. Founded in 1986 by Loyola Garmendia and Eduardo Errondosoro.

What has come to be called Donosti Sound includes the successful indie-pop/pop-rock groups that emerged in the city during the 80s and 90s. Le Mans, La Buena Vida or Family, who are often joined by Duncan Dhu (Mikel Erentxun and Diego Vasallo), 21 Japonesas, Álex Ubago or La Oreja de Van Gogh, are some of the groups that have emerged in San Sebastián around this musical style, unequivocally marked by the gray weather and the bourgeois physiognomy of the city.

Cultural facilities

Auditoriums and theatres

• Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio Kursaal: architectural complex that incorporates conference rooms, shows and concerts designed by Rafael Moneo.
• Teatro Victoria Eugenia: historic theater opened in 1912. There have been some of the most important performers of classical music or theatre. It was the main venue of the Film Festival until 1999, the year of the inauguration of the Kursaal and the closure of the theater for its restoration. It was reopened in March 2007.
• Main Theatre: is the oldest of the Donostiarra theaters. Inaugurated in 1843, it adopted its current appearance at the end of the centuryXIX. In addition to the usual theatre works and some of those presented at the Theater Fair, it hosts most of the screenings of the Fantastic Film and Terror Week, the Film and Human Rights Festival and some films from the Film Festival.

Museums

• Aquarium: the Aquarium of San Sebastian is located on the dock next to the Paseo Nuevo. It has a relevant historical collection, as well as a modern expansion with a passageway that runs through a large pavement.
• San Telmo Museum: City-owned and located in an old convent of the centuryXVI. It was reopened in 2011 after long expansion and reform work. It houses pieces of Fine Arts both old and centuryXX.as well as archaeological, ethnographic and design objects.
• Tabakalera: former tobacco factory and current headquarters of the International Centre for Contemporary Culture.
• Chillida-Leku Museum: located in the neighboring town of Hernani, houses the widest collection of works by the sculptor Eduardo Chillida. It is one of the most important tourist claims in the city.
• Museum Cemento Rezola: located in the neighborhood of Añorga, opposite the Factory of Cementos Rezola. Building projected by the architect Luis Peña Ganchegi, has as its main theme the transcendence of cement in Western civilization.
• Eureka Science Museum!: located in the San Sebastian Technological Park (Miramón). A dedicated space for all audiences: it has a permanent exhibition with 160 interactive modules, a state-of-the-art digital planetarium and a Russian mountain simulator room, F1, flight simulator, etc.

Libraries

• Houses of Culture: of municipal ownership, these are cultural centres with libraries, conference rooms and other facilities distributed by the different districts of the city. It is also municipal the School of Music and Dance, which offers unregulated teachings.
• Central Library: located in the City Hall, it is the largest library of municipal management.
• Centro Cultural Koldo Mitxelena: of provincial ownership, is the most important cultural equipment of San Sebastian. It has a library, video library, library, library, exhibition rooms, study rooms and reading rooms.

Gastronomy

Them pintxos (tapas) of San Sebastian

It is said that San Sebastián is the city in the world with the highest number of Michelin stars per square meter. In fact, it is the only city in the world, along with Paris, that has three restaurants with three stars, the highest rating. Thus, gastronomy is one of the main tourist attractions of the city. As representatives of New Basque Cuisine, prestigious chefs such as Juan Mari Arzak, Pedro Subijana or Martín Berasategui, all three with the respective three Michelin stars already mentioned, have their restaurants in San Sebastián. The pintxos bars in the Old Town are also very popular, miniature culinary works of art, of which San Sebastián is a great reference in Spain.

Currently the Mugaritz restaurant is considered one of the best in the world. It is located in Rentería, just 10 kilometers from the center of San Sebastián.

Festivities

Section of barrels of a children's ferry company

The Giants and Cabezudos of the city in their Big Week

The main festival of the city is the Tamborrada, which is celebrated on January 20, the day of San Sebastián. On the night of January 19 to 20, the Plaza de la Constitución in the Old Town is filled with locals around the stage where the Gaztelubide Society's tamborrada is located, to raise the flag and start the festivities. Throughout the morning of the 20th, the Children's Tamborrada parades, with more than fifty children's companies from schools in San Sebastián and throughout the 24 hours that the festival lasts, a hundred adult drummers circulate. On the 20th at midnight, the Artisan Union lowers the flag in the Plaza de la Constitución as the end of the party. It is a festival with historical roots that emerged at the end of the 19th century. The music that is performed, which includes the city's anthem (March of San Sebastián, whose lyrics were the work of Serafín Baroja, father of Pío Baroja, also from San Sebastian), was written by Raimundo Sarriegui, originally for piano, later being adapted for band).

Between the aforementioned festival of San Sebastián and the carnivals there are different cultural and popular festivals, among which it is worth highlighting that of the Caldereros, which is celebrated on the Saturday closest to the Virgen de la Candelaria, which tries to remember the passage of nomadic tribes around San Sebastián. Another of these festivities is celebrated the day after Caldereros, under the name of Iñudes eta Artzaiak, a completely carnival-like party, where they dress up as mayor, bishop, baker, mikelete, caretakers, shepherds...

In August, during the week of the 15th (the Assumption), the Great Week of San Sebastian is celebrated, the city's great summer festival. Among the various activities that are organized, the International Fireworks Contest and the parades of the Gigantes y Cabezudos troupe stand out.

At the end of August and beginning of September the Euskal Jaiak (Basque Festivals) are celebrated, which have been celebrated in different forms and not without interruptions since the 1920s. They are a sum of events cultural, sports and holidays related to Basque culture that are scheduled throughout the last month of summer. The highlight of these events is the celebration of the La Concha Flag, the main competition for drifters held in the Cantabrian Sea. This goes beyond the strictly sports sphere, since the city is filled with tens of thousands of fans of the participating teams in a party atmosphere. The qualifying rounds are held on a Thursday and the Flag itself the following two Sundays in two rounds. The Euskal Jaiak program includes the celebration of August 31, which commemorates the fire that devastated the city in 1813, during the War of Independence, which left only one street standing, the oldest in the city: 31 de Agosto street, in the Old Town. This event is commemorated with a moving torchlight parade that takes place on said street. Another strong point is the Sagardo Eguna (Cider Day) which is usually held on the Saturday before the second Sunday of regattas and which joins the fair itself with a large number of parallel festive activities.

December 21 is Saint Thomas Day. During this day you can see stalls selling artisan products throughout the city, among which the talo, chistorra (or txistorra, in Basque) and cider stand out as the typical food of the day. The stalls in question are usually located in places such as the Plaza de Guipúzcoa or the Plaza de la Constitución in the city, and are usually staffed by organizations or groups of schoolchildren.

Nightlife

Special nightlight of the Kursaal

The city's nightlife is centered around various points: the Old Town, the area around Calle de los Reyes Católicos next to the Buen Pastor Cathedral and the nightclubs in La Concha Bay and La Playa de la Zurriola.

Various groups of young people of all ages gather in the Old Town, many of whom go to the nightclubs in La Concha after the bars in that area close. The three discos located in the bay welcome all types of public, although they are considered discos for a public with high purchasing power. These three nightclubs, mainly those located in the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián building and next to the La Perla spa, host the International Film Festival festivities. Other nightlife options are the café located in the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, the discotheque on the shores of Zurriola beach, the Illumbe Leisure Center made up of the bullring and a shopping center with pubs, restaurants and discos or the aforementioned bars in the center of the city around the Cathedral.

Sports

Sports facilities

The sports city of San Sebastián, located in the Amara neighbourhood, is Anoeta, where the Anoeta Stadium (which replaced the Atocha Soccer Field in 1993), the Anoeta Velodrome, an Olympic swimming pool, a leisure pool, several multipurpose sports courts, a sports center, three frontons, a gym, a mini-stadium, the Ice Palace, a hotel, as well as a circuit for practicing skateboarding. It is one of the most complete sports complexes in Spain. Likewise, there are other sports centers distributed throughout the respective neighborhoods (Antiguo, Ibaeta, Gros, Altza,...). The San Sebastián Hippodrome, also called the Lasarte Hippodrome, is located in the Zubieta neighbourhood. It is the most important racetrack in Spain together with the Hipódromo de la Zarzuela, in Madrid. It was created in 1916.

Sports clubs

La Real Sociedad or "La Real", founded in 1909 as a direct successor to Club Ciclista de San Sebastián, is the football team of San Sebastián. He was champion of the League on two occasions, has won other trophies such as the Copa del Rey and has been on the verge of winning other national and international championships on several occasions. After a few decades of football in the 1st division, the city club played in the 2nd division from the 2007–2008 season until it was promoted, becoming champion of the 2nd division in the 2009-2010 season, Therefore, since the 2010-2011 season, he has played again in the 1st division.

La Real's soccer field is the Anoeta Stadium, but training sessions take place at the Zubieta Facilities that the club owns in the Zubieta neighborhood.

The Anoeta Stadium, built in 1993, replaced the Atocha Football Field as the headquarters of the Real Society matches

In the same way, the Lengokoak Kirol Elkartea Sports Society is one of the clubs agreed with Real Sociedad that contributes the most players to said club, an entity that will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2013 and has been faithfully linked to the reference club of Guipúzcoa. Among the renowned athletes forged in the Lengokoak we can highlight Luis Miguel Arconada and Javier Urruticoechea, both of whom became international figures in goalkeeping. David Zurutuza, current blue and white midfielder, also had his origins in S. D. Lengokoak K. E.

In basketball, the main club is San Sebastián GBC. On May 23, 2006, at the José Antonio Gasca de Anoeta Sports Center, Bruesa GBC, a professional team of the San Sebastián Gipuzkoa Basket Club, secured their promotion from the LEB-1 league (of which they were proclaimed champion) to the ACB league, with which basketball from San Sebastián once again placed a local team in the main Spanish league and the second most important in the world. That year, the team moved to the Illumbe Bullring, a venue with a capacity of 11,000 spectators, which was reconditioned as a basketball court. After consummating its relegation to the LEB-1 league in April 2007, it returned to the top flight again in June 2008. With the sponsorship of Seguros Lagun Aro, the San Sebastian club has established itself in the ACB League, in which it competes in the 2011-2012 season for the fourth consecutive season, having played for the first time in the Copa del Rey.

The C.D. Fortune K.E. is a sports club founded in 1911 dedicated to the promotion of grassroots sports. It has numerous sports sections and organizes the popular Behobia-San Sebastián foot race. In 2003 he was awarded the medal for citizen merit.

Atlético San Sebastián is a sports club founded in 1958 with a great tradition and social implantation in the city. It has men's field hockey and women's athletics teams that are among the elite of Spanish sports. In the past, its men's basketball and rugby sections were also at the first level.

Bera Bera Rugby Taldea is a multi-sports club founded in 1986. Its men's rugby teams stand out: Pegamo Bera Bera, which plays in the Spanish rugby league, and the women's handball team, Balonmano Bera Bera, which is in the Spanish Women's Handball League and who has been twice champion of the Women's Handball Division of Honor and four times of the Queen's Cup.

The Egia Balonmano Sports Club, which is based in the Egia neighborhood, is the handball club with the longest tradition in the city. It has men's teams in various categories, from cadet to senior.

The San Sebastián rowing currently has the greatest representation of the Donostiarra club's drifter, although in other modalities the historic Ur-Kirolak and Donostia Arraun Lagunak are still fully active.

The Real Golf Club of San Sebastián, founded in 1910, had its facilities in Lasarte-Oria and in 1969 they moved to Fuenterrabía.

Sporting events

• San Sebastian Racecourse Gold Cup: the Gold Cup is the most important prize in the San Sebastian Racecourse. It is celebrated in the month of August, by concentrating all the water activity of Spain on the Donostiarra racetrack during the summer season.
• St. Sebastian's Classic: cyclist proof of a stage of duration that begins and ends in San Sebastian (also called San Sebastián-San Sebastián Classic). It belongs to the UCI WorldTour.
• Flag of La Concha: is the most prestigious trainer test. It is held in September.
• Behobia-San Sebastián: Organized by the CD Fortuna KE, the Behobia - San Sebastián is a popular pedestre race that takes place in November. It develops on a 20 km journey that begins on the border with France (Behobia) and ends in San Sebastian. The B/SS convenes each edition more than 100,000 spectators who, under any weather condition, make the race an important sporting and cultural event.

Services

Education

Aulario Building of the Guipúzcoa Campus of the University of the Basque Country, in which a powerful research pole is being developed that will culminate in the construction of a joint management center between the university and the CSIC

According to data from the Sociedad de Fomento del Ayuntamiento, almost 70% of the people of San Sebastian have studies similar to or higher than the baccalaureate. 26.6% have a university degree or technical studies.

Apart from the numerous private schools of a religious and secular nature and the public schools and institutes, dependent on the Basque Government, the musical tradition of the city highlights the Francisco Escudero Conservatory of Music, created in 1879 and which has a notable music library with one of the most important historical collections in the country.

Higher Education

As far as university higher education is concerned, four universities and a higher conservatory are present in the city.

• University of the Basque Country: in San Sebastian you will find the Campus of Guipúzcoa of that public university, in the neighborhoods of Ibaeta and Benta Berri.
• Universidad de Navarra: This private university located in Pamplona imparts engineering at Tecnun de San Sebastián.
• University of Deusto: built in 1956, the Campus of San Sebastian teaches different university degrees.
• University of Mondragón: This private university has a pioneer in San Sebastian, Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences (Basque Culinary Center).
• Musikene: Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco, created in 2002.

Research

Scientific research is developing considerably, mainly in three nuclei. On the San Sebastián campus of the University of the Basque Country, where the Faculty of Chemical Sciences and the Polytechnic University School are based, and near which is the Tecnun, Higher Technical School of Engineering of the University of Navarra, is the Nanogune, nanotechnology research center, and a joint research center of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the University of the Basque Country. Also, on the campus is the headquarters of the Donostia International Physics Center.

Another research center is the Miramón Technology Park, located near the Ayete neighborhood in a natural environment. Several companies dedicated to scientific and technological research and the Center for Technical Studies and Research of Guipúzcoa (CEIT) have their headquarters there, and it is expected that new companies will settle in Miramón in the coming years. In addition to this scientific aspect, the Miramón area also houses the headquarters of the General Meetings of Guipúzcoa and soon the new headquarters and auditorium of the Orfeón Donostiarra.

Lastly, the Donostia University Hospital with its Biodonostia Research Institute channels a large part of the biosanitary research in Guipúzcoa.

Transportation

Roads

During 2010 and 2011, and due to the construction of new road infrastructures such as the GI-40, GI-41 and the Second Belt of San Sebastián, the Provincial Council of Guipúzcoa was forced to rename the accesses and the ring roads of the metropolitan area of the city. The road accesses to the city are the following:

The city consists of the following ring roads:

Bike lane

The bike lane, also called bidegorri (which means “red path” in Basque, as that is the color of the lane), is a means of transport that is growing a lot in the municipality. The network of bicycle lanes in San Sebastián exceeds 56 kilometers and it is planned to expand this network until it reaches a sufficient extension to be able to cycle throughout the city. The project has not been unanimously received: along with those who congratulate themselves on it, there are those who criticize it because it makes parking difficult in the city and creates conflicts with pedestrians in some places. The bike lane network reaches the neighboring municipalities (Lasarte, Pasajes and Astigarraga), connecting with their own cycling networks.

Buses

Urban

Tram de la Compañía del Tranvía de San Sebastián, first in Spain to electrify all its tram services, crossing the bridge of Maria Cristina in 1905

The urban bus is the main means of municipal public transport in San Sebastián. This service has been in charge, since 1886, of the San Sebastián Tram Company, which operates under the trade name d·bus. In San Sebastián, the use of the urban bus per inhabitant is the highest in Spain, with an index of 153 trips per inhabitant per year in 2015. The service offers more than 30 lines that cover the entire city and a taxi bus service for high-rise neighborhoods or those that cannot be reached by conventional buses. It also has 9 night lines for Friday and Saturday mornings, and backup lines for football and basketball game days.

Intercity

To get to San Sebastián from other towns in the province, there are numerous intercity bus lines integrated into Lurraldebus, the company dependent on the Department of Mobility and Land Planning of the Provincial Council of Guipúzcoa, among which are Autobuses Garayar, Intercity buses, Interbus, La Guipuzcoana buses, EuskoTren, Herribus, Hijos de Antonio Areizaga, Transportes PESA and TSST. The lines link the capital with the rest of the province and with other cities in the Basque Country such as Bilbao, Lequeitio or Vitoria.

Interregional

Atotxa Station

The interurban, national and international bus lines had the Atotxa Station as their destination, which is located below and next to the Renfe North Station.

Rail services

Surroundings of Renfe penetrating the North Station, built in 1864. The metal marquee that covers the tracks, which dates back to 1881, was performed at the Workshops of Gustave Eiffel. From this station, Queen Elizabeth II went into exile in Paris after the Revolution of 1868

There are two differentiated networks in the city: the metric gauge (dependent on Eusko Trenbide Sarea) and the Iberian+UIC gauge (dependent on Adif).

Currently two companies provide service: EuskoTren and Renfe.

Iberian and international gauge

The state company Renfe has Estación del Norte as its main station, as well as stations in Martutene, Loiola, Gros, Ategorrieta, Intxaurrondo and Herrera. Two daily Alvias depart from Estación del Norte to Madrid (via Valladolid), in addition to various daily Intercity services and other night services to Madrid (via Pamplona), Barcelona or La Coruña. Renfe Cercanías trains also stop here, linking different parts of the city with various towns in Guipúzcoa. The future high-speed train is scheduled to arrive at this station in 2023.

However, in 2019 the station will be renovated to accommodate high-speed trains from Paris, which will be able to reach the municipality once the mixed-gauge track is completed, which will also allow regional trains to circulate at Bayonne or Bordeaux.

In addition, from 2020 the railway sector will be liberalized for long-distance routes, so there will be more companies operating in the city.

Donostialdea Metro Station in Lugáriz, in the neighborhood of El Antiguo

Metric gauge (Donostialdea Metro)

The metric gauge network is operated by EuskoTren, which centralizes its services at the Amara Station, located in Plaza Easo, and which also has the stations of Errekalde, Añorga, Lugaritz, Anoeta, Loiola, Intxaurrondo, Herrera and Altza, which are part of the Metro Donostialdea metropolitan transport service line, popularly called "topo" because a large part of its route is underground. Metro Donostialdea involves the modernization and expansion of the EuskoTren line E2. Trains depart from the Amara station in the direction of Lasarte-Oria, Irún and France. The last metro station is Hendaye, so it is common to take this service to connect with the TGV towards Paris.

EuskoTren, the Basque Government and the local corporation have also announced that, before 2019, they will proceed to build an intermodal station between Cercanías San Sebastián, operated by Renfe, and the metro, to extend the line to the center of the city by 2022, with the creation of the new Centro-La Concha and Benta Berri stations, as well as the renovation and replacement of the current Amara central station.

Likewise, regional suburban services depart from said station to Éibar and Bilbao, making stops in many of the coastal towns.

A total of three lines offer their services in San Sebastián:

• Line Donostia Amara - Bilbao Matiko
• Line Lasarte - Hendaia
• Line Amara - Altza (urban line)

Funicular railway

The Igueldo funicular, inaugurated in 1912, links Ondarreta beach with the amusement park at the top of Mount Igueldo.

Likewise, a modern funicular has been built to go up to the Aiete neighborhood, which connects Paseo de Morlans with the Melodi roundabout. The project has also included an elevator to connect Paseo Pío Baroja and Paseo de Aiete.

Vertical transport

The municipality has numerous elevators and escalators and escalators in the city, to facilitate movement for the residents of the upper neighborhoods, which represent 50% of the population. It is the 4th largest city in Spain with more vertical mobility infrastructure (Behind Barcelona, Bilbao and Éibar). The city council's vertical mobility plan also has future actions located and ordered by priority to build up to 43 new elevators throughout the city.

Lifts

• Aizkorri-Seminario: composed of 2 elevators that connect Zarautz and Aizkorri streets.
• Bentaberri: consisting of 2 lifts connecting Benta Berri Square and Aizkorri Street.
• Heriz-Seminario (projected for 2018/19): it will be composed of 4 lifts that will connect the Escolta Real street, the Gantxegi road and the Heriz ride.
• Aiete Funicular: connects the promenade of Morlans to the promenade of Pío Baroja (Plaza de Lazcano).
• Aiete: connects the promenade of Pio Baroja with the Aiete ride.
• Hiru Damatxo: connects Hiru Damatxo Square to Lanberri Street.
• Miramon: connects two areas of Mikeletegi Street, next to the towers of Arbide.
• New Walk: connects the city port with the New Walk in the Aquarium area.
• Mundaiz-Cristina Enea: connects the ride Federico García Lorca, at the height of the bridge of Mundaiz, with the park Cristina Enea.
• Deusto-Aldunaenea: Connects the Urumea Ride with Deusto University.
• Sagüés: connects the Sagüés area to San Blas Street.
• Egia: connects Luis Martín Santos Square with Baztan Avenue and Kapitaiñene Street.
• Azkuene: connects the streets of Azkuene with that of Juan Carlos Guerra.
• Northern Herrera: connects St.Louis Gonzaga Square with Avenue Mayor José Elosegi, next to the Herrera station of the Donostialdea Metro.
• South Herrera: connects the Txingurri promenade with the Herrera promenade, next to the Adif de Herrera station.
• Bertsolari Txirrita-Larratxo: composed of 2 elevators that connect the Larratxo walk with Bertsolari Txirrita street.
• Leosiñeta-Larraundi (in construction for 2018): connects the streets Leosiñeta and Larraundi. It will serve as continuation of Larratxo's mechanical stairs.
• Buenavista: composed of 2 elevators connecting Bajo-Berra street with the Berra promenade.

Stairs and escalators

• San Roque: Composed of two ramps and two stretches of stairs, just up. They connect the streets of Amara, Alto de Amara, San Roque and Beloka. They're the oldest in town.
• Intxaurrondo: Composed of 4 ramps, only up. They connect the Zubiaurre walks with Zarategi and the street of the Luisians, along Lizardi Street.
• Larratxo: Composed of 3 sections of stairs, only up. Connect the Txirrita Bertsolari walk with Larratxo walk and Leosiñeta street. It will be continued by the elevator Leosiñeta-Larraundi.

Airport

San Sebastián Airport, located in the border town of Fuenterrabía, has daily flights to Madrid and Barcelona, as well as other occasional destinations. According to AENA, the number of passengers in 2011 was 248,054, there were 9,562 operations and 31,966 kg of cargo were transported. The absence of low-cost lines, as well as its small size and the existence of two nearby airports, limit the possibilities for use of the airport. The Guipúzcoa Provincial Council and the San Sebastián City Council are in negotiations with the central government to expand the runway. Iberia and Vueling currently operate.

Tourism

Part of the bay of La Concha from the Wind comb of Chillida

Rear view of the island of Santa Clara and the bay of La Concha from the Wind comb

San Sebastián is an important tourist destination both in Spain and in Europe. International journalistic references to the tourist benefits of the city are common. In fact, and by way of example, San Sebastián was chosen by the English newspaper The Guardian as "one of the five best summer cities" in the world, along with Berlin, Stockholm, New York and Amsterdam.

One of the main tourist attractions of the city is gastronomy. So are the summer festivals (Jazz, Musical Fortnight and Cinema). The bay of La Concha, bordered by its characteristic railing, is the tourist symbol of San Sebastián. In the center of the bay is the pearl of La Concha, which is the island of Santa Clara.

The Wind comb, on the skirts of Mount Igueldo and next to the bay, is one of the symbols of the city

Next to the Ondarreta beach, and following the promenade that borders the bay to the end, you will reach the Peine del Viento, a set of sculptures made by Eduardo Chillida and turned into another of the symbols from the city. Advancing west along Paseo de La Concha is the unique Miramar Palace, built in the English style by the Spanish Royal House in 1893 and sold to the City Council in the 1970s. The palace gardens, open to the public, offer spectacular views of the bay, as does the Monte Igueldo Amusement Park, a small amusement park from the turn of the century XX from which you get splendid views of the bay. From the Peine del Viento to Mompás, a land outlet to the sea under Mount Ulía at the eastern end of the city, crossing the bay of La Concha, the small port, Paseo Nuevo, the mouth of from the river and the Zurriola beach promenade, you can walk along a promenade some seven kilometers long without crossing a single traffic light.

The walks through the center of the city, the so-called Romantic Area of the Belle Époque, whose main streets are completely pedestrianized, and next to the Urumea river, are another of the strong points of the tourist offer of San Sebastián. Notable are the buildings of the Provincial Council of Guipúzcoa (inspired by the Paris Opera building), the Buen Pastor Cathedral and the Post Office buildings and the Koldo Mitxelena Cultural Center, located in the same square, or the Town Hall (formerly casino). In the old part, the San Telmo Museum, the church of Santa María and the parish of San Vicente are noteworthy. Next to the mouth of the river are the Victoria Eugenia Theater and the María Cristina Hotel, which make up one of the most attractive monumental complexes in the city. Crossing the river by the María Cristina bridge, the most ornate of San Sebastian's bridges, are the Estación del Norte and the purely French-style villas located on the edge of the river.

Diurnal panoramic view of La Concha.

Twin cities

The city of San Sebastián is twinned with six cities (2021).

Notable people