San Sebastián (Spanish: san seβasˈtjan) or Donostia (Basque: doˈnos̺tia) is the principal city of the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country, Spain. The city is arguably the foremost beautiful place in Spain. It sits on the Bay of Biscay coast 20 km (12 miles) from the border with France. As of 2015, the capital city of Gipuzkoa, the population of the municipality is 186,095, with its metropolitan area reaching 436,500 in 2010. Locals in both the Spanish and Basque languages call themselves donostiarra (singular). It is a modern seaside resort at the mouth of the canalized River Urumea on the Bay of Biscay, east of Bilbao, and close to the French border.
The city (San Sebastián) is full of things to do all year round and all day long, offering up some of Spain’s most beautiful countryside and sun-kissed beaches. First mentioned in a document of 1014, Sancho VI (the Wise) of Navarre gave it a charter of rights and privileges around 1160–90. The town burned in 1813 after Anglo-Portuguese forces had taken it from the French during the Peninsular War. The old town incorporates a neoclassical, austere and systematic kind of architectural construction; constitution Square was inbuilt 1817 and also the government building (currently a library) between 1828 and 1832. Housing within the old town was built gradually alongside the remainder of the world. Within the old town are the Gothic church of San Vicente (1507), the Baroque church of Santa María (1743–64), and therefore the former convent of San Telmo (1531–51), now a museum with a Basque ethnographic section. The urban area has the notable neo-Gothic cathedral of El Buen Pastor (“The Good Shepherd”).
Trade and tourism are the main economic activities and is one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations. It is a beautiful city which presents a wide variety of things to do throughout the year and throughout the day. Often thought to be the summer capital, as an oversized volume of delight seekers flee the warmth of inland Spain and are available to San Sebastian’s more relaxing location, to enjoy its sun-kissed beaches and lovely mountain scenery. Despite the city’s small size, events like the San Sebastian International fete have given it a world dimension.
Including tourism, the main sources of income are the manufacture, along with fishing, of cement, chemicals, metallurgical goods, beer, and chocolate. The city of San Sebastian has a strong rail, road, air, and sea connections. However, its beaches are the spot where San Sebastian comes into its own. The beaches of La Concha draw thousands of tourists every year, as do the annual international jazz and film festivals. Playa Zurriola is a beach for surfing, and a perfect spot to watch the sunset.
As for nightlife town offers up a number of the country’s most vibrant and welcoming bars and clubs where everyone can enjoy themselves until the first hours of the morning. For those that don’t fancy the nightclub scene an easy walk along the beach or promenade or through the cities old quarter will be a magical experience within the twilight hours. Perhaps the most effective thing to try to in the city is to go to Monte Igueldo and admire the view of the town and therefore the mountains within the background.
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