San Sebastian Tourist City Guide

R.R.P.: €1 (VAT inc.)

2015’ 16

ongi etorri *

ENG

welcome

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R.R.P.: e1.00 (VAT incl.)

Published by: San Sebastian Turismo Donostia Turismoa S.A. Boulevard, 8.

Tel.: (+34) 943 48 11 66. sansebastianturismo@donostia.org www.sansebastianturismo.com Direction and production: ACC Texts: Alejandro Fernández Aldasoro Mikel G. Gurpegui Translations: Saretik Hizkuntza Zerbitzuak Photographs: Archivo San Sebastián Turismo, Asociados a San Sebastián Turismo, Archivo ACC, Basquetour, Dabid Argindar, Darío Garrido, Gonzalo Iza, Gorka Bravo, Javier Carballo, Javier Larrea, Jesús Arregi, Lurrak, Santiago Yaniz, Sara Santos.

Printing: JOMAGAR ROTO OFFSET, S.L. D.L.: SS 1528-2014 1st edition in English: January 2015 Total print run: 77,000 copies All rights reserved. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

The information contained on this brochure was gathered during the third quarter of 2014. The prices, addresses and other practical information are subject to change. San Sebastian Turismo is not responsible for any omissions or errors that may have been made. We would be grateful if you could report any errors or omissions you may find in this edition to sansebastianturismo@donostia.org

OrganiZations under agreements with san sebastian tourism:

SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

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Tourism seals of quality used in this guide: Spanish Tourist Quality Mark

Tourist Quality Commitment Mark

Information available about the establishment’s accessibility

Euskadi Gastronomika

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Ongi etorri (Welcome) The tide comes in, the tide goes out and then it comes back in again.

Sometimes the sea is beautifully calm and sometimes the waves crash against the bridges and promenades with amazing force.

Donostia/San Sebastian is a city that is perched above the sea. It is a daily dance between its 186,000 inhabitants and the ever-changing Cantabrian waters.

It is world-famous cuisine which is continuously updated and comes and goes on the finest dining tables and the popular pintxo (tapa) bars. It is a movie at the Zinemaldia, the “International Film Festival”, and it is a song at one of the music festivals that come here every year to change our view of the world. It’s everything that moves. It’s every wave that reaches here. With every wave that comes, the ideas and ways of San Sebastian change.

And they are also changed by every visitor, with every look, with every experience in the city. So that’s why we’re so happy that you’re here and we welcome you.

Ongi etorri

Hola

p. 4-23

THE CITY

Services and products 2016 European capital of culture A LITTLE HISTORY TOURS AT YOUR LEISURE BEACHES AND PARKS

p. 24-71

WHAT TO DO

st the art of making the mo of your time

Dining plans Cultural plans Sporting plans PLANS FOR COUPLES Family plans SHOPPING PLANS NIGHT PLANS

p. 72-77

SURROUNDING AREA

DISCOVER THE BASQUE COUNTRY There are many different worlds in the Basque Country, but they’re all just a s

tone’s throw

p. 78-83

WHERE TO SLEEP

e a widvariety Accommodation GUIDE odation of accomm your budget to suit p. 84-87

MEETING A BUSINESS CITY

p. 88-96

PRACTICAL INFO USEFUL INFO transport resources MAP OF THE CITY DICTIONARY

Don’t

get lost

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We help you to discover our city and enjoy yourself San Sebastian TOURIST SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

To know is to love, that’s why the tourist office offers you a personalised service with up-to-date information, an accommodation reservation service and tons of interesting activities so that you know exactly what’s going on in San Sebastian and you can enjoy the city more.

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map and the compass

SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

the

All of the information you need. When you arrive in a city

there are lots of things you need to know: where to sleep, where to eat, what to do so you don’t miss anything important and so that you don’t get lost. Come to the Tourist Office, right in the centre of San Sebastian, and we’ll tell you everything, we’ll be your compass.

San Sebastian CARD. Save up to €25. The San

Sebastian Card can make the difference between visiting the city and discovering it. It allows you to use public transport and benefit from unbeatable discounts in museums, stores and restaurants

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SAN SEBASTIAN TURISMO Boulevard, 8 (2E) T. 943 48 11 66 www.sansebastianturismo.com

Maps and guides .

X marks the spot.

San Sebastian is full of gems that you can easily find. All that you need is a good map, some guides with interesting information about the city and some free time to enjoy the search. We provide the map and guides in the Tourist Office. Start exploring there.

All tourist information, calendars, products, news and bookings at:

www.sansebastianturismo.com

Guided Sightseeing Tours.

Follow our lead. Discover

first-hand the charms of the city with professional guides who know everything there is to know and want to tell you about it. You can go on walking tours around the Old Town, the Romantic Area or explore the different flavours of San Sebastian. You can do it on a bike in the summer and certain parts of the year. And you can do it on the Tourist Bus or Tourist Train, enjoying the finest views without worrying about the traffic.

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2016 in Donostia/San Sebastián means more Culture Being the European Capital of Culture will give a boost to the city’s cultural life, with an innovative programme aimed at fostering coexistence and ensuring a stronger and better connection with Europe in 2016. San Sebastian will have more culture, if that’s possible.

OVER SIXTY ACTIVITIES

The programme, which will encourage coexistence, citizen participation and other ways of seeing and experiencing culture, will complement the city’s already-extensive and varied cultural attractions throughout 2016.

More than ever before, Donostia/San Sebastian will be a perfect destination for cultural tourism enthusiasts. The programme proposed by the city during its year as the European Capital of Culture will consist of over sixty cultural and leisure activities that will each focus on different themes such as wellness, healthy living, the environment, human rights, coexistence, identity, expression, transmission and communication.

In addition to these there will be a number of proposals made in conjunction with existing cultural platforms and facilities in the city and with residents.

2016 Capital of Culture

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Fancy a sneak

preview?

Peace treaty

The year’s largest exhibition will analyse how violence and peace have been represented throughout the history of art. This research project will include laboratories, case studies, seminars, etc.

Anti-War Festival

A cast of international artists coming together to show their commitment against war and in favour of human rights.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Outdoor performance of the legendary Shakespeare play, on the 400th anniversary of his death.

One of the most attractive options

of the summer, which will turn one of the most iconic parks in the city into an enchanted forest.

Emusik2016

The European Festival of Young Musicians will bring together 10,500 musicians from 26 countries who will give hundreds of performances.

Time Machine Soup

A fascinating journey back to the origins of European history through your taste buds. A gastronomic and cultural initiative for an anthropological analysis which will take us back to the first soup cooked by humans.

GR-2016

A 32-stage pedestrian trail which crosses the region, through forests and cities, livened up with mini-cultural performances in strategic locations.

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A LITTLE HISTORY KING SANCHO THE WISE OF NAVARRE’S DESIRE to have a

route out to sea from his kingdom led to him granting San Sebastian a charter in 1180, and this event can be considered the moment when the town was officially founded.

This then saw maritime trade being combined with traditional whaling and cod fishing.

Its proximity to France and its position on the Road to Santiago not only drove the development of this small coastal town, they also made it a strategic location during times of war. It therefore became a fortified town in the 12th century. Over the centuries it was subjected to numerous sieges, but the people of San Sebastian managed to defend it from their enemies until 1719,

when the town surrendered for the first time and fell into the hands of France for two years. In 1794 the town succumbed again when besieged by the French, this time until 1813, when San Sebastian was liberated by Anglo-Portuguese soldiers, who burnt down and looted the town.

Only a few houses were left standing, forcing the people of

KUTXATEKA / Fotocar / Martín Ricardo

Chronology of major events 1180 King Sancho of Navarra granted a Charter to San Sebastian, considered the moment when the town was founded.

1450 The first trading port was constructed.

1597 The plague devastated the town.

The infected were treated on Santa Clara Island.

1662 Felipe IV granted it City status.

1719-1721 San Sebastian surrendered for the first time to the French army.

1813 The AngloPortuguese troops “liberated” the city, burning it down and almost completely destroying it.

San Sebastian to rebuild it, almost from scratch, creating the Old Town that we know today.

Happier times were to follow when Queen Isabell II, whose doctors had recommended that she bathed in the sea to alleviate her skin problems, made summering in San Sebastian fashionable. This was in 1845 and, from then on, her

The royal family chose to spend its summer holidays in San Sebastian.

In the photo, Alfonso XIII and his sons Jaime and Alfonso, on a boat in La Concha Bay in 1920.

presence attracted the court and numerous aristocrats during the summer months.

The town was becoming famous and needed to grow and expand. The walls were demolished in 1864, and the urban development that took place gave rise to the Cortázar expansion district, which is the current city centre.

At the start of the 20th century, San Sebastian experienced its “Belle Époque”, becoming the preferred tourist destination of the European upper classes. Queen María Cristina made the Miramar Palace the summer residence of her court, and the luxury hotels, casinos and theatres flourished.

During the 1st World War, moneyed Europeans took refuge from the conflict here.

Much of the French influence that is visible on the streets of the city is due to these visitors.

The heavy industrialisation in the years following the Civil War in 1936 resulted in a dark period during which certain poorly-judged urban development took place.

But in the second half of the 20th century, San Sebastian consolidated its economic, cultural and tourist potential, pushing forward new projects while at the same time preserving its natural and historical heritage, becoming, in the process, the stylish combination of tradition and modernity that we know today.

1845 Isabel II made La Concha Beach fashionable.

1864 The city walls were demolished.

1888 The first stone of Buen Pastor church was laid and it was finished in 1897. In 1953 it was classed as a cathedral.

1893 Queen María Cristina established the Miramar Palace the summer residence of her court.

Everything

brought by the sea

The sea brought the first fishermen to San Sebastian, who were seeking refuge on Mount Urgull. It later attracted the interest of King Sancho of Navarre, who was its founder, and of all of the armies who have passed through here in the history of war.

The sea also brought with it a queen with skin problems and the subsequent fashion of summering. And the sea also brought our current cultural, economic and tourist potential.

1912 The Igeldo funicular, the Victoria Eugenia Theatre and María Cristina Hotel were opened.

1953 First edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

A LITTLE HISTORY

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THE OLD TOWN At one end of 31 de Agosto Street is San Vicente Church [4], which was built at the start of the 16th century and is the oldest in the city. At the other end is the Basilica of Santa María [5]. Go inside and see Our Lady of the Choir or Chillida’s cross in the church, or sit on the steps to contemplate the beautiful view of Mayor Street. An interesting fact: as the crow flies, there is exactly one kilometre between the Basilica of Santa María and the Buen Pastor Cathedral, which can be seen in the background.

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[3] is the epicentre of the culinary earthquake that takes place every day.

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FERMÍN CALBETÓN STREET

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Inside the Old Town the streets exude vitality and there’s a constant flow of pedestrians. At sunset, the bars and restaurants fill up with people.

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At the heart of the Old Town is CONSTITUCIÓN SQUARE [1], where most of the city’s festive events take place. The colourful facades with numbers painted on every balcony, remind us that it used to be a bullring.

At the end of San Jerónimo Street we come to 31 DE AGOSTO STREET [2], the only one left standing after the devastating fire of 1813.

Trinidad Square is hidden away on this street, with a pelota court and stands, where they hold rural sport competitions and concerts.

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“La Bretxa” to mount Urgull From

BASILICA OF SANTA MARÍA

VIEW FROM LOS CURAS PROMENADE

High up on Mount Urgull you’ll find La Mota Castle, which was constructed in the 12th century and a key part of the town’s defence. At the top, the Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) [6] monument, which is free to enter, is the only place from which you can see the city’s three beaches. As you walk down a set of stairs you come to the San Telmo Museum [7], the former Dominican convent from the 16th century which was renovated and extended in 2011 with a contemporary building.

Very nearby, a steep staircase eroded by the passage of centuries takes you to the Paseo de los Curas [8] (Priestes’ promenade), an exceptional vantage point where priests would once stroll under the shade of the trees.

The Old Town has a market called “La Bretxa” [9]. Its name is due to it being located in the place where Wellington’s English troops penetrated the city during the siege of 1813. Having now been renovated as a shopping and leisure centre, it still retains its traditional market.

When San Sebastian was still an island connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land, there was a fisherman’s quarter that was sheltered by Mount Urgull. The Old Town is not only the direct heir of that district, but it is also the beating heart of the city, with its countless bars, restaurants and gastronomic societies.

Everything that makes San Sebastian what it is, everything that sets it apart, is concentrated here.

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ROMANTIC AREA

CITY HALL

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For generations, couples, friends and groups of pals have met beneath the Boulevard’s clock, next to the bandstand. If you go there when the hour strikes, you’re bound to see a few people standing beneath the clock, waiting for someone who is late, glancing at the time occasionally.

Two blocks away is Gipuzkoa Square [4], the first public park that was built in San Sebastian at the end of the 19th century, with a romantic landscape style: a winding path and elements of the garden that are characteristic of the period.

BOOKSHOP IN BILBAO SQUARE

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From Gipuzkoa Square you can head down the elegant Churruca Street and Getaria Street and go to Bilbao Square [5] or around the vicinity of Buen Pastor Cathedral [6], the centre of the Romantic Area with its chic shops, small bookshops and pintxo (tapa) bars.

RIVER URUMEA

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The Boulevard is overlooked by the Bandstand [2] and the City Hall [3], which is famous for being one of the most beautiful buildings in Spain. The latter of these was originally designed as a casino and some of the biggest parties from that era were held in its halls. The Alderdi Eder gardens are opposite to it, with their characteristic tamarind trees and carousel.

Old Town

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The Boulevard [1] lies between the Old Town and the expansion district that was constructed after the walls were demolished. It is a bustling pedestrian zone, where everyone goes and anything might happen.

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From the

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From Gipuzkoa Square you can also head towards the river and discover the inseparable duo of the Victoria Eugenia Theatre [10] and the María Cristina Hotel [11].

From Mata Hari to John Malkovich; they’ve all admired the neoplateresque façade of the theatre and succumbed to the luxurious warmth that pervades the hotel, which has just celebrated its centenary.

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FAÇADE IN THE ROMANTIC AREA

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The Francia Promenade [7] is amazing, with its French-style stately homes.

There you will find the Norte Station [8], whose interior canopy was the work of the engineer Biarez, one of Eiffel’s students. The beautiful Cristina-Enea Park [9] stretches out on the other side of the canopy.

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River Urumea

Between the hotel and the theatre there is a sculpture honouring Admiral Oquendo. The old sailor and soldier from San Sebastian looks out towards the Santa Catalina Bridge [12], the oldest in the city.

CristinaEnea

The romantic area of San Sebastian runs along the Cortázar expansion district, designed in the second half of the 19th century after the wall that had protected the town was demolished. The streets, sandstone buildings and beautiful portals come together to form an uncluttered and serene city, with an unmistakeable French touch that delights the senses and inspires very romantic feelings of indulgence and adventure.

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MARITIME Construcción Vacía (Empty Construction)

After crossing the Zurriola Bridge, you come to the Paseo Nuevo (promenade) [5] which runs around Mount Urgull and is closed during weather warnings, because the staggering waves often reach the promenade.

Continuing along next to the sea, you come to Jorge Oteiza’s Construcción Vacía [6] (Empty Construction).

TICO REAL CLUB NÁU

5 The Punta de Monpás (Monpás Point) [1], on the east end of the city, is where waves and surfers come together. They meet up there every day of the year, whatever the weather. The waves never tire. Nor do the surfers.

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Ondarreta Beach

The Zurriola Promenade [2] runs along the beach, which borders the Gros district, finishing at the Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium [3]. The architect Rafael Moneo conceived it as two rocks stranded on the seashore.

Most of the movie stars who come to the International Film Festival are photographed on the larger rock’s northern esplanade.

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Miramar Palace

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The Zurriola Bridge [4] is the first bridge passed by the waves from the north when they enter the city. It is on the front line in the eternal battle between San Sebastian and the tidal waves. The waves crash against its pillars, passing underneath into the river and they splash against its beautiful modernist lampposts.

Beach

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La Perla

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At the end of the port is the City Hall [7], a former casino, and the Real Club Náutico [8], a remarkable building in the Rationalist style which was built to resemble a boat berthed in the dock. Sit on the jetty.

Enjoy feeling the sea lapping at your feet.

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Surfers on the Zurriola bridge

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From La Concha Promenade you come to the Miramar Palace [12], in the Queen Anne English cottage style, which Queen María Cristina made the summer residence of her court. If you go down from the western entrance you come to the El Antiguo (Old) district, so-called because the first inhabitants of the city lived there.

Halfway along La Concha we come to the modern Perla Thalasso-Sports Centre

[9], which was one of the most important spas in the world in its day. Continuing alongside La Concha Beach, you can see Chillida’s Homenaje a Fleming

(Homage to Fleming) [10].

It’s a lovely spot to stop off and gaze at Santa Clara Island [11].

Ondarreta Beach, with its promenade and gardens, which contain a statue in honour of Queen María Cristina, leads to the Peine del Viento (Wind Comb) [13], perhaps a symbol of the city and one of its most beautiful places. It is the work of the architect Luis Peña Ganchegui and the sculptor Eduardo Chillida. A place that is simply unique.

(Wind Comb) Man walks at a speed of 6 kilometres an hour. San Sebastian’s promenade is 6 kilometres long in total, with no hills, no cars and not a single traffic light to cross.

The coast is clear.

Enjoy a stroll along the entire San Sebastian coastline, its three beaches, its landforms and its urban landscape. It’ll take you an hour.

Not including stops on the way of course.

Stop-offs are essential.

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Immerse yourself

in our city

The sea that you deserve The 4 beaches, the waves and everything else

A 6-kilometre stroll connects the three beaches that look out towards the Cantabrian Sea. There’s another south-facing beach, the only one of its kind in the Basque Country, which you can get to by boat. Or by swimming.

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MOUNT IGELDO

MOUNT URGULL

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la Concha

La concha, the queen of all beaches.

In 1845 Queen Isabel II was suffering from skin problems and the doctors recommended that she bathed in the sea. So

she came to La Concha. Early in the morning the young queen would appear in a horsedrawn carriage, before entering a beach hut that was pulled to the shore by a pair of oxen. The rest of the court, the princesses and high society aristocrats followed behind her and with the new fashion of going to the beach, gave rise to the San Sebastian becoming chic and stylish.

And then came the rest: the nickname of the Pearl of the Cantabrian Sea, the tourists, awards from all of the travel guides for being one of the most beautiful urban beaches in the world.

Beach

BEACHES AND PARKS

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Today thousands upon thousands of visitors continue to lean on the famous railings on its promenade and gaze upon the same sensational bay, sheltered by Mount Igeldo, Mount Urgull and Santa Clara Island. Visitors who take that iconic photo of the city, with the beach in the background, and then sit on a terrace and enjoy the view. Or visitors who can’t resist and go down to the sand and walk barefoot along its more than 1,300 metres, enjoying its fine white sand.

Or they bathe in its hypnotic waters and swim up to a platform, where they can sit down and dry off At high tide the sand in the sun and gaze upon virtually disappears and the this aristocratic queen’s waves crash beneath the beach with the satisfied promenade, splashing against the city. At low and magnanimous look tide, almost 40 metres of of a true king or queen. beach emerge from under the blue sheet of water.

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Zurriola, always the latest wave.

Zurriola Beach is the face of the Gros district. That means that it’s not only a beach

and a promenade, but it’s also at the forefront of a part of San Sebastian that has a life of its own and its own personality. It’s a glimpse at what is happening behind, which is lots.

Since its renovation in the mid-nineties, it has become a place with tremendous vitality, where lots of things happen that you won’t find anywhere else in the city. Unlike the quiet and elegant character of the other beaches in San Sebastian, Zurriola has a far more youthful and bohemian atmosphere. The construction of the Kursaal Congress Centre and

Auditorium, which the architect conceived as two rocks stranded on the seashore, was the city’s first major contemporary work and it was built here. There are more examples of this alternative and innovative spirit of Zurriola: the Jazz Festival concerts with the biggest crowds are held on the sand of Zurriola Beach, and this is the only beach in the city with an area for nudists.

But if there’s one thing that this beach stands out for, it’s its surfer atmosphere. At any time of the year, any hour of the day, you can see surfers stuffed into their suits, barefoot and with their boards under their arms wondering

BEACHES AND PARKS

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in Gros you can see a surfer with his board,

barefoot waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

And that says it all. around Gros, heading towards Zurriola. It’s probably the Cantabrian Sea’s biggest surfing beach. It has continuous, powerful waves, gets a lot of sea and works well in all tides.

From the parapet in Sagüés, on the eastern edge of the city, you can see the progress of the surfers on the waves, as if you were in the cinema watching a movie at the Surfilm Festival. And if surfing’s not your thing, sit down anyway and enjoy the magnificent view of the entire city. If you wait for the sunset you won’t regret it.

shops and restaurants, equally impressive The restaurants and shops in Gros are just as impressive as the waves on Zurriola Beach.

Several of Donostia/San Sebastian’s best pintxo (tapa) bars are here, as are a number of nightlife spots with relaxed and intimate atmospheres, and tempting patisseries, where you’d happily wolf down all of their cakes. There are also fantastic shops. For surfing, fashion, gifts.

Everything you need and always with the latest fashions.

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A beach with an island

400 metres away, are you up for it?

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ONDARRETA, a family-sized refreshment.

Ondarreta is a comfortable, peaceful beach, without waves. Just like La Concha and Zurriola it has

free showers and a beach huts for groups. Also like La Concha and Zurriola, it has a sunshade and parasol rental service. There are a couple of beach bars where you can have something to drink or a nibble. And it has a spacious sandy area, regardless of the tide. In short, it’s the perfect beach to spend the whole day with your family. The kids look for crabs between the rocks.

The youngsters catch waves underneath the tennis wall or they go diving. And mum and dad take their kids swimming up to the island, as if they were taking them to the circus or to watch football. Crossing the 400 metres that separate the two shores, either by swimming or using a swim ring, is and will always be a traditional and fun challenge. In the summer there are also platforms on the way, so you can rest or turn around if you’re running out of steam. To the west of the beach is the Peine del Viento (Wind Comb). To the est, sitting on a promontory, is the Miramar Palace, another of San Sebastian’s iconic buildings. And to the south, the Ondarreta Gardens. Three perfect options to relax after so much excitement.

BEACHES AND PARKS

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THE ISLAND. The only south-facing Basque beach.

You can get there by swimming, on a lilo or on one of the PUBLIC MOTORBOATS that leave the port in the summer. It’s always exciting to

The views of the bay from the Island are spectacular, stunning. In fact, there’s nowhere else in the Basque Country where the sea is to the south and the midday sun reflects on the water.

step onto a small island in the middle of a city.

Santa Clara Island is a unique place, of that there is no doubt. At the end of the 16th century they brought people who had been infected by the plague here. Now it’s simply a beach devoted to the pleasure of idling away the hours. Your southern beach, one of a kind on the Basque coast. It’s only 30 metres long. But it has all of the same services as its bigger sisters, including lifeguards and a bar right on the edge of the dock, where everything tastes better. Bathing here is a delight. And after bathing, you can go to the forest that sits on top of the island and eat on one of the picnic tables and have a little nap. Are you going to miss out on such an experience?

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PLEASE WALK ON THE GRASS

In the parks in Donostia/San Sebastian, you get woods instead of the sea, fountains instead of waves, grass instead of sand and green instead of blue. You can slip on some comfortable shoes and have a stroll around them and forget about everything. Or you can even forget about going for a stroll.

1. Cristina Enea Park Set within the urban grid of the city, Cristina Enea is a green oasis created by the Duke of Mandas, in honour of his wife.

After her death, he donated it to San Sebastian, with the sole condition that its original appearance would never be altered. Thanks to this, the park now has the same charm as in bygone eras, with peacocks and swans, exotic varieties of trees and a complete network of footpaths.

San Sebastian parks:

Green beaches, islands on the road.

2. MOUNT IGELDO

3. Miramar Park

The highest of San Sebastian’s three coastal mounts, it offers the most splendid panoramic views of the city and the unforgettable sight of the lighthouse when the daylight fades. With a fortified town and quaintly charming amusement park sitting atop it, Igeldo is the starting point of numerous daytrips along the Cantabrian coast.

It possibly has the most stunning view of the city. It is dominated by a spectacular palace inspired by the Queen Anne English cottage style, which was the royal residence. Queen Mª Cristina and King Juan Carlos de Borbón spent their summers here. The Miramar Gardens slope gently down to the sea, between gravel paths and flowerbeds.

Foto: gorka bravo / dantzaz konpainia

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Located deep in the hills, between Otxoki Park and the Loiola district, Ametzagaina contains the remains of the old fort from the 19th century Carlist Wars. It also contains large hardwood forests and sprawling meadows, as well as areas to stroll and play. At 280,000 m2, it’s San Sebastian’s biggest park.

4. Mount Urgull Mount Urgull is the city’s most visited and central park. In it stand the remains of the castle that once defended the city.

The whole park is an accumulation of charming spots, paths, passages and reminders of the past. At the top, the Sagrado Corazón (Sacred Heart) vantage point, which is free to enter, is the only place from which you can see San Sebastian’s three beaches.

5. Mount Ulia Ulia still retains its rugged beauty and many of the signs of its past identity during the “Belle Époque”. At the top of it there is a vantage point, from which people scanned the sea in search of whales in times gone by. On its western side, you have a stunning view of San Sebastian and Zurriola Beach, especially at the last light of day.

Zurriola, ideal to be admired at the last light of day.

6. Aiete Park Perched on one of the hills surrounding San Sebastian, it is a beautiful and extensive monumental garden, designed by the Frenchman Pierre Ducasse at the end of the 19th century. Its grounds contain the stunning palace that was Franco’s summer residence, flowerbeds, ornamental ponds and a beautiful rainforest.

7. Miramón Park 5 minutes from the city centre, Miramón Park is the home of the Eureka! Science Museum, with a collection of miniature reproductions of the province’s most iconic buildings and the Arbide Towers, two Neo-Gothic buildings that were transferred here, brick by brick, from the centre of San Sebastian.

9. Artikutza Although it’s a fair distance from the city, in Artikutza you’ll find the real lungs of San Sebastian. The estate was acquired by City Hall in the early 20th century and has a colourful hardwood forest with beeches, pines and oaks. There is also a programme of guided tours that allow you to explore every aspect of these grounds - one of the rainiest places in Spain.

4

Mount 2

Igeldo

zurriola

5

1

8

beach

3

la Concha bay

6

7

BEACHES AND PARKS

8. AMETzAGAINA

24

WHAT TO DO

dining

SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

25

plans

MICHELIN STARS p.28 Out for pintxos p.29 Basque cuisine restaurants p.32 CIDER AND TXAkOLI p.36 Gastronomic societies p.37 BASQUE CULINARY CENTER p.37 Markets and Deli p.38 Gastronomic experiences p.39

cultural plans

MUSEUMS p.42 Basque culture and local festivals FESTIVALS / CALENDAR p.50

sporting plans Aquatic p.52 RUNNING/CYCLING Trekking p.55

p.54

Plans for couples p.56

Family plans p.60

shopping

p.64

plans

night plans p.70

p.48

26

dining plans EXCITEMENT GUARANTEED In San Sebastian, the cooking expresses what we’re perhaps unable to express with words. Every pintxo (tapa) and every dish contains the language through which we want to convey unique emotions that you won’t be able to forget.

Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise for eating something tasty. Here the opposite

happens. Here you go to eat some pintxos in a little bar in Gros or the Old Town, or you sit at a table to dine in one of the centre’s popular restaurants, and you’re taken straight to a paradise of great food. And if you visit one of the outstanding restaurants that have been awarded a Michelin star, your entry into San Sebastian’s culinary heaven is guaranteed.

The importance given to food in this city, in all of its forms, has made it a universal icon of gastronomy, and rightly so. You only have to wander around San Sebastian’s Old Town to be struck by the omnipresence of the catering establishments in the city. There is such a varied,

extensive and high-quality selection that you could visit the city dozens of times without going to the same restaurant and still leave with the same unbeatable impression.

San Sebastian is the home of gastronomic societies, cider houses, pintxo bars, seafood restaurants and signature restaurants. If only for the incredible variety of the pintxos and the exuberance of the miniature cuisine offered in its bars, San Sebastian is in a league of its own. And, if that’s not enough, it also contains one of the highest concentrations of Michelin stars in the world. Indeed, this city is the ultimate expression of dining pleasure. It is a haven of creativity, beauty, magic and harmony. Of all of those exciting emotions conveyed by good cooking.

WHAT TO DO GASTRO

27

DONOSTIA IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN. You can eat a stew or some pintxos, seated or on your feet, in a fine restaurant or in the most popular of taverns. It doesn’t make a difference. You eat well in this city. However you do it.

28

MICHELIN STARS EVERYWHERE

Take a compass and place it over a map of San Sebastian. Stick the tip of

the compass in the City Hall and draw a radius of 25 kilometres. Do you know how many Michelin stars are there inside that little circle you’ve drawn, which you could cover in about ten minutes in a car? There are 16. Also, of the eight restaurants with three Michelin stars that there are in the country, three of them are in San Sebastian. Arzak, Akelarre and Martín Berasategui. And as many as four other restaurants also have this distinction: Mugaritz, with two, and Kokotxa, Mirador de Ulia and Zuberoa, with one. A little further out, in Hondarribia, is the Alameda restaurant and in Getaria there is Elkano, both of which have a Michelin star. This is a remarkable achievement. Indeed, apart from Kyoto in Japan, there’s nowhere else in the world with a higher concentration per square metre. In San Sebastian we’ve turned cooking into a laboratory of ideas and creative workshop that is famous the world over.

We have turned gastronomy into form of art, of engineering, a symbol of our identity. But enough talking. Let’s eat.

ARZAk Chef: Juan Mari Arzak Avda. del Alcalde José Elosegi, 273 Donostia / San Sebastian · (G2) T. 943 28 55 93 www.arzak.es 90

Sunday and Monday

MARTÍN BERASATEGUI Chef: Martin Berasategui Loidi kalea, 4. Lasarte-Oria T: 943 36 64 71 www.martinberasategui.com 50

Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday all day

AKELARRE Chef: Pedro Subijana Pº Padre Orkolaga, 56 (Igeldo) Donostia / San Sebastian · (A2) T: 943 31 12 09 www.akelarre.net 80 (events 140)

January to June: Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday. From July to December: Sunday night and Monday. And the first fortnight in October.

MUGARITZ Chef: Andoni Luis Aduriz Otzazulueta Baserria / aldura aldea, 20 zk. Errenteria T: 943 51 83 43 / 943 52 24 55 www.mugaritz.com 50 à la carte 175 set menus

Sunday night, Monday all day and Tuesday midday.

OTHER RESTAURANTS WITH MICHELIN STARS

Alameda

ELkano

Kokotxa

Hondarribia T: 943 64 27 89 www.restaurantealameda.net

Getaria T: 943 14 00 24 / 649 33 52 74 www.restauranteelkano.com

Donostia / San Sebastian T: 943 42 19 04 www.restaurantekokotxa.com

MIRADOR DE ULIA

Zuberoa

Donostia / San Sebastian Tel.: 943 27 27 07 www.miradordeulia.es

Oiartzun T: 943 49 12 28 www.zuberoa.com

* Stars awarded in the 2014 edition

PINTXOS gastronomic perfumes

Going out for

pintxos

• If it’s a cold pintxo it’s normally available on the bar, and you can help yourself to it.

• If it’s a hot pintxo, you order it from the waiter.

• When you go out for pintxos, you normally have one round (pintxo and drink) in each bar, and then move on to the next bar.

• In the bars in San Sebastian, the length of the cocktail stick (if there is one in the pintxo) is not an indication of the price.

When in doubt, it’s best to ask the waiter.

• You normally pay at the end.

• Usually groups of friends take turns to pay for rounds, or they set up a “kitty” before they start (none of this paying for your own order in each bar).

If the à la carte and set menus are the cologne of San Sebastian’s restaurants, pintxos are the perfume.

The essence. The heart of our cooking.

Originally the pintxo (tapa) was a slice of bread onto which a portion of food was placed, held together by a cocktail stick.

Nowadays, there are simple but exceptional pintxos, like the traditional potato omelette, or the amazing Gilda, a local creation that is a spicy appetiser with chili pepper, anchovy and olive, created in honour of Rita Hayworth. And, naturally, there are more sophisticated pintxos, examples of “miniature” haute cuisine, flavours created and concentrated into small, tasty morsels.

Going out for pintxos is a social event, and a way of getting to know our culture, a spectacle that combines laughter, conversation, movement and fun.

TIP FOR BEGINNERS.

Every bar has its star pintxo. If you don’t know what it is, order a drink and look at what the regulars are eating. Then order the same thing.

WHAT TO DO GASTRO

29

30

PINTXO ROUTES

Mount

Urgull

la Concha

A tip: don’t forget how many pintxos you’ve eaten. You’ll be asked at the end.

bay

Pza. Gipuzkoa

. de

Avda

centre

LA CEPA

CASA GANDARIAS

DAKARA BI

31 de Agosto, 7 · (1E) T: 943 42 63 94 www.barlacepa.com

31 de Agosto, 23 · (2E) T: 943 42 63 62 www.restaurantegandarias.com

31 de Agosto, 25 bajo · (2D) T: 607 27 96 45

60+15

Tuesday

-

80

Monday

Does not close

A FUEGO NEGRO

CASA VERGARA

31 de Agosto, 31 · (2D) T: 650 13 53 73 www.afuegonegro.com

Mayor, 21 · (2D) T: 943 43 10 73 www.restaurantecasavergara.com

-

Monday

ROUTE B OLD TOWN AND GROS

B

Old Town

You can enjoy this food in bars in the Old Town, the Centre, Gros and other areas of San Sebastian. We recommend visiting 4 or 5 bars and trying 1 or 2 pintxos and a drink in each establishment.

ROUTE A OLD TOWN

A

60

Wednesday

LA VIÑA BAR

BAR BARTOLO

izkiña

31 de Agosto, 3 · (1E) T: 943 42 74 95 www.restaurantelavina.com

Fermín Calbetón, 38 · (2E) T: 943 42 02 79 www.casabartoloetxea.com

Fermín Calbetón, 4 · (2E) T: 943 42 25 62 www.izkinarestaurante.com

80

-

Summer does not close.

Closed on Tuesday rest of year.

Monday

50

Tuesday night and Wednesday

Txalupa

HAIZEA

VIENTO SUR BAR

Fermín Calbetón 3 · (2E) T: 943 42 98 75 www.txalupa.com

Aldamar, 8 · (2E) T: 943 42 57 10 www.facebook.com/BarHaizea

Avda.de Zurriola, 4 · (2F) T: 943 29 13 33 www.vientosur.es

-

Winter: Thursday. Rest of year: does not close

-

Sunday and public holidays in the afternoon

-

-

ad

bert

la Li

C

31

zurriola Gros

RESTAURANTE Calle, nº · (4F) T: 943 00 00 00 www.webreservas.com

110

Domingos

ROUTE C CENTRE / ROMANTIC AREA

Capacity

MESON MARTIN

CAFETERIA IOMBI

Elkano, 7 · (2E) T: 943 42 28 66 www.mesonmartin.com

Plaza de Gipuzkoa, 15 · (2E) T: 943 42 84 23 www.iombi.com

Closed on Grid location on map

Spanish Tourist Quality Mark

Sunday

Tourist Quality Commitment Mark

-

30

Does not close

AVENIDA XXI

ROJO Y NEGRO

Avda. de la Libertad, 21 · (2E) T: 943 42 60 54 www.farfalle.es

San Marcial, 52 · (3E) T: 943 43 18 62 www.barrojoynegro.es

Information available about the establishment’s accessibility

Coeliac-Friendly

Vegetarian-Friendly

120+36 (terraces)

Sunday and public holidays (except 20th January and 15th August)

Diabetic-Friendly

40

Does not close

ITURRIOZ

ANTONIO BAR

San Martín, 30 · (3E) T: 943 42 83 16

Bergara, 3 · (2E) T: 943 42 98 15

-

Sunday

Kitchen open all day

Euskadi Gastronomika

-

Sunday and public holidays

SM CAFE BAR Urbieta, 6 - Local 20 C.C. San Martín · (3E) T: 943 42 76 10

+ -

Sunday and public holidays

AND IF YOU NEED ANY MORE TIPS… # TASTE SAN SEBASTIAN www.tastesansebastian.com

WHAT TO DO GASTRO

Legend for symbols

beach

32

OUR RESTAURANT GUIDE Establishments with set menus or tasting menus, reasonable or extravagant prices, traditional food or signature cuisine. Donostia /San Sebastian has restaurants to suit all needs. And all tastes.

Approximate opening hours of the restaurants: Lunch from 13:30 to 15:30. Dinner from 20:30 to 22:30.

RESTAU RANTS IN SAN SEBASTIAN

ASADOR PORTUETXE

ASTELENA

BARKAIZTEGI

Portuetxe, 43 · (6A) T: 943 21 50 18 www.asadorportuetxe.com

Euskal Herria, 3 · (1E) T: 943 42 58 67 www.restauranteastelena.com

Barkaiztegi Bidea, 42 T: 943 45 13 04 www.barkaiztegi.com

190

-

40/80 and 3 private rooms for 10

Sunday and Wednesday night. Monday all day.

BERNARDO ETXEA Puerto, 7 · (2E) T: 943 42 20 55 www.bernardoetxea.com

BOKADO MIKEL SANTAMARÍA

BODEGÓN ALEJANDRO

Plaza Jacques Cousteau, 1 · (2C) T: 943 43 18 42 www.bokadomikelsantamaria.com

Fermín Calbetón, 4 · (2E) T: 943 42 71 58 www.bodegonalejandro.com

70

140

Sunday night, Monday all day and Tuesday night. July and August: Open Tuesday night

Wednesday night and Thursday

Restaurant 90; Cider house 120

Sunday and public holidays

60-70 dining room/Private: 20

Sunday night, Monday all day, Tuesday night.

BRANKA

CASA GANDARIAS

EGOSARI

Pº Eduardo Chillida, 13 · (2B) T: 943 31 70 96 www.branka-tenis.com

31 de Agosto, 23 · (2E) T: 943 42 63 62 www.restaurantegandarias.com

Fermín Calbetón, 15 · (2E) T: 943 42 82 10 www.egosari.es

90

Sunday

80

Does not close

65

Wednesday night and Thursday

San eb S astian

delicacies

ILLARRA

JUANITO KOJUA

Cº Illarra, 97 T: 943 21 48 94 / 647 27 68 71 www.restauranteillarra.com

Puerto, 14 · (2D) T: 943 42 01 80 www.juanitokojua.com

LA BOULE

(CASINO KURSAAL) Mayor, 1 · (2E) T: 943 42 92 14 www.casinokursaal.com

110

160 (80+80)

Sunday night to Wednesday inclusive (except for groups)

Sunday night and Monday night

20

Open these nights: Thursday, Friday, Saturday

LA FABRICA

LA MURALLA

LA PERLA

Puerto, 17-Bajo · (2D) T: 943 43 21 10 www.restaurantelafabrica.es

Embeltrán, 3 · (2E) T: 943 43 35 08 www.restaurantelamuralla.com

Pº de la Concha, 12 · (3E) T: 943 46 24 84 www.la-perla.net

75

Sunday night. Summer does not close.

50

Sunday night

San Sebastian has traditional dishes that you simply have to try. Here are a few ideas: • Txangurro is a spider-crab that is served baked.

• Cod or hake kokotxas.

This is the bottom of the fleshy part of the jaw of the cod or hake. It is cooked in a casserole dish with olive oil and garlic.

• Cod à la Koxkera.

Cooked in a casserole dish with clams, peas and parsley and served with sliced hard-boiled eggs and asparagus.

• Cod omelette. Simple and delicious.

• Pil pil-style cod, prepared using olive oil, garlic and chili peppers.

• T-bone steak. The Basque Country has exceptional meat so you mustn’t miss this chance to try this tasty and tender dish, cooked on the grill.

140

Sunday night, Monday all day and Tuesday night (in winter).

rnard be e t x e a o RESTAURANT· JATETXEA

fish and seafood

T: 943 42 20 55 www.bernardoetxea.com

WHAT TO DO GASTRO

33

34

RESTAU RANTS

In San Sebastian

LANZIEGO

NARRU

NI NEU

Triunfo, 3 · (3E) T: 943 46 23 84 www.lanziego.com

Zubieta, 56 · (3D) T: 943 42 33 49 www.narru.es

Avda. de Zurriola, 1 · (1F) T: 943 00 31 62 www.restaurantenineu.com

100

Sunday night and Monday night

56

Sunday night and Monday

170+100

1st January and 25th |December Monday.

OQUENDO

REKONDO

TENIS ONDARRETA

Oquendo, 8 · (2E) T: 943 42 07 36 www.cafeoquendo.com

Pº de Igeldo, 57 · (4A) T: 943 21 29 07 www.rekondo.com

Pº de Eduardo Chillida, 9 · (3B) T: 943 31 41 18 www.tenisondarreta.com

65

Does not close

250

80

Sunday night

Tuesday night and Wednesday

TXOKO

TXULETA

UBARRECHENA

Mari, 12 · (2D) T: 943 42 54 12 www.restaurantetxoko.com

Plaza de la Trinidad, 2 · (1D) T: 943 44 10 07 www.txuletarestaurante.com

Puerto 16 · (2D) T. 943 42 83 52 www.ubarrechenarestaurante.com

75

60

Winter: Monday night and Tuesday.

Summer: Tuesday

Sunday night and Monday

VIA FORA Pº Federico García Lorca, 10 · (4F) T: 943 47 09 89 www.viaforadonostia.com

VEGE TARIAN RESTAU RANTS

105

Does not close

TEDONE

Corta, 10 · (2F) T: 943 27 35 61 www.tedone.eu

38

80

Monday

Bar-Restaurante Calle Bergara, 3 / 20005 San Sebastián - Donostia GIPUZKOA (SPAIN) / T +34 943 429 815

www.antoniobar.com

Sunday night and Monday night

35

RESTAU RANTS

BARBAKANA

TSI TAO

Paseo de Salamanca, 1 · (2E) T: 943 42 42 05 www.tsitao.com

San Jerónimo, 20 · (2E) T: 943 42 11 27

20+20

85

Does not close

-

CAFE TEATRO STAFF

raviolina Puerto 9 · (2D) T. 943 42 87 45 www.raviolina.com

Mª Dolores Aguirre 12 · (3F) T: 943 26 52 41

-

70

-

RESTAU RANTS

NEAR TO THE CITY

WHAT TO DO GASTRO

INTER NATIONAL -

Does not close

ARAETA

ARGUIÑANO

BEKOERROTA

Berridi Bidea 22 · ZUBIETA T: 943 36 20 49 www.araeta.com

Mendilauta, 13 · Zarautz T: 943 13 00 00 www.hotelka.com

Bº Jaizubia, s/n. Hondarribia T: 943 64 31 94 www.bekoerrota.com

500

80 + 30

Does not close

Sunday night and Wednesday

GURUTZE BERRI

MARINA BERRI

Plaza Bizardia, 7 · Oiartzun T: 943 49 06 25 www.gurutzeberri.com

Puerto Deportivo, s/n. Zumaia T: 943 86 56 17 www.marinaberri.com

450

Monday

Lunches · Dinners · Guided tours

750

Sunday night and Monday

280 /Cider house:150

Sunday night and Monday

Oialume Bidea, 63 Astigarraga. T: 943 55 22 42

www.gurutzeta.com

36

Cider and txakoli wine magic potions.

Along with the wine from Rioja, cider and txakoli wine are the keys to ensuring the most stimulating of conversations, the tastiest of dishes, a more pleasant dining experience.

Our ambassador, txakoli wine.

Txakoli wine is one of our cuisine’s greatest ambassadors. A journey through Aia, Zarautz and Getaria, the towns in Gipuzkoa where most txakoli wine is produced, will reveal the secrets of this young, fruity white wine, a perfect accompaniment for salted anchovies or tuna in oil.

The cider ritual.

We’ve been making cider here for centuries and it is obtained from the fermented apple juice, using traditional methods. From the middle of January to the end of April, the txotx ritual brings Basques to the cider houses, where they can taste the season’s cider before it is bottled, along with traditional

txakoli wineries Call and make an appointment to go on a guided tour.

menus based on cod and T-bone steak. The cider houses are open throughout the year and they are restaurants that are normally located in the same farm buildings where the cider is produced, surrounded by apple orchards. In some places they still uphold the tradition of standing as you eat and wrapping up warm to protect yourself from the cold of the cellar.

But there are also modern cider houses with heating, where people sit at long wooden tables which they share with the other regulars.

There’s a very special atmosphere.

In Hernani and Astigarraga, less than ten kilometres from San Sebastian, there are over 100 cider houses. And in Astigarraga, is the highly-recommended Cider Museum or Sagardoetxe.

REZABAL

TALAI BERRI

Itsas-Begi Etxea, 628.

Asti Auzoa. Zarautz T: 943 58 08 99 www.txakolirezabal.com

Talaimendi 728, Apdo 184 Zarautz T: 943 13 27 50 www.talaiberri.com

the

’ TXot x’al ritu

• The owner of the cider

house shouts ‘txotx!’, inviting everyone to try the cider from a new barrel.

• The diners rise from the

table and approach him with their empty glass. In the order in which they arrive, each person tilts their glass until the cider, which comes out of a tiny hole in the barrel, ‘breaks’ in the glass and its aromas are released.

• You stand next to the

barrel as you savour the different subtle flavours of the cider and share your thoughts with everyone else. You then return to the table with the empty glass.

• This is repeated again and again until all barrels have been tried

Gastronomic societies For members and guests. cider houses

Gastronomic societies ARE HALFWAY BETWEEN A HOME AND A RESTAURANT. The members meet up to

GURUTZETA Oialume Bidea, 63. Astigarraga T: 943 55 22 42 www.gurutzeta.com

have lunch or dinner in a club equipped with a kitchen in a warm and friendly atmosphere. You must be invited by a member to attend. The food comes from outside and is cooked by one or more of the diners at the meal. The costs are then calculated and split between everyone.

If you get the chance to go to one, don’t miss it. It’s a way of becoming deeply immersed in the culture of San Sebastian.

80

Open during the cider season

INTXAURRONDO Zubiaurre, 72 T: 943 29 20 74 www.sidreriaintxaurrondo.com

120

Sunday night

IRETZA Troia Ibilbidea, 25. Astigarraga T: 943 33 00 30 / 636 49 92 22 www.iretza.com

470

Does not close

Basque Culinary Center The university of cuisine.

Courses for amateurs

The University of the Culinary Arts also offers course for amateur chefs, covering all of the pleasures of cooking: learning, exploring, discovering, having fun and disseminating gastronomic culture

PETRITEGI Camino de Petritegi, 6. Astigarraga T: 943 45 71 88 www.petritegi.com

450

OPEN for dinner Monday to Sunday and for lunch Friday to Sunday and public holidays.

Summer, open every day except Monday lunchtime.

Juan Avelino Barriola, 101 T: 902 54 08 66 www.bculinary.com

If there was going to be a university with a degree in the Culinary Arts, it had to be here. The

Basque Culinary Center, which opened its classrooms in 2011 in the Miramón Technology Park, is here to meet the demands of modern cuisine, where the professionals seek to arouse all of your senses.

WHAT TO DO GASTRO

37

38

Products

Traditional MARKETS and delicatessens, the choice is yours.

In San Sebastian we’ve managed to preserve the essence of traditional trade. In fact, a big part of the success of our cuisine is down to the seasonal produce that the area’s smallholder farmers and cattle farmers bring to the city throughout the year.

Just like they used to decades ago. In the La Bretxa and San Martín food markets you can see the

most renowned chefs personally selecting the best ingredients. They come here every day to select the meat, vegetables and fish which they will go on to serve in their restaurants. Very close to San Sebastian, the markets in Tolosa and Ordizia are also two great options to buy high-quality local produce.

Also for gourmets.

The city also has that chic and refined touch which is also reflected in its selection of stores, with specialist food shops where you can buy imported produce and culinary delicacies, for connoisseurs and gourmets.

Stores such as Aitor Lasa which specialises in cheese and has a fabulous collection of wines. And San Martín market itself, with a huge range of palate pleasers.

+

VISITS FOR GOURMETS: # AITOR LASA GAZTATEGIA GOURMET Aldamar, 12 · (2E) www.aitorlasa.com # mercado de San Martín Urbieta, 9 · (3E) www.msanmartin.es

Let the experts lead the way.

Sometimes, instead of going around trying to make sense of guidebooks and making spur-of-

the-moment decisions about what to do and what not to do, it’s more convenient and simpler to let the people who know the area well to show you the way. There are companies that specialise in this in San Sebastian. Professionals with extensive knowledge about the huge range of dining options in this city and who prepare a personalised plan for you so that you can enjoy your stay like a local.

Tastings, workshops and journeys through the gastronomic geography of San Sebastian and the Basque Country. Culinary routes that will leave a great taste in your mouth.

Culinary secrets.

Discover pintxo routes that only the locals know. Learn to prepare the most celebrated pintxos in a cookery workshop. Discover the keys to preparing the traditional recipes of our cuisine in a course at a gastronomic society. Be accompanied by a guide as you explore the land where txakoli is produced or the apple orchards of a cider house. Go wine tasting on the premises of a winery. Or go to where they make cheese to learn about the process and taste it. Discover all of the secrets of our gastronomy.

+ Recipes to make

your stay even more enjoyable

GASTRONOMIC TOURS: # JUST IN SAN SEBASTIAN T: 943 35 97 65. www.justinsansebastian.com # San Sebastian Food T: 943 43 11 43. www.sansebastianfood.com # Hagoos - your basque country dmc T: 943 22 64 66 www.hagoos.com # BASQUE COOLTOUR T: 676 12 53 22/ 626 78 67 50. www.basquecooltour.com # Follow me San Sebastian T: 943 84 50 03 / 662 10 93 33. www.followmesansebastian.com

WHAT TO DO GASTRO

39

40 40

cultural plans SAN SEBASTIAN,

PERMANENT EXHIBITION The sea has created a masterpiece here. Man, with his museums, cultural centres and sculptures by the most acclaimed artists, is trying to match it.

41

Jorge Oteiza and Eduardo Chillida,

WHAT TO DO CULTURE

architects

of space

A BIG MUSEUM, OPEN 24 HOURS. FREE ENTRY.

San Sebastian is an outdoor museum that never closes.

When the sea is rough, the waves reproduce unique expressions of natural art throughout the city, astonishing locals and visitors alike and producing striking images on the news.

When it is calm, it makes an unrivalled setting to admire the works of its great artists and enjoy a spectacular permanent exhibition. A walk around allows you to view how man has tried to integrate his works into the inspirational setting of San Sebastian.

Eduardo Chillida is perhaps the city’s leading exponent. The Peine del Viento (Wind Comb), a metonym and symbol of San Sebastian, is the most famous manifestation of his feelings and love for his city. He has lots of pieces dotted around San Sebastian: on the Pico del Loro (Parrot’s Beak) -Homenaje a Rafael Balerdi (Homage to Rafael Balerdi), on La Concha Promenade -Homenaje a Victor Fleming (Homage to Victor Fleming) and on Mount Urgull - Homenaje a Pedro Arana (Homage to Pedro Arana). Both of his crosses are also displayed in Buen Pastor Cathedral and the Basilica of Santa María. The Chillida-Leku Museum, currently closed, was the final work created by Eduardo during his life: a green space inhabited by his works, where visitors can lose themselves.

Jorge Oteiza also exhibits here. On the New Promenade is his Construcción Vacía (Empty Construction), challenging the sea, and his sculpture of the Pietà also hangs on the exterior façade of San Vicente Church in the Old Town.

The city also has a wide range of art galleries and museums, and two cultural milestones lie ahead: the future International Contemporary Culture Centre, or Tabakalera, and the hosting of the European Capital of Culture in 2016 will once again demonstrate the creative spirit of San Sebastian.

AND ALSO...

On days with big waves, the wind, sea and rocks complement man’s work. That is when the Peine del Viento plays its aquatic organ.

42 42

LOREM CIUTATE OPERTA MUSEUMS

FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SEE AND BE SEEN.

San Sebastian boasts a full and varied selection of museums: history, science and technology, oceanography and other sources of knowledge are disseminated through exhibition rooms, saltwater tanks and modern audiovisual facilities. To satisfy people who want to know more about how things work.

People who want to learn about the world and themselves.

SAN TELMO MUSEUM

Plaza Zuloaga, 1 · (1E) T. 943 48 15 80 www.santelmomuseoa.com

*

Located at the heart of the Old Town, the museum has reopened its doors after major renovations. With the 16th century Dominican convent renovated and extended with a contemporary building, this space has now become the Museum of Basque Society and Citizenship and offers a new

perspective of our society.

Essential to this is an exhibition in which archaeological, ethnographic, documentary and artistic collections from the museum are joined by audiovisual works by today’s top Basque creators, along with an ambitious program of dissemination activities.

On page 92 you have all of the practical information about the museums: opening hours, days closed, prices etc.

WHAT TO DO CULTURA CULTURE

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the fish not only swim in the 36 0° tunnel they also seem to

fly.

AQUARIUM The Palacio del Mar (Sea Palace) or Aquarium is one of the most modern in Europe.

The building, the work of the architect Juan Carlos Guerra, stands on a rock and has just undergone extensive renovations to give it more of an educational focus. It has an oceanarium that is crossed by a 360º acrylic tunnel, where the visitors feel like they are a part of the marine life as they watch sharks and rays pass over them. Over 5,000 marine species live in the numerous tanks that the museum has, including a touch pool where you can touch some of the live specimens.

Chillida-Leku Plaza Carlos Blasco de Imaz, 1 · (2D) T. 943 44 00 99 www.aquariumss.com

Bº Jauregui, 66. Hernani T: 943 33 59 63 www.museochillidaleku.com

Chillida-Leku is “Chillida’s place”, a space conceived by the artist as a living exhibition of his art. Outside the Zabalaga farmhouse there is an exhibition of over 40 large pieces, made from iron and granite. Inside, there are smaller pieces, drawings and the artist’s early sculptures.

Temporarily closed.

See next opening dates

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On page 92 you have all of the practical information about the museums: opening hours, days closed, prices etc.

HISTORY HOUSE History House, located in La Mota Castle high up on Mount Urgull, is the place where San Sebastian exhibits its history. On a tour through audiovisual content, models, objects and historic scenes, the more than 800 years of a young and lively city are recounted.

A

haute couture collection spanning

the entire

20th century

Aldamar Parkea, 6. GETARIA T. 943 00 88 40 www.cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com

The Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum exudes the elegance and creative imagination that characterised the designs of the most sophisticated haute couture fashion designers of the 20th century. Set in a stunningly beautiful location, on a hill overlooking the sea, the museum combines the local architecture of the 19th century summer residences with a large, modern building that blends into the landscape.

The museum’s own extensive collection is displayed together with temporary exhibitions that cover various aspects of 20th century clothing.

Castillo de La Mota. Urgull · (1D) T. 943 42 84 17 www.santelmomuseoa.com

Paseo de Mikeletegi, 43-45 · (6D) T. 943 01 29 00 www.eurekamuseoa.es

CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA MUSEUM

EUREKA! SCIENCE MUSEUM

Just five minutes from the city centre, this museum pushes the boundaries of Science and Technology. It has a science outreach centre, with over 168 interactive modules, a digital planetarium, a kids’ section, an astronomical observatory and a new simulators room aimed at attracting families. It has a restaurant-café, picnic area and free parking.

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ALBAOLA In the Basque Maritime Factory, in a shipyard museum with exhibitions and craftsmen working before you, you can be part of the audience that witnesses the construction of a replica of the San Juan whaling ship, a 16th century galleon. This is one of the most unique projects for Donostia-San Sebastian European Capital of Culture 2016. It’s only 3 km from San Sebastian, in a

SAGARDOETXEA – CIDER MUSEUM

Welcome to the

home of

cider

Kale Nagusia 48 Astigarraga T. 943 55 05 75 www.sagardoarenlurraldea.com

Naval Museum

The Cider Museum, located in Astigarraga and a short distance from San Sebastian, pays homage to the apple and its juice. The exhibition space is split into three areas: an enclosed centre which summarises the history of the apple and cider using display panels and photographs. An apple orchard that allows you to study the different cultivation systems and the large variety of apples that grow in our region. And a space devoted to cider tastings.

Paseo del muelle, 24 · (2D) T. 943 43 00 51 www.untzimuseoa.net

secluded area that is sheltered by the cliffs, which you can access by boat or by walking along the coast.

–– Ondartxo ibilbidea, 1 Pasai San Pedro T. 943 39 24 26 www.albaola.com

The Naval Museum works to preserve, study and disseminate Basque maritime history and heritage through long-term temporary exhibitions each focused on

single themes. The museum is located in the former fish market at the Consulate of San Sebastian, a building constructed in the middle of the 18th century.

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On page 92 you have all of the practical information about the museums: opening hours, days closed, prices etc.

REAL SOCIEDAD MUSEUM This Museum opened on the 7th of September 2009, the day on which Real Sociedad marked 100 years since its foundation. In an area of 400m2 and using innovative set designs, it shows us the Pº Anoeta (Anoeta Stadium) · (6F) club’s history.

T. 943 47 39 53 www.realsociedad.com

Environmental Resource Centre

Parque de Cristina Enea.

Pº Duque de Mandas, 66 · (4F) T. 943 45 35 26 www.cristinaenea.org

The Duke of Mandas Palace, in Cristina Enea Park, is now the Environmental Resource Centre and Urban Landscape and Sustainability Observatory. The palace boasts a library, sustainability-related exhibitions and it’s a training centre for environmentrelated issues.

Rezola Cement Museum

A place to discover the importance of cement in our civilisation. The museum’s activities tell us about the past and present of the industrial world and how lifestyles, materials, architecture, engineering, art and the environment have changed.

Avda. Añorga, 36.

T. 943 36 41 92 www.museumcementorezola.org

SAN TELMO MUSEUM THE BASQUE SOCIETY OF THE PRESENT AND THE PAST

The newly-renovated San Telmo museum has become an essential visit.

A 16th century convent with a modern architectural extension right in the centre of San Sebastian. San Telmo takes you deep into the heart of Basque society, its history, its creators and its challenges.

Zuloaga Plaza, 1 Tel.: 943 48 15 80 www.santelmomuseoa.com

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ROOM FOR ALL CULTURE Besides the museums, San Sebastian also has other places devoted to art and culture, which are also seen as iconic in the city. Places where there’s room for every kind of artistic expression, from cinema to architecture, design, illustration and new audiovisual trends. Tabakalera, the Kubo Gallery and the Koldo Mitxelena Cultural Centre are places that bring together artists, experts and the public.

TABAKALERA An ambitious project that is converting an old tobacco factory into an International Contemporary Culture Centre which specialises in visual culture. Its aim is to encourage critical thinking and debate between creators, industries and residents.

Opening soon: Autumn 2015.

kubo gallery Situated inside the Kursaal building, at 1,000m2 it can hold large-scale exhibitions. Its programme, based on temporary exhibitions, focuses on the plastic arts, from the start of the 20th century to the current day.

Duque de Mandas 32 · (3F) T. 943 01 13 11 www.tabakalera.eu

Zurriola Hiribidea, 1 · (1F) T. 943 01 24 00 www.sala-kubo-aretoa.com

KOLDO MITXELENA As well as being a public library, it has two exhibition halls: Erakustaretoa, which houses contemporary

international visual arts and the Ganbara room, which focuses on less-known local artists.

Urdaneta kalea, 9 · (3E) T. 943 11 27 60 kmk.gipuzkoakultura.net

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AND, OF COURSE, ART GALLERIES. Individual and group exhibitions, young creators and acclaimed artists: visit our galleries. # ARTEKO Iparragirre, 4. (2F) www.artekogaleria # EKAIN ARTE LANAK Iñigo, 4. (1E) www.ekainartelanak.com # En El Estudio Plaza Zaragoza 3, bajo. (3E) www.enelestudio.com # Kur Art Gallery Avda de Zurriola, 6. (1F) www.kurgallery.com

WHAT TO DO CULTURE

OTHER PLACES:

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MORE THAN FOLKLORE: An identity What lies behind the city’s most deep-rooted customs? The Tamborrada (a festival in which the city is filled with people dressed as soldiers and cooks playing drums), the traineras (traditional boating competition), the Euskal Jaiak (Basque Festivals) or the St. Thomas Fair? An ancient language, Basque, and a unique culture come together to form a nation with strong emotional ties. A true identity.

San Sebastian Day.

Can you imagine an entire city with thousands of Napoleonic soldiers and cooks enthusiastically playing the drums for 24 hours straight?

It’s the Tamborrada, which is held in honour of the city’s patron saint on the 20th of January. It starts at midnight, when the city’s flag is raised in Constitución Square, to the march of San Sebastian. The celebration goes on for a whole day. You won’t believe it until you see it.

The Basque culture is unique. It has its own language, Basque, the

oldest tongue in Europe. And it has traditional values that have been preserved, such as sacrifice, a bond with the land, solidarity and respect for traditions. Its language and its distinctive values have given rise to a unique collective identity and many of the folkloric expressions and sports exhibitions that you can enjoy in San Sebastian.

From the Tamborrada to the St. Thomas Fair, from the carnival to the Herri Kirolak (Basque rural sports event) or San Sebastian’s La Concha Flag (a sailing competition), sporting competitions that originate from old rivalries between farm workers and fishermen, this city’s local festivals will reveal another side to the true nature of the Basques.

Carnival

.

The month of February sees the arrival of the carnival, the biggest festival held over the winter. It is announced by the boisterous calderados (tinkers) who, as the popular song goes “come from Hungary”. And, when the god Momus appears, the streets are filled with colourful madness.

La Concha is considered the

Flag

Olympics of rowing

Euskal Jaiak (Basque Festivals).

In September it’s time to celebrate the Euskal Jaiak which, with its extensive festival programme of rural sports and traditional dances, immerses the city in a huge popular celebration of the Basque culture.

La Concha Flag.

On the first two Sundays in September, the city is flooded with rowing fans who come from fishing villages from all over the Cantabrian and they fill the area around the port and the foothills of Mount Urgull with wonderful colour. The occasion merits it: it’s the La Concha Flag, the top boat racing trophy. The Olympics of rowing.

Big Week.

This is San Sebastian’s biggest festival, held in honour of the feast of Our Lady of Assumption throughout the week that includes the 15th of August. It offers an extensive programme of concerts and cultural events with one star show: the International Fireworks Competition.

St. Thomas Fair.

This is held on the 21st of December and it is one of the most eagerlyawaited fairs by the people of San Sebastian. It commemorates the old market that used to be held in San Sebastian, where farmers and cattle ranchers from the province would come to the capital city to pay their taxes and display their best produce.

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FUN AND CULTURE. See first-hand the world of Basque pelota: # JAI ALIVE T: 648 51 05 54 www.jai-alive.com Feel Basque for a day. Become Basque and take away this photo as a souvenir: # LETS GET BASQUE! Fermín Calbetón, 35 T: 637 73 67 13 www.letsgetbasque.com

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FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS Film, theatre and music festivals that attract the world’s best artists and thousands of people throughout the year. When it comes to cultural events, San Sebastian is a real festival.

HEINEKEN Jazzaldia International Jazz Festival During the second fortnight in July, San Sebastian moves to the beat of the finest international jazz. Music greats like James Brown, Liza Minnelli, Bobby McFerrin, Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson and B.B. King have come to the city’s beaches, theatres, squares and auditoriums to thrill their audiences.

Music Fortnight In August, the large crowds at the Music Fortnight show you how much the people of San Sebastian love symphonic music. Concerts by internationally renowned figures and orchestras attract young and old people alike, and the “sold out” sign is almost always on show.

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL One of the most important film events in Europe. The city’s biggest cultural event. The festival of festivals. Major stars and young directors. Every September the whole domestic and international movie scene comes to San Sebastian to attend the most cosmopolitan event of the year.

Surfilm Festibal.

January in San Sebastian starts in the best way possible, with the Dock of the Bay Music Documentary Film Festival, held in January

The Surfilm Festibal is the ultimate expression of the close link between San Sebastian and surfing. In June, the best waves in the world come to the city’s theatres and cultural centres to offer fans movies, music and laid-back exhibitions about this sport.

dFeria.

This is followed two months later by the San Sebastian International Theatre Festival – dFeria, an unmissable event for the Performing Arts industry.

Human Rights Film Festival.

This is held in April and has become a mainstay event on the cultural calendar of San Sebastian. Its objective is to promote values such as solidarity, justice and equality.

Rompeolas.

In May, the city hosts the Rompeolas Festival, a strong push to transform the city into a place of coexistence and cultural diversity

Kutxa Culture Festival.

There’s a unique festival in September. A weekend of live, international music. An unbeatable stage: the Igeldo Amusement Park.e atracciones de Igeldo.

Horror and Fantasy Film Festival.

From the end of October until the beginning of November the theatres and streets of San Sebastian become the makeshift set of a horror film to host the Horror and Fantasy Film Festival. Come and have a scarily good time.

Calendar >January

San Sebastián Day 20th – Dock Of The Bay www.dockofthebay.es

>February

Caldereros (Tinkers’ Day) 1st Saturday in the month (date varies) – Carnival

>March

DFeria www.dferia.com

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Dock of the Bay.

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>April

Human Rights Film Festival www.cineyderechoshumanos.com

>May

Rompeolas www.olatutalka.eu

>June

Surfilm Festibal www.surfilmfestibal.com

>July

Jazzaldia-Jazz Festival www.heinekenjazzaldia.com

>August

Music Fortnight www.quincenamusical.com – Big Week and International Fireworks Competition.

Week of 15th August.

>September

Euskal Jaiak (Basque Festivals) and Trainera Boat Races.

First fortnight.

– Zinemaldia - International Film Festival www.sansebastianfestival.com – Kutxa Culture Festival www.igeldofestibala.com

>October

Athletics: 15 km www.15kmsansebastian.com – San Sebastián Gastronomika Congress www.sansebastiangastronomika.com – Horror and Fantasy Film Festival www.donostiakultura.com/terror

>November

Athletics: Behobia-San Sebastian www.behobia-sansebastian.com – Athletics: Marathon www.gafatletismo.com – Underwater film festival www.ciclo.subacuaticasrealsociedad.com

>December

St. Thomas 21st December

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sporting plans IF YOU LIKE TO KEEP YOURSELF MOVING, STOP OFF HERE FOR A MOMENT.

Take a breath and read these pages to discover everything that Donostia/San Sebastian has to offer for sport and physical exercise.

Read, choose and then sign up for something. Get moving.

1.

AQUATIC ACTIVITIES

Everyone knows that this city is by the sea. It’s perhaps less well-known that the sea is very versatile. To the east of the city, on the Zurriola Beach, the sea is bold, with constant waves that guarantee a great time for surfing enthusiasts.

However, on La Concha you can enjoy the sheltered waters of the bay. There you can row at ease in a canoe or on a paddle surf or, if you prefer it, you can enjoy the views of the city from the gently swaying sea, like a millionaire whose yacht is berthed.

Or both.

Whatever you like, whether it’s the wild and intermittent sport of surfing or the sustained exercise of rowing, in San Sebastian you’ve got the perfect sea to do it. And if you like sailing, scuba diving or open water swimming, the best water for you is also right here. In the summer and in the winter, as long as you put on a wetsuit. That really is an extreme sport.

urban surfing Pedestrians in wetsuits

You’ll have no problem seeing surfers in this city, with a board under their arm and a wetsuit on, barefoot, waiting for the traffic lights to turn green. The sea is such an integral part of the city that the enthusiasm for catching waves pervades the city centre. On every corner you’ll find a specialist clothing store, a car with surfboards on the roof rack or a surfing school. In Zurriola, possibly the urban beach with the best waves on the Cantabrian Sea, there are two very good ones: Pukas,

after a lesson, among the pedestrians and cars.

Pukas and Bera Bera teach courses for all levels. If you’re a beginner, the qualified instructors will make your first taste of surfing an experience that is safe, fun and probably unforgettable.

Lessons are taught every day of the year and in several languages.

And if you want to go surfing on your own, go for it, of course. You can hire the equipment you need in the schools themselves, even high performance boards, fish surfboards,

leading the way since 1966 and Bera Bera. To find them, just follow the traces of seawater left on the pavement by the surfers when they leave the beach and cross the promenade

state-of-the-art boards.

The sea is free and the only restrictions are the two basic rules of surfing: don’t push in and don’t take someone else’s wave. Don’t you even dare.

Zurriola possibly the urban beach with the best waves

on the Cantabrian

# PUKAS SURF ESKOLA Avda. de Zurriola, 24 · (1F) T. 943 32 00 68 www.pukassurf.com # BERA BERA RT Paseo de la Zurriola, 2 Edificio Kursaal Building · (1F) T: 662 96 72 76 www.beraberasurf.com

WHAT TO DO SPORT

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paddle surf Walking on water.

This sport is like walking on water. It involves rowing as you stand on a large surf-style board. It’s become popular across the world. For example, it allows you to go on a pleasant journey across the whole of La Concha Bay, watching the bustle of the city from your own craft.

In any event, it’s one of the most complete sports around, suitable for everyone. At the Fortuna Club you can hire equipment throughout the year and they teach basic courses. And if you prefer to be seated when you sail, they’ll also rent you a canoe.

Do you like

2.

RUNNING AND CYCLING

running?

Why do so many people get hooked on running?. San

Sebastian is a perfect destination for running. It’s very popular here and the city has endless promenades on the seafront and countless pedestrianised streets which make up a number of established routes. Two of the most popular routes are completely flat: the three-beach route, which covers six kilometres along the city’s coastline from point to point, without crossing a single traffic light. And the River Urumea route, which you can enjoy on either of its banks, along tree-lined avenues and across all of the city’s bridges: around seven kilometres in total.

This city also hosts major events on the athletics calendar, with races such as the Marathon, the Half-Marathon, the 15km Classic and the Behobia-San Sebastian, one of the most popular races with almost 30,000 runners.

And what about cycling? With a 30 kilometre network of bidegorris (bicycle lanes) worthy of Holland and with the “San Sebastian-San Sebastian Classic”, a cycling race, which attracts the world’s best cyclists every summer.

# C.D. FORTUNA Paseo de La Concha (3D) T. 943 21 49 00 / 943 42 11 33 www.cdfortunake.com

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RENT A BIKE. Hire a bicycle. There’ll be no bumps in the road on your visit to San Sebastian:

# BIKES SUPER RENT Reyes Católicos, 14 (3E) / T. 943 44 22 33 #SANSE BIKES Boulevard, 25 (2E) / T: 943 04 52 29 www.ssbikes.com # KILI basque country cycling Txomin Aguirre, 12 bajo (6B) T: 943 53 71 34 www.kili.bike

3.

Roads Strap on your backpack and have an unforgettable experience.

Everything else begins outside San Sebastian.

Very nearby, in the surrounding area, there are many other paths which you won’t forget. The company Kabi, owned by Edurne Pasabán, designs a personalised journey for you so that you can discover the beauty and culture of the Basque Country. Everything from all the best parts of the Basque coast in a day, the secret memory of the Basque mountains and the silence of the beech forests to off-piste skiing in the Pyrenees. Daytrips or week-long excursions. For you alone or for your # KABI group. Bring along a

BY EDURNE PASABAN backpack. And fill it Pº Francia, 6 (2F) T. 943 28 93 25 with treasured 608 96 42 68 memories.

Cycling?

Try Donosting

www.kabi-travels.com

bike planet

The Basque Country; a cyclists’ paradise.

The San Sebastian area is the perfect setting for cycling. Very nearby there are epic ports from the Tour de France, beautiful routes along the coast for people of all levels, mountain biking trails and legendary routes along the roads of the Basque countryside, climbs and descents that have tested cycling greats like Olano, Lejarreta and Beloki. Kili provides customised cycling plans, for individuals or groups, guided road, mountain biking or urban cycling tours, designed for you to get on your bike and discover the best parts of the Basque Country. They also rent bicycles. # KILI basque country cycling Txomin Aguirre, 12 (6B) T. 943 53 71 34 www.kili.bike

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TREAT YOURSELF AFTERWARDS. What could be better than relaxing your body after so much exercise?: # HEGALAK Plaza Cervantes, 2. (3E) T: 943 43 36 80 www.hegalak.com # LA PERLA CENTRO TALASO-

SPORT Paseo de la Concha, 12. (3D) T: 943 45 88 56 www.la-perla.net

WHAT TO DO SPORT

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plans for couples

THINGS TO DO IN San Sebastian WHEN YOU’RE NOT KISSING

Discover why Donostia/San Sebastian is a romantic place. Discover all of the things here that help to inflame passion. Take a deep breath and fall in love with this city as well.

San Sebastian is the perfect setting to enjoy your most romantic side. It has the architecture,

the promenades, the hotels and the restaurants that really help you to achieve unforgettable memories.

It has museums full of beauty and a thalassotherapy centre straight out of the “Belle Époque” in San Sebastian. And it has the sea, which revives even the slightest of affection and increases the taste and the intensity of a moment, of a gesture, of an emotion. It’s the perfect setting for a naughty getaway, for a quiet couple, for a hot-blooded romance with a happy ending. It’s a city that inspires this thing called love that makes the world go round.

Nothing tastes better than a kiss, you have to admit it. But San Sebastian has all of the things you need to make it taste even better.

A table for three.

Choose a table with views of the Cantabrian Sea in Bokado, Ni Neu, Branka or La Perla.

Enjoy your partner’s company by the sea.

A room with a view of your feelings.

That moment when you open the door to your room, suitcase in hand, and you see the place where you’re going to be happy.

It might be a charming and stylishly-designed room in a small hotel. Or the intense blue colours from the bay may be pouring in through an open window. Or you may be resting on the marvellous bed that you’re going to sleep in in a fivestar luxury hotel.

In San Sebastian, one of these exciting rooms is waiting for you.

thalassotherapy.

Immersed in water # LA PERLA TALASO SPORT Paseo de la Concha, 12 (3D) T. 943 45 88 56 www.la-perla.net

Immerse yourself in seawater.

The Thalasso-Sports Centre is the direct descendent of the first seawater spa opened when the “Belle Époque” was in full flow in San Sebastian. It offers all of the wellness, relaxation and physical toning of seawater in a 5500m2 facility. There are relaxation and hydrotherapy pools, a panoramic jacuzzi, a dry sauna, an ice fountain and a whole maze of sensations. All of the therapeutic effects of seawater. All of the ways possible to immerse yourself, to envelop yourself, to make yourself feel better.

The emperor’s clothes.

Cristóbal Balenciaga is considered to be one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. His creative genius and boldness made him the international king of “haute couture “ until he retired. In the incredible museum recently built in Getaria, in a uniquely elegant, laid back and sophisticated atmosphere, you can discover an exceptional collection with the best outfits from his career.

# CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA MUSEOA Parke Aldamar, 6. Getaria T. 943 00 88 40 www.cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com

WHAT TO DO FOR COUPLES

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Choose your sunset.

The sun never sets in the same place in San Sebastian. For example, in Ondarreta it always sets behind Mount Igeldo. But in the summer, when the days are longer, you can see it from La Concha, in the west from the Nuevo Promenade and on La Zurriola, a magnificent sunset reflected in the water, glimmering in the waves and with its fantastic spectrum of evening colours. From the top of Mount Urgull, where there are no obstacles, the view is breath-taking. But perhaps it’s from Sagües where the sunset is most spectacular, with the entire city standing between the fading daylight and the parapet on which you sit. If you feel like doing it in style you can also hire a sailing boat and watch it from the sea. It doesn’t get any more romantic than that.

Place your bets.

At the start of the 20th century, gambling and games of chance were of huge importance here.

The best proof of this is the fact that the City Hall building was originally a casino. Nowadays, the city still has a large number of gambling establishments and bingo halls. When it comes to having fun, the Kursaal Casino is a safe bet. # CASINO KURSAAL Mayor, 1 (2E) T. 943 42 92 14 www.casinokursaal.com

Set sail and discover a new world.

From the open sea, San Sebastian looks smaller, more vulnerable to the force of the waves. The City of San Sebastian offers half-hour excursions that change your perspective of the city. The service is daily in the summer. And at weekends during the rest of the year.

Sometimes love makes you fly, sometimes it doesn’t.

Here’s how to make sure it does.

AK Helicopters gives you the chance to see San Sebastian and other beautiful parts of the Basque Country like Zarautz, Hondarria, Urdaibai and the French Basque Country from a unique vantage point. An experience you won’t be able to forget. Leave no doubt and make your love fly. # AK HELICOPTERS Av. Santuenea s/n. Usurbil T. 638 08 09 36 www.ak-helicopters.com

# SAN SEBASTIAN CITY CATAMARAN Paseo del Muelle 14 (Puerto, zona restaurantes) (2D) T. 607 20 11 55 / 652 76 77 20 www.ciudadsansebastian.com

Love in DonostiA.

Think about a romantic novel.

You and your partner are the main characters.

The setting is San Sebastian. See what happens.

the “Gold Cup”, brings together thousands of racing fans

A day at the races.

# HIPODROMOA Pº de Arrapide, 11. Zubieta T. 943 37 31 80 www.hipodromoa.com

The San Sebastian Racecourse, located in Lasarte, has brought together thousands of racing fans every summer for over 40 years.

Thoroughbreds, jockeys, trainers and gamblers come here over twelve Sundays, during which unmissable horse racing events are held. The Gold Cup International Grand Prix, which is held every 15th of August, is the jewel in the crown and a perfect excuse to spend the day doing something different, at the races.

WHAT TO DO FOR COUPLES

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family plans HAVING FUN IS CHILD’S PLAY The kids need to be entertained and you want to make the most of your stay. We suggest interesting and fun plans for both you and them. All go out to play!

Courageous captains.

The mount of San Sebastian and the rollercoaster.

Put your kids on a catamaran and take them around the bay and along the nearby coast. Make them feel like true captains of the sea. The City of San Sebastian offers half-hour excursions. The service is daily in the summer. And at weekends during the rest of the year.

An amusement park from the start of the 20th century sits on top of Mount Igeldo. It still has its “Belle Époque” charm, with its ponies, its lookouts and its retro feel, so when

SAN SEBASTIAN CITY CATAMARAN Paseo del Muelle 14 (Puerto, zona restaurantes) (2D) T. 607 20 11 55 / 652 76 77 20 www.ciudadsansebastian.com

Treasure Island. you go up there you travel back in time. Its rides have such evocative names as the Río Misterioso (Mysterious River), the Casa del Terror (House of Horror) and the Montaña Suiza (Rollercoaster), whose train carries its brave passengers around the very edge of the cliff at dazzling speeds. It has the most famous panoramic view of San Sebastian; the most widely-painted and iconic view. So you can enjoy the city with one eye and keep the other one on your kids.

MOUNT IGELDO AMUSEMENT PARK Plaza del Funicular, 4 (2A) T. 943 21 35 25 www.monteigueldo.es

A motorboat service connects the port to the island of Santa Clara in the summer. It’s a journey full of dangers. The boat could be boarded by pirates and sea monsters could capsize it.

On the island there is a lighthouse, a small beach and many more little gems.

All aboard the funicular

It’s San Sebastian’s most scenic form of transport and it’s just as charming as it was a century ago. Sitting on its wooden seats and going up to the Mount Igeldo Amusement Park is a unique experience which no visitor should miss.

MOUNT IGELDO FUNICULAR Plaza del Funicular, 4 (3A) T. 943 21 35 25 www.monteigueldo.es

ISLAND MOTORBOATS Plaza La Lasta, s/n, Caseta del puerto (2D) T. 943 00 04 50 / 608 77 19 93 / 653 72 09 21 www.motorasdelaisla.com

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# TOURIST BUS # TOURIST TRAIN Paseo de la República de Argentina, s/n. (2E) T: 629 65 03 76 www.sansebastiancitytour.com

City tour.

You can go on the best routes around the city on a tourist bus or train. They both offer you panoramic routes with the best views of the city and they have audio-guides in 8 languages and a specially-adapted service for persons with reduced mobility.

Starfish and stars of another kind.

The Aquarium and Eureka! Two museums for kids, two ways of learning and having fun. In the Aquarium you can see sharks, turtles and hundreds of marine species which live together in a tank containing almost two

# TXURI-URDIN ICE PALACE Pº de Anoeta, 24 (6G) T: 943 46 44 04 www.eltxuri.com

AQUARIUM Plaza de Carlos Blasco de Imaz, 1 (2D) T. 943 44 00 99 www.aquariumss.com

Time will fly and so will you.

The Txuri Urdin Ice Palace is one of the city’s most popular facilities and a must if you want to learn to ice skate or just have some fun with the family.

# EUREKA! Science Museum Pº de Mikeletegi, 43-45 T. 943 01 29 00 www.eurekamuseoa.es

million litres of water. The tunnel with 360 degree vision which crosses through it will allow you to explore it from within.

And Eureka! Science Museum gives you the chance to go on underwater journeys or drive an F1 car with its incredible simulators. There is also a room

Family excursions.

Hagoos offers holidays that are specially conceived and designed for families with children, covering all of the needs that might arise when you’re travelling with kids. From accommodation and restaurants to a babysitting service. A comprehensive service that lets all of the family enjoy a nice getaway. # HAGOOS - your basque country dmc Boulevard, 7 (2E) T. 943 22 64 66 www.hagoos.com

dedicated to life and the human body, over 160 interactive modules, experiments and a digital Planetarium so that you can see all of the stars in the sky.

SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

63

64

shopping plans

ALL YOU NEED IS SHOP

Shopping is one of life’s great pleasures. And if you also have an impressive range of stores, a mix of the more traditional and innovative shops, excitement is guaranteed.

On the one hand, San Sebastian has managed to retain the essence of traditional shopping, with a

wide variety of establishments that offer tried and tested products with the same quality as always. And at the same time, it has that chic and stylish touch that can be seen in its range of shops, with highly sophisticated stores, alternative establishments and big brand

boutiques. And, as it’s also not a very big city, the stores are concentrated in the same areas, so going shopping is very convenient. All of which results in a sensational selection of gift ideas and treats for yourself.

An attractive and exciting route where you can really enjoy the delights of wandering around the stores as you go shopping.

Stores are generally open from 10.00 to 13.30 and from 16.00 to 19.30.

However, the shopping centres and supermarkets don’t normally close at lunchtime.

WHAT TO DO shopping

65

[4]

[5]

Three main shopping areas and hundreds of ideas.

The Old Town, with its traditional shops and typical souvenirs, but also with delicatessens and designer stores.

The Centre, with its small upmarket stores and the top international

brands. And the Gros district, a diverse selection of art galleries, antique shops, sports shops and surfer and mountain gear stores.

[2] [6]

[3]

[5]

made in Sanse

If you take something with you from San Sebastian, it’s as if you never really left.

Especially if it’s one of those things that we do here and here alone. One of those things that defines us, which tastes, smells and evokes memories of San Sebastian and Gipuzkoa.

There are lots to choose from. It can be a traditional local product [1], like a jar of Cantabrian anchovies, Tolosa beans, Idiazabal cheese or a bottle of txakoli wine from Getaria… or a box of San Sebastian’s fine confectionary with pastries, or the traditional ‘pantxineta’ (puff pastry dessert) [2]. Or perhaps a marvellous illustration by a local artist [3]. Or a surfboard [4], made by a world-famous company from San Sebastian. Or an exclusive gift from some of the city’s finest boutiques [5]. Or perhaps a splendid txapela (local beret-style hat) [6] to top off your visit, or a few drops of the city’s perfume, SSirimiri: the essence of San Sebastian [7].

Take away a souvenir and a gift, give it to the person you love. Take us with you.

[7]

[1]

66

SHOPPING CITY

Come in, look around, browse. Try San Sebastian.

Buy yourself a gift that keeps on giving, over and over again. Buy something special for that someone special. San Sebastian is the perfect city to play the exciting sport of shopping. To find what you need. To find something unexpected.

Select food

Fashion and Clothing

AITOR LASA GAZTATEGIA

ARBELAITZ

Aldamar, 12 T: 943 43 03 54 www.aitorlasa.com

E2

BIKES SUPER RENT 3E

KILI BASQUE COUNTRY CYCLING Txomin Aguirre, 12 bajo T: 943 53 71 34 www.kili.bike

6B

SANSE BIKES Boulevard, 25 T: 943 04 52 29 www.sansebikes.com

2E

Basque crafts and gifts

2E

Garibai, 3 T: 943 42 11 41 www.boutiquecristina.com

2E

CABO ROJO Mayor, 3 bajo T: 943 43 04 34 www.caborojo.net

2E

EL HANGAR DE SOPHIE Txurruka, 2 T: 943 43 07 80 www.elhangar.eu

2E

2E

3E

IRULEA Mayor, 7 T: 943 42 60 29 www.irulea.com

GOURMET

2D

HAWAII San Bartolomé, 12 T: 943 42 89 96 www.hawaiidonostia.com

Coffee, Tea and Chocolate

Autonomía, 12 T: 943 46 49 35 gourmet12.blogspot.com

2E

BOUTIQUE CRISTINA

Mayor, 9, bajo T: 943 43 07 34 www.gstarsansebastian.com

KOLOREKA San Jerónimo, 19 T: 645 70 35 39 www.koloreka.com

Andía, 1 T: 943 42 03 49

G-STAR

ALBOKA Plaza de la Constitución, 8 T: 943 42 63 00 www.albokaartesania.com

2E

ARISTIZABAL

Bike rentals

Reyes Católicos, 14 T: 943 44 22 33 697 99 12 79

Txurruka, 7 T: 943 43 16 05 / 06 www.arbelaitz.es

2D

LOOK 4E

Urbieta, 20 T: 943 42 65 52

3E

minimil

ZERGATIK

Elkano 7 T: 943 42 86 77 www.minimil.es

2E

SAN MARTIN

Puerto 22 T: 943 42 25 45 www.neaboutique.com

2D

Óleo Moda Okendo 12 T: 943 27 76 10 www.facebook.com/oleo.moda

Urbieta, 9 T: 943 63 53 47 www.msanmartin.es

3E

Florists 2E

JACARANDA Pza de Irun, 6-1º. Arcco Amara T: 943 46 57 55 www.jacarandaloradenda.com 5F

PONSOL 2E

Interior Design

NOMADA,

SUPERDRY Peñaflorida, 12 T: 943 10 10 02 www.superdry.com

2E

Shopping Centre

NEA

Narrica, 4 T: 943 42 08 76 www.casaponsol.com

Hernani, 10 T: 943 42 55 54 www.zergatik.com

ALFOMBRAS Y KILIMS

2E

C/ Bergara, 16

31 de Agosto, 24 T: 943 42 61 52 www.nomada.biz

1E

20005 Donostia-San Sebastian Tel.: +34 943 42 38 21 www.joyeriairantzu.com

WHAT TO DO shopping

67

68

Jewellery and Silverware

Books Shops, Stationery, Music and Technology

ANTONELLA

ELKAR

Avda. de la Libertad, 23 T: 943 42 30 05 www.joyeriaantonella.com

Fermín Calbetón, 21 T: 943 42 00 80 www.elkar.com

2E

AYESTARAN 31 de Agosto, 16 T: 943 42 93 90 www.joyeriaayestaran.com

FNAC DONOSTIA 1E

BIKONDO JOYEROS Plaza de Sarriegui, 6 T: 943 42 79 96

CC. San Martín - Urbieta, 9 T: 943 43 75 00 www.fnac.es

3E

HONTZA LIBURUDENDA 2E

ISTRA Boulevard, 15 T: 943 42 83 79 www.istrajoyas.com

2E

Okendo, 4 T: 943 42 82 89 www.hontza.net

2E

PAPELERÍA TAMAYO 2E

Legazpi 4 T: 943 42 65 89 www.tamayo.es

2E

KBERBI NEW Avda. de Zurriola, 1-Edif Kursaal T: 943 00 50 70

1F

TORRUBIA & TORRUBIA Legazpi, 2 bajo T: 943 42 06 64 www.torrubia-torrubia.com

Hairdressers

TONI & GUY SAN SEBASTIAN 2E

Plaza del Buen Pastor, 3-bajo T: 943 42 75 35 3E

Toy Stores

Perfumeries

KOMETA

BENEGAS

Bengoetxea, 4 T: 943 29 38 47 www.kometak.com

Garibai, 12 T: 943 42 03 05 www.perfumeriabenegas.com

2E

2E

69

Txurruka, 12 T: 943 42 22 67

2E

Mayor, 3 T: 943 42 07 60 www.noventa-grados.com

Leather

BOX SAN SEBASTIAN San Martin, 12 T: 943 42 12 40 www.boxsansebastian.com

3E

2F

3E

Travel

EL TURISTA 3E

RORIOL ZAPATERIA Zabaleta, 15 T: 943 27 94 58 www.dendass.org

ORTOPEDIA SUMISAN Paseo Col贸n, 5 T: 943 27 34 11 www.ortopediasumisan.com

LOEWE Fuenterrab铆a, 24 T: 943 43 41 55 www.loewe.com

2E

Auxiliary Services for Accessible Tourism

CALZADOS AYESTARAN Avda. de la Libertad, 27 T: 943 42 70 00 www.ayestaran.es

NOVENTA GRADOS

2F

Legazpi, 6 T: 943 42 77 46 www.todomaletas.com

2E

WHAT TO DO shopping

Concept Stores

LUIS DIAZ

70

night plans

DON’T GO TO SLEEP YET The moon is out. The stars are out. So why not go out too? Wander around the Old Town, the Gros district and Reyes Católicos Street. The night has only just begun.

In DONOSTIA/San Sebastian the nights are VARIED, changeable, personal. Everyone has their own night

out here. The one they want, the one they’re looking for. It’s a night surrounded by the sea, which cools the temperature, means that everyone has a different experience and gives it a unique style. For example: you leave a bar on the Boulevard and cross the river to go to another on Zurriola. The city lights are reflected in the water. You hear the waves passing beneath the bridge. You can smell the dark sea. There’s nothing else like it.

There are three main nightlife areas. The Old Town, a lively and diverse selection of bars and pubs. Reyes Católicos, at the back of Buen Pastor Cathedral, It might be a relaxed evening of conversations that you’ll never forget, or it might be wild and crazy night, where things happen so quickly that you can hardly remember anything.

You can have the night that you decide. Or the night may decide for you.

the chic area of town, with trendy bars and alternative music.

And the Gros district, young and alternative, with bars that are scattered about but with unique styles, ideal for sitting down and slowly enjoying a cool drink. The bars in these three areas close at three in the morning. But don’t leave just yet, there’s still more fun to be had.

The action continues in the port and on the Zurriola and La Concha beaches, with nightclubs on the seafront, as changing as the tides, where everything and anything can happen.

WHAT TO DO AT NIGHT

71

Whisky and water.

Foto: gorka bravo / dantzategia 2013

Or beer and water, or gin and tonic and water. In San Sebastian several of the nightclubs directly overlook the sea: Bataplan and La Rotonda, on La Concha, and People, on Zurriola. The nightlife and the calm of the sea: a fantastic combination that few cities can offer.

+

# DIONI’S BAR Ijentea, 2 (2E) T. 943 42 97 46 www.dionisbar.com #Pub Museo del whisky Boulevard, 5 (2E) T. 943 42 64 78 www.museodelwhisky.com # Relojberri Boulevard, 20 (2E) T. 943 42 97 09 www.relojberri.com # Discoteca Bataplan Pº de la Concha, 10 (3D) T. 943 47 36 01 www.bataplandisco.com # Discoteca La Rotonda Pº de la Concha, 6 (3D) T. 943 42 90 95 www.rotondadisco.com # People Avda. de Zurriola, 41 (1F) T. 943 29 78 53 / 617 79 31 04 www.peopledisco.com # CASINO KURSAAL C/Mayor, 1 (2E) T. 943 42 92 14 www.casinokursaal.com

JACKPOT PLAY POKER EAT

+ JOLASEAN DIBERTITU ZAITEZ, DIBERTIMENDU ETA JOSTAKETA ARDURATSUA GOMENDATZEN DIZUGU DIVIÉRTETE JUGANDO, TE RECOMENDAMOS LA DIVERSIÓN Y EL JUEGO RESPONSABLE

+

5€

=

8€ www.casinokursaal.com

72

THE GATEWAY TO THE MAZE DISCOVER THE BASQUE COUNTRY The Basque Country is a maze. There are paths that start at San Sebastian and take you to places that are so unalike one another that it doesn’t seem possible that they’re so close to each other. Behind every valley we cross there’s a change in scenery and architecture, there’s a different Basque language and a microclimate of its own, so it’s easy to believe that you’re inside a maze. Here are some tips so you don’t get lost in the surrounding areas. Or so that you do.

BEHIND THE GREEN HEART

INLAND ROUTE

Mount

Txindoki

is the Basque version of the Matterhorn Gipuzkoa’s heart isn’t red, it’s green and winding: deep

valleys, curved roads, villages built next to the rivers that cross the region in an inevitably ornate style. The inland has a wealth of curves, slopes and places that are well worth visiting. The N-1 that crosses the valley of the River Oria is the main road connecting the north and the south. You won’t have to drive too far to reach Tolosa, a noble town that was the capital of Gipuzkoa for ten years in the 19th century. It would be an excellent idea to head to Tolosa one Saturday morning, when they hold the bustling and colourful farmer’s market.

Another unique market is in Ordizia, a few kilometres to the south. They’ve been holding its market for five centuries in the very heart of the old town, which has been declared a Historic-Artistic Site. Every Wednesday you get the chance to experience one of the more traditional aspects of the Basque way of life.

Goierri is overlooked by the always magical Aralar Mountains which are dominated by the Txindoki Peak, a symbol of the Basque mountains and landscape; our very own Matterhorn. In the centre of the region, in Beasain, you can visit the monuments of Igartza and travel back in time to medieval Gipuzkoa: the 12th century bridge, the mill, the winepress and the splendid wood and stone structure of the palace.

Tolosa

If you go back a little down the River Oria you’ll come to Beasain, an industrious town and the epicentre of Goierri. And very close by, in Ataun, you can visit the Barandiaran Museum, which is a Basque mythology museum.

There’s not a great deal of distance from there to Idiazabal, which is famous for the designation of origin of its cheese. And you also have Segura very nearby, one of the region’s most elegant and beautiful villages, which was founded in the thirteenth 13th. Its narrow cobblestone streets are unique in Gipuzkoa, as are the nearby Aizpea mines, better known as the Mountain of Iron, a unique cultural site where you can contemplate the impact that iron mining has had on the landscape, culture and Basque society since the 11th century.

After passing through Mutiloa, you come to the town of Ormaiztegi, where you can visit the Zumalakarregi Museum.

Located in the house where the Carlist general Tomás Zumalakarregi was born.

SURROUNDING AREA DISCOVER THE BASQUE COUNTRY

1.

73

# GOITUR, GOIERRI TURISMOA T: 943 16 18 23 www.goierriturismo.com # TOLOSALDEA TOUR T: 943 69 74 13 www.tolosaldea.net

Donostia San Sebastian

Gipuzkoa Tolosa Beasain Ordizia Ormaiztegi Zerain

Idiazabal

Ataun

Navarra

74

2.

FROM BIARRITZ TO MUTRIKU, ALONG THE ENTIRE SHORE BASQUE COASTAL ROUTE

The

the

the

San Juan de Luz

Heading east towards the border with France, Mount Ulia brings us down a signposted path to Pasaia San Pedro, a town with cobbled streets and a fishing tradition, which has a shipyard for traditional Basque boats called Albaola. In the port you can catch a boat to the neighbouring Pasai Donibane, a village crossed by a single narrow street and dotted with passageways.

From there it’s easy to get to the historic quarters that have been preserved in the industrial towns of Lezo and Errenteria.

If you continue eastwards, Mount Jaizkibel takes you to Hondarribia and Irun, which was a major Roman settlement.

Hondarribia is simply spectacular. Founded eight centuries ago, the upper part of the town has a real medieval feel, which is in contrast with the colourful fishing-village style of the lower district, the Marina.

Bizkaia

Mutriku Deba

Zumaia

Getaria

Zarautz

Hendaya

Donostia San Sebastian Orio

Gipuzkoa

bible of

earth

The flysch is a curios formation of successive layers of rocks which, due to the continuous action of the sea, have been exposed and reveal information about biological, geological and even climatic changes that have occurred in the last 50 million years. It’s an open book that reveals the deepest secrets of the earth.

A genuine tectonic bible.

To the east and west of San Sebastian, the coastline is an ever-shifting line of steep cliffs and beautiful beaches, an extraordinary collection of lighthouses, vantage points and little fishing villages.

# OARSOALDEA T: 943 49 45 21 www.oarsoaldea-turismo.net

flysh,

Hondarribia Lezo

PasaiDonibane

Irun Errenteria

Biarritz St. Jean de Luz

Francia

St. James’s

Way

AND OTHER ROUTES

Getaria

Next to the border awaits the quiet Hendaye, famous for its beach, summer houses and Abbadie Castle. A few kilometres to the north stands the charming San Juan de Luz, which has a beautifully preserved historic centre and the splendid church of San Juan Bautista. Continuing along the coast, you come to Biarritz, a tourist destination for lots of high society figures.

Most of the finest scenery and most famous sandy beaches in the region of Gipuzkoa spread out to the west of San Sebastian. If you leave San Sebastian and head through Orio, you’ll come to Zarautz, the first real gem on the coastline, where they hold a top international surfing event. The next stop-off is Getaria, famous for its mouse-shaped peninsula, for being the birthplace of the explorer Juan Sebastián Elcano and the fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga and for having some of the finest grilled fish restaurants in the Basque Country.

The neighbouring Zumaia, standing at the mouth of the River Urola and surrounded by beaches, it has a worldfamous geological treasure: the flysch. The road from here to Deba is known for its hills and bends, but it’s worth it, if only to see the summer houses, the charming beach or the marvellous cloister of Santa María Church. Mutriku is the final stronghold of Gipuzkoa before you enter Bizkaia, an exceptional amphitheatre with views of the Cantabrian Sea.

St. James’s Way - the Northern Route, or the Coastal Route, was the original route taken by pilgrims across the whole of Christian Europe in order to reach Santiago de Compostela, protected from the dangerous land to the south and the Arabs who occupied it.

And there’s no question that it’s the most beautiful route. It starts in Irun and runs through the infinite different shapes between here and Galicia that have been produced by the friction between the green mountains and the blue Cantabrian Sea. Naturally, the route passes through San Sebastian over two beautiful and clearly signposted stages. You can walk eastwards, to Pasajes, via Mount Ulia, along a winding and pretty path between pines, oaks and cliffs. It’ll take you just over an hour. And you can head the

opposite way, in the natural direction of the Camino, via Mount Igeldo and the slopes of Mendizorrotz, with the sea to your right and the green land of Gipuzkoa to your left. In two hours you’ll reach the town of Orio. You can go there and then return to San Sebastian by bus or train. It’s time to get going. Find your path.

SURROUNDING AREA DISCOVER THE BASQUE COUNTRY

75

76

3.

THE ART OF REDEVELOPMENT BILBAO

An hour down the motorway from San Sebastian you can see a miracle: the profound urban

regeneration that Bilbao has undergone in recent years, which has completely changed its appearance and even boosted its self-esteem, is known as the Guggenheim Miracle or the Bilbao effect.

At the end of the 20th century, industrial redevelopment meant that many of the factories in the centre were closed, so the best land in the city was suddenly available again. Thus began some exceptional regeneration, with the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao being the crowning achievement. A fantastic sculpture covered in titanium plates which Frank Gehry built in 1997, on the bank of the River Nervión. The building houses a permanent collection of international contemporary art, in addition to various temporary exhibitions during the year. Outside the museum you can also enjoy the flowery Puppy by Jeff Koons, or Maman, the giant spider sculpture by Louise Bourgeois.

But the land freed up by the old factories left lots more room and the most renowned architects built stunning, unique buildings around the museum: Rafael Moneo, the Deusto Library. César Pelli, the Iberdrola Tower. Alvaro Siza, the Auditorium at the University of the Basque Country. Arata Isozaki, the Isozaki Atea towers. An impressive example of urban redevelopment, famous across the world.

Bizkaia Bridge.

This famous bridge, better known as the Suspension Bridge, joins the towns of Areeta (Getxo) and Portugalete over the Estuary of Bilbao, just over ten kilometres from the capital. Designed by Alberto Palacio in 1893, it was the first transporter bridge in the world and there are currently only eight others in the whole world. In the year 2007, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, in the Industrial Heritage category.

Biarritz

Bilbao

Donostia San Sebastian

Euskadi Vitoria Gasteiz Labastida

La Rioja

Laguardia Elciego Logroño

Navarra

They

ke tayou

A roundtrip to pleasure.

4.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF WINE

VITORIA AND RIOJA ALAVESA

Acclaimed wine and widely-praised architecture. These have come together to make Vitoria and Rioja Alavesa a first-rate tourist magnet. On the one hand, the age-old tradition and culture of wine in Rioja Alavesa and the history of Vitoria carved through the centuries in its Old Cathedral. And on the other hand, the contemporary designs that have transformed some of the wineries, with the construction of exceptional buildings by architects like Frank Gehry, Santiago Calatrava and Zaha Hadid.

the foundations of a gothic cathedral and the hidden recesses of the vaults. The novelist Ken Follett came to learn about the cathedral when writing the sequel to the bestseller ‘The Pillars of the Earth’.

Rioja Alavesa

Santa María Cathedral

Also known as the Old Cathedral, it stands in Vitoria-Gasteiz, at one end of the medieval ‘almendra’ (meaning ‘almond’ so-called because of its shape) in the capital of Araba. Erected in the High Middle Ages on the foundations of a Roman temple, the Old Cathedral is the only gothic church of its kind in the Basque Country and it has had structural problems since it was built. Therefore, for the last fifteen years or so, it has been undergoing a complex restoration process. This hasn’t prevented the cathedral from being ‘open for repairs’ so that locals and visitors alike can see

The scenery in Rioja Alavesa has a personality all of its own, completely different to the rest of the Basque Country. There are no woods or green meadows here, only endless rows of plants that make up impressive seas of vineyards. There are a hundred wineries devoted to this activity.

Some are over a hundred years old and others have been designed by renowned architects: Frank Gehry, Marques de Riscal, in Elciego. Santiago Calatrava, Ysios, in Laguardia. E Iñaki Aspiazu, Baigorri Wineries, in Samaniego. Most of them are open to the public, so that they can view the premises, go on wine tastings and buy some wine. There are also charming villages like Laguardia, Elciego and Labastida dotted around Rioja Alavesa.

There are agencies that specialise in organising customised excursions for individuals and groups.

They join you, explain everything and tell you all you want to know.

They take you there and bring you back.

And they give you the gift of an unforgettable memory from your visit to San Sebastian and its surrounding area.

SURROUNDING AREA DISCOVER THE BASQUE COUNTRY

77

+

# HAGOOS - your

basque country dmc

T. 943 22 64 66 www.hagoos.com

# Just IN san sebastian T. 943 35 97 65 www.justinsansebastian.com # KABI

BY EDURNE PASABAN

T. 943 28 93 25 / 608 96 42 68 www.kabi-travels.com # San Sebastian Food T. 943 42 11 43 www.sansebastianfood.com # BASQUE COOLTOUR T. 676 12 53 22 / 626 78 67 50 www.basquecooltour.com # Followme San Sebastian T. 943 84 50 03/ 662 10 93 33 www.followmesansebastian.com # KULTURLAN BI T. 943 13 14 18 www.kulturlanbi.com # BEGI bistan T. 943 86 22 41 / 657 79 46 77 www.begi-bistan.com # AINHOA DOMINGUEZ T. 645 75 42 64 # ANA INTXAUSTI T. 629 00 60 39 # ESTHER VAZQUEZ T. 607 54 74 86 # CRISTINA KONYAY T. 609 43 39 30

78

Please ENJOY the room Accommodation guide Hotels, apartments, guesthouses, cottages.

There’s a room to suit you and your pocket. So you can rest before and after exploring the city.

To sleep, perchance to dream.

Price of

roomvi,ew

sea included

HOTELS

IN SAN SEBASTIAN

MARIA CRISTINA ***** Pº República Argentina, 4 T: 943 43 76 00 www.hotel-mariacristina.com

BARCELÓ COSTA VASCA ****

ASTORIA 7 **** Sagrada Familia, 1 (esquina Sancho El Sabio) T: 943 44 50 00 www.astoria7hotel.com

(2E)

Pº de Pío Baroja, 15 T: 943 31 79 50 www.barcelocostavasca.com

(5E)

(4C)

DE LONDRES Y DE INGLATERRA ****

HESPERIA DONOSTI ****

MERCURE MONTE IGUELDO ****

Zubieta, 2 T: 943 44 07 70 www.hlondres.com

Zarautz, 120 T: 943 31 91 00 www.hesperia-donosti.com

Pº del Faro, 134 T: 943 21 02 11 www.monteigueldo.com

(3E)

NH ARANZAZU **** Vitoria-Gasteiz, 1 T: 943 21 90 77 www.nh-hotels.es

(6B)

PALACIO DE AIETE ****

SAN SEBASTIAN ****

Goiko Galtzara Berri, 27 T: 943 21 00 71 www.hotelpalaciodeaiete.com

Avda.de Zumalakarregi, 20 T: 943 31 66 60 www.hotelsansebastian.net

(4A)

SILKEN AMARA PLAZA **** Plaza de Pío XII, 7 T: 943 46 46 00 www.amaraplaza.com

(2A)

(5C)

(4B)

TRYP ORLY ****

VILLA SORO ****

Plaza de Zaragoza, 4 T: 943 46 32 00 www.tryphotels.com

Avda. de Ategorrieta, 61 T: 943 29 79 70 www.villasoro.com

LEGEND FOR SYMBOLS Spanish Tourist Quality Mark

Tourist Quality Commitment Mark

Information available about the establishment’s accessibility

Euskadi Gastronomika

(5F)

Zenit San Sebastian **** Antonio Mº Labaien 1 T: 943 32 53 25 sansebastian.zenithoteles.com

(5E)

(3E)

-

AVENIDA ***

CODINA ***

Pº de Igeldo, 55 T: 943 21 20 22 www.hotelavenida.net

Avda. Zumalakarregi, 21 T: 943 21 22 00 www.hotelcodina.es

(4A)

(4B)

Accommodation guide

79

80

HUSA EUROPA ***

NIZA ***

EZEIZA **

San Martín, 52 T: 943 47 08 80 www.hotelhusaeuropa.com

Zubieta, 56 T: 943 42 66 63 www.hotelniza.com

Avda. de Satrustegi, 13 T: 943 21 43 11 www.hotelezeiza.com

(3E)

(3D)

LA GALERIA **

LEKU EDER **

PARMA **

Infanta Cristina, 1-3 T: 943 31 75 59 / 943 21 60 77 www.hotellagaleria.com

Pº de Cristobal Balenciaga, 2 T: 943 21 01 07 / 943 21 09 64 www.lekueder.com

Pº de Salamanca, 10 T: 943 42 88 93 www.hotelparma.com

(3B)

-

HOTEL APTOS. IRENAZ RESORT ** Paseo de Oriamendi, 94 T: 943 30 81 49 / 690 85 08 09 www.irenazsansebastian.com

MONTE ULIA *

Peña y Goñi, 1 T: 943 32 28 04 www.arrizul.com

Avda. Alcalde José Elosegi, 21 T: 943 32 67 67 www.hotelmonteulia.com

(1F)

Okako *

RECORD *

Iztueta 7 T: 943 32 60 00 www.okakohotel.com

Calzada Vieja de Ategorrieta, 35 T: 943 27 12 55 www.hotelrecord.com

(2F)

IN SAN SEBASTIAN

(1E)

Arrizul Center *

(-)

GUESTHOUSES

(3B)

-

(1G)

AIDA **

ALAMEDA **

ALDAMAR **

Iztueta, 9 - Esquina C/ Iparraguirre T:943 32 78 00 www.pensionesconencanto.com

Alameda del Boulevard, 16 - 2º T: 943 42 64 49 / 617 07 11 90 www.pensionalameda.com

Aldamar, 2 - 1º T: 943 43 01 43 www.pensionaldamar.com

(2F)

(2E)

(2E)

ALEMANA **

ALTAIR **

ANOETA **

San Martín, 53 - 1º T: 943 46 25 44 www.hostalalemana.com

Padre Larroca, 3 - entlo. dcha.

T: 943 29 31 33 / 691 81 04 03 www.pension-altair.com

Avda. de Madrid, 13 - 1º izda.

T: 943 24 52 88 / 676 47 81 97 www.pensionanoeta.com

(2F)

(6F)

(3D)

ARTEA **

BASIC CONFORT II **

BIKAIN **

San Bartolomé, 33 - 1º Izda.

T: 943 45 51 00 / 629 43 09 36 www.pensionartea.com

San Lorenzo, 12 - 2º Izda.

T: 943 43 01 32 / 665 73 76 08 www.basicconfortbi.com

Triunfo, 8 - entlo.

T: 943 45 43 33 www.pensionbikain.com

(3D)

(2E)

COMPLEJO AMETZAGAÑA **

Camino de Uba, 61 T: 943 45 90 92 / 943 45 63 99 www.ametzagana.com

-

(3E)

DONOSTIARRA **

hostal BAHIA **

San Martín, 6 - 1º T: 943 42 61 67 www.pensiondonostiarra.com

San Martín, 54 bis T: 943 46 92 11 www.hostalbahia.com

(3E)

(3E)

Accommodation guide

81

82

ITXASOA **

KURSAAL **

UR-ALDE **

San Juan, 14 - 2º T: 943 42 01 32 www.pensionesconencanto.com

Peña y Goñi, 2 - 1º T: 943 29 26 66 www.pensionesconencanto.com

Puerto, 17 - 2º T: 943 42 25 81 www.ur-alde.com

(1E)

(2F)

(2D)

AB DOMINI *

BALERDI *

IZAR BAT *

San Juan, 8 - 2º dcha.

T: 943 42 04 31 www.abpensiones.com

San Juan, 1 - 2º T: 943 42 68 14 www.pensionbalerdi.com

Fermín Calbetón, 6 - 1º T: 943 43 15 73 / 659 89 64 90 www.pensionizarbat.com

(1E)

(2E)

(2E)

KOXKA *

koxka bi *

LOINAZ *

31 de Agosto, 22 - 1º Izda T: 943 42 68 85 www.pensionkoxkasansebastian.com

Embeltran, 16 - 2º dcha. izda.

T: 943 42 68 85 / 649 76 57 17 www.pensionkoxkabi.com

San Lorenzo, 17 - 2º T: 943 42 67 14 / 627 39 52 02 www.pensionloinaz.com

(1E)

(2E)

(2E)

SAN MARTIN *

SAN telmo *

SAN VICENTE *

San Martin, 10 - 1º T: 943 42 87 14 / 618 37 32 68 www.pensionsanmartin.com

San Juan, 13 - 1º dcha.

T: 943 42 51 65 www.pensionsantelmo.com

San Vicente, 7 - 3º T: 943 42 29 77 / 626 62 51 10 www.pensionsanvicente.com

(3E)

(2E)

(1E)

5 km from Ondarreta beach, between the mountains and the sea.

WWW.CAMPINGIGUELDO.COM

APART MENTS

Emyrent

ZURRIOLA SUITES

Plaza Ferrerias 18, bajo T: 943 46 30 99 www.emyrent.com

Zabaleta, 49 T: 678 45 02 25 www.zurriolasuites.com

(6F)

CAMPSITES

CAMPING BUNGALOWS IGUELDO SAN SEBASTIAN Pº del Padre Orkolaga, 69 T: 943 28 04 90 / 943 21 45 02 www.campingigueldo.com

(1F)

OLIDEN Carretera GI-636 km. 5,5 Renteria-Irun T: 943 49 07 28 / 657 79 15 97 www.campingoliden.com

IGARA San Sebastian

Cº Igara 195 T: 943 37 42 87 www.campingdesansebastian.com

-

HOSTELS

GREEN NEST HOSTEL UBA ATERPETXEA Camino de Uba, 43 T: 943 45 71 17 www.nesthostelsansebastian.com

OLARAIN Pº de Ondarreta, 24 T: 943 00 33 00 www.olarain.com

-

RURAL AGRITOURISM ACCOM MODATION ARRATZAIN

Arratzain Baserria, 21 Usurbil T: 943 36 66 63 / 606 34 07 47 www.agroturismoarratzain.com

EL TURISTA

LUGGAGE

AND ACCESSORIES FOR THE PASSENGER

Legazpi, 6. T: 943 42 77 46 www.todomaletas.com

(4A)

COTTAGE KAXKARRE Ermaña Berri, 2. Caserio Buenabista Astigarraga T: 943 33 02 05 / 629 02 15 60 www.kaxkarre.com

AGRITOURISM PagoederRaga Santio Erreka Auzoa, 7 Aia T: 686 45 00 04 www.nekatur.net/pagoederraga

Accommodation guide

83

84

Choose DONOSTIA/ San Sebastian for your meeting.

The right choice.

Extensive experience in organising events, an outstanding infrastructure, an exceptional selection of cultural attractions and a luxury cuisine that make San Sebastian the ideal city to hold your meeting.

1. Kursaal Congress Centre and AUDITORIUM 2. San Sebastian Technology Park Nature, technology and art can all be found in the Miram贸n Natural Park, only 5 minutes outside the city centre. Over 60 innovative companies and research

centres are based in this facility, which features an auditorium, digital classroom, meeting rooms and exhibition halls, restaurant and catering.

In the city centre, opposite the sea and the beach, the Kursaal is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, with rooms suitable for hosting anything from small company meetings to large conferences, trade fairs, exhibitions etc. and with a first-rate catering service provided by the team of the two Michelin-starred chef, Andoni Luis Aduriz.

Avenida de Zurriola, 1 T: +34 943 00 30 00 www.kursaal.org

P潞 de Mikeletegi, 53 - Edificio Central T: +34 943 01 10 00 www.pt-gipuzkoa.es

MEETINGS A BUSINESS CITY

85

Plaza Carlos Blasco de Imaz, 1 T. 943 44 00 99 www.aquariumss.com

3. BASQUE CULINARY CENTER The Basque Culinary Center, the Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences, is a unique building where they hold culinary training activities, conduct research and hold business meetings and conventions.

Paseo Avelino Barriola, 101 T: +34 902 54 08 66 www.bculinary.com

4. AQUARIUM AUDITORIUM

One of the most modern in Europe and located in San Sebastian’s Old Town, right in the fishing port, where you can enjoy spectacular views of La Concha Bay. It has a modern auditorium, an exhibition room, an aquarium tour and a restaurant with a panoramic view of the sea.

6. FICOBA EXHIBITION CENTRE Avenida Iparralde, 43.

20302 Irun T: +34 943 66 77 88 www.eventoscostavasca.com

Strategically located on the Basque Coast, the FICOBA trade fair centre has over 70,000m2 of multi-purpose and cutting edge facilities, capable of meeting any requirement.

5. Miramar Palace The Miramar Palace, which was once the official royal summer residence, is an English cottagestyle complex. It boasts 8 classroom-style rooms, 6 auxiliary offices, 5 rooms for receptions and exhibitions and has gardens with the best views of La Concha Bay. It’s perfect for holding meetings, cocktail parties and gala dinners.

Pº de Miraconcha, 48 T: +34 943 21 90 22 www.sc.ehu.es/scrwwsu/ Miramar/Palacio.html

Donostia/ Sansebastián, EXCLUSIVE INCENTIVE PROGRAMMES We advise you on the best options for your group or company.

San SebasTian Turismo & Convention Bureau T: 943 48 14 66. www.sansebastiancongress.com

86

7. GIPUZKOA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE A cutting-edge and multi-purpose facility available for companies to hold conferences, events, meetings, exhibitions, trade fairs, presentations and courses.

Avda. Tolosa, 75. T: +34 943 00 02 72 www.camaragipuzkoa.com

Pº de Mikeletegi, 43-45 T: +34 943 01 29 00 www.eurekamuseoa.es

8. OLARAIN

It’s 500 metres from Ondarreta Beach and is fully equipped for all kinds of events. It also has a catering service, dining room and accommodation, and areas for team-building activities.

9. EUREKA! SCIENCE MUSEUM It offers rooms equipped for all kinds of events and additional activities: Planetarium, guided tours, science shows.

10. VICTORIA EUGENIA THEATRE

Pº de Ondarreta, 24 T: 943 00 33 00 www.olarain.com

12.

CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA MUSEUM

11. ANOETA STADIUM An alternative choice for holding company meetings, with a large range of options tailored to your requirements.

Pº de Anoeta, 1. Estadio Anoeta Puerta 0. Tel. +34 943 48 18 56 www.estadioanoeta.com

The Victoria Eugenia Theatre has been one of San Sebastian’s most iconic buildings since it was opened in 1912. It was fully refurbished in 2007 and still retains its original style, offering a Main Hall and multi-purpose rooms to hold all kinds of meetings.

Pº República Argentina, 2 T: +34 943 48 11 60 www.victoriaeugenia.com

Located in Getaria, this is a new, modern building, large in size and where the rooms are arranged to make them userfriendly and comfortable. Three large suspended areas contain the exhibition rooms.

Parke Aldamar, 6.

Getaria T: +34 943 00 88 40 www.cristobalbalenciagamuseoa.com

13. SAN TELMO MUSEUM The blend of a 16th century Dominican convent with the contemporary architecture of a recent extension to the museum provides different monumental spaces to carry out activities and hold events.

Plaza Zuloaga, 1 T: +34 943 48 15 80 www.santelmomuseoa.com

Other affiliated companies of San Sebastian Turismo OPC- PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE AND EVENT ORGANISERS INNEVENTO 943 24 79 49 / 606 30 17 58 www.innevento.com LANKOR CONGRESOS Y EVENTOS 943 42 81 11 www.lankor.com PRESENCIA BY M.A. (Presencia Internacional) 902 45 14 85 www.presencia-inter.com TISA 943 43 11 57 www.tisasa.es Travel agencies with conferences dept.

EQUINOCCIO VIAJES 943 21 65 80 www.equinoccioviajes.com VIAJES EROSKI 943 43 04 61 www.viajeseroski.es Incoming travel agents GS INCOMING 943 26 05 98 www.gsincoming.com HAGOOS - YOUR BASQUE COUNTRY DMC 943 22 64 66 www.hagoos.com/mice Just in San Sebastian 943 35 97 65 www.justinsansebastian.com KABI 943 28 93 25 / 608 96 42 68 www.kabi-travels.com SAN SEBASTIAN FOOD 943 42 11 43 www.sansebastianfood.com TRANSPORT TELETAXI VALLINA 943 40 40 40 www.vallinagrupo.com AUTOBUSES AIZPURUA 943 36 32 90 www.autocares-aizpurua.es AUTOCARES ALZA 943 44 43 66 - 607 90 14 88 www.autocaresalza.com AUTOBUSES APAOLAZA 943 72 48 10 www.autobusesapaolaza.com AUTOCARES DAVID 943 49 33 44 www.autocaresdavid.com GURDIA AUTOTURISMO 943 31 03 11 / 680 52 67 70 www.gurdia.com IPARBUS 943 49 18 01 - 606 30 51 43 www.iparbus.com RADIO TAXI DONOSTI 943 46 46 46 www.taxidonosti.com TALUR SERVIS 943 10 27 37 / 629 49 12 99 www.talurservis.es VALLINA BUS-AUTO 943 39 38 48 www.vallinagrupo.com

Cultural and Tourist Services BASQUE COOLTOUR 676 12 53 22 / 626 78 67 50 www.basquecooltour.com BEGI BISTAN 943 86 22 41 / 657 79 46 77 www.begi-bistan.com FOLLOW ME SAN SEBASTIAN

943 84 50 03 / 662 10 93 33 www.followmesansebastian.com GOITUR, GOIERRI TURISMOA 943 16 18 23 www.goierriturismo.com INTERMEZZO GESTMUSIC 943 40 48 45 www.intermezzo-promusic.com OARSOALDEA 943 49 45 21 www.oarsoaldea-turismo.net TASTE SAN SEBASTIAN 686 76 19 03 www.tastesansebastian.com TOLOSALDEA TOUR 943 69 74 13 www.tolosaldea.net Cultural and Tourist Services – Language Schools EL AULA AZUL 943 45 29 81 www.elaulaazul.com LACUNZA IH SAN SEBASTIAN 943 32 66 80 www.lacunza.com TANDEM SAN SEBASTIAN 943 32 67 05 www.tandemsansebastian.com Catering AZERI JANA CATERING 943 21 52 21 www.catering-azerijana.com BOKADO CATERING 943 33 34 67 www.bokadogrupo.com DIVINUS CATERING 943 33 53 68 www.divinuscatering.com GUTIZI CATERING 943 34 44 66 www.gutizi-catering.com Merchandising BIKASI 943 46 66 00 TROFEOS TXAPELDUN 943 46 49 17 www.trofeostxapeldun.com Sporting event org.

BERA BERA RT 943 29 12 92 / 609 73 59 81 www.berabera.com C.D. FORTUNA 943 21 49 00 www.cdfortunake.com Guides and Hostesses AINHOA DOMINGUEZ 645 75 42 64 ANA INTXAUSTI 629 00 60 39 CRISTINA KONYAY 609 43 39 30

ESTHER VAZQUEZ 607 54 74 86 KULTURLAN BI 943 13 14 18 www.kulturlanbi.com MAREI AZAFATAS 648 05 30 05

ORTOLAIZ FOTOGRAFIA 943 61 05 23 www.ortolaiz.com

Communication ACC 943 31 15 66 www.acc.com.es ADIMEDIA 943 63 57 37 www.adimedia.net BI TANTA 943 50 42 06 www.bitanta.com CODIGO 943 31 04 05 www.codigo.es DIGITALAK 943 36 03 04 www.digitalak.com EUROSINTESIS 943 32 33 34 www.eurosintesis.com GIPUZKOA TOUR 943 47 32 02 / 661 97 39 73 www.gipuzkoatour.com I.T. Services AMECA, S.L. 943 47 33 27 www.ameca.com DMACROWEB 943 29 72 04 www.acc.com.es

Translators and interpreters BITEZ 943 37 20 90 www.bitez.com MONDRAGON LINGUA 943 71 20 55 www.mondragonlingua.com SARETIK HIZKUNTZA ZERBITZUAK 943 33 60 13 www.saretik.eu Installations: Design and construction of stands LANKOR CONGRESOS Y EVENTOS 943 42 81 11 www.lankor.com Audiovisual materials, sound systems and translation equipment BENGOA AUDIOVISUALES 943 36 86 49 / 670 44 09 30 www.bengoa.info MUSICAL 72 - AUDIOLAN 943 42 20 32 www.audiolan.com ASSOCIATIONS

Photography and video services DIGITALAK 943 36 03 04 www.digitalak.com JAVIER LARREA FOTÓGRAFO 680 98 55 27 www.jlarrea.com JESUS Mª PEMAN 943 64 62 84 - 666 52 89 97 www.hondarbi.com JUANTXO EGAÑA FOTÓGRAFO 943 21 18 62 - 656 79 81 16 www.juantxoegana.com

ASOC.EMPRESARIOS DE HOSTELERIA DE GIPUZKOA 943 31 60 40 www.hosteleriagipuzkoa.com GIPUZKOAKO SAGARDOGILEEN ELKARTEA 943 33 68 11 / 690 81 43 93 www.sagardotegiak.com HOTELES DE GIPUZKOA 943 30 90 30 www.hotelesenguipuzcoa.com NEKATUR-Agroturismos y Casas Rurales 943 32 70 90 www.nekatur.net SAGARDOAREN LURRALDEA 943 55 05 75 www.sagardoarenlurraldea.com SSHOPS DONOSTIA- PLATA-

FORMA DEL COMERCIO URBANO

943 09 09 38/39 www.sshopsdonostia.com

+ Immerse yourself and practice and learn

languages

Donostia/San Sebastian offers you the best setting and finest schools to study languages.

# LACUNZA IH SAN SEBASTIAN T: 943 32 66 80. www.lacunza.com # TANDEM SAN SEBASTIAN T: 943 32 67 05. www.tandemsansebastian.com # EL AULA AZUL T: 943 45 29 81. www.elaulaazul.com

MEETINGS A BUSINESS CITY

87

88

PRACTICAL INFORMATION ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU NEED SO THAT YOU DON’T MISS A THING. AND SO THAT YOU DON’T GET LOST.

Londres

1.

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS San Sebastian Emergency Services 112

EUSKADI

París Pamplona

Madrid

Barcelona

San Sebastian Local Police 092 Regional Basque Police - Ertzaintza 088 / 943 26 76 06 San Sebastian Car Pound & Tow Truck 943 32 06 58 Citizen’s advice 010 Directorate-General of Traffic 011 San Sebastian Tourist Office 943 48 11 66

2. TRANSPORT Distances in kilometres From Donostia/San Sebastian to: Bilbao: 99 km

San Sebastian Bookings 943 21 77 17

Vitoria-Gasteiz: 113 km

Taxis 943 40 40 40 943 46 46 46

Biarritz: 51 km

Pamplona: 82 km Madrid: 464 km Barcelona: 571 km

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

89

ARRIVING

BY PLANE biarritz

BILBAO Donostia/ San Sebastian BIZKAIA GIPUZKOA

TAXIS AND RENTAL CARS Taxis Unlike in other cities, taxis don’t normally stop in the street, so it’s advisable to go to a taxi rank or call the following numbers:

Vallina Teletaxi

T: 943 40 40 40 www.vallinagrupo.com ARABA/ ÁLAVA

Radiotaxi Donosti

VITORIAGASTEIZ

T: 943 46 46 46 www.taxidonosti.com

Car and chauffer hire Vallina

San Sebastian Airport (EAS) www.aena.es

Biarritz Airport (BIQ)

www.biarritz.aeroport.fr

Bilbao Airport (BIO)

www.aeropuertodebilbao.net

Vitoria-Gasteiz Airport (VIT) www.aena.es

Bus from Bilbao Airport - San Sebastian PESA. www.pesa.net

Bus from Biarritz Airport - San Sebastian

PESA. www.pesa.net CONDA S.A. www.conda.es

• Bus from San Sebastian Airport – city

Lurraldebus / Ekialdebus. www.lurraldebus.net

T: 943 39 38 48 www.vallinagrupo.com

Suital

Tel.: 943 39 68 40

Talur Servis

T: 943 10 27 37 / 629 49 12 99 / 618 22 26 11 www.talurservis.es

Gurdia Autoturismo T: 943 31 03 11 T: 680 52 67 70 www.gurdia.com

90

BUSES

RAIL

Bus Station Local, National, International

Plaza PĂ­o XII. (Until Autumn 2015).

New Station (From Autumn 2015): Paseo Francia s/n.

20012 San Sebastian

City Buses DBUS

www.dbus.es T: 943 00 02 00

Local Buses Lurraldebus

National and InterNATIONAL BUS SERVICES: ALSA

RENFE

www.renfe.es T: 902 24 02 02 Paseo Francia s/n.

EUSKOTREN

www.alsa.es T: 902 42 22 42

www.euskotren.es T: 943 01 35 00 Plaza Easo s/n.

www.lurraldebus.net T: 943 00 01 17

ia rib ar nd Ho

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Donostia/ San Sebastian

un Ir un tz ar Oi

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Lasarte

ar ib go El a iti pe Az

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Bergara

Villabona

RAIL

Renfe Euskotren

Arrasate BUSES

Eskoriatza

Lurraldebus

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3. park in

OTA (Restricted Parking Zones)

the city

Donostia/San Sebastian has various restricted parking zones where you are allowed to park for a limited period of time if you pay a fixed fee. The colour of the stripes that mark out these areas determine the price you have to pay and the maximum parking time. This system is currently being implemented in almost all of the city’s central districts.

Parking for caravans and motorhomes

There is a car park for caravans and motorhomes in the Ibaeta university district, with a capacity for 50 vehicles.

Location: Calle Berio (43º18`28.33``N and 2º00`52.20``W)

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

91

4. get on

your bike Pedalling your way around San Sebastian can be great fun, as well as being good for your health.

There is an extensive network of bicycle lanes (bidegorris) in the city’s main districts.

Playa de Zurriola

GROS

Monte Urgull

PARTE VIEJA Monte Igueldo Isla Santa Clara

CENTRO

Pla y

INTX ad eO

EGIA nda rre

ta Playa d

e la

c Con

ha

AMARA VIEJO

ANTIGUO P Benta Berri

AIETE AMARA BERRI

Bicycle lane Cycling route with priority for pedestrians Areas 30

IBAETA

P Park and ride Anoeta

P

5. OPENING HOURS AND PRICES

OF THE CITY’S MAJOR MUSEUMS AND TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

MUSEO SAN TELMO

10:00 to 19:00

Naval Museum

10:00 - 20:00

Monday to Sunday: 10:00 to 19:00 Closed: Mondays (excluding July and August).

Normal: €10; Special: -10%; Concessions: €7; Free: children up to 9 years (check for other ages) page 44

10.00 - 14.00 / 16.00 - 19.00

Tuesday to Sunday:

Closed: Monday. 1st and 20th January and 25th December.

General admission €6 Concessions €3 page 42

+

AQUARIUM

From October to Easter Week:

·Weekdays: 10:00 - 19:00 ·Weekends, public holidays and long weekends: 10:00 - 20:00

Easter Week to 30th June and September:

·Weekdays: 10:00 - 20:00 ·Weekends, public holidays and long weekends: 10:00 - 21:00

From 1st July to 31st August:

Every day from 10:00 to 21:00

Closed: 25th December, 1st January and 20 th January.

Adults €13 Children (aged 4 to 12) €6,50 Under 4’s Free Special price €9 Large families €38 page 43

+

July and August:

+

EUREKA! SCIENCE MUSEUM

Tuesday - Friday: 10:00 - 19:00

(July and August: 10:00 - 20:00).

Weekends and public holidays:

11:00 - 20:00 Monday: 10:00 - 16:00 (July and August: 10:00 - 20:00) Check planetarium opening hours.

Closed: 25th December and 1st January.

Aged 0-3: Free / aged 4-17: €7 Aged 18-64: €9 / Over 65’s: €7 Special price €7 page .44

+

HISTORY HOUSE

From 21 March

From Tuesday to Saturday: Sunday and public holidays: 11.00 - 14.00

24th and 31st December: 10.00 - 14.00

Closed: Monday. 1st, 6th and

20 th January and 25th December.

General: €3; Students and pensioners: €1; Under 12’s: free.

Thursday, free entry. page 45

+

ALBAOLA

October to Easter Week 10:00 - 14:00 / 15:00 - 18:00

Easter Week to September 10:00 - 14:00 / 15:00- 19:00

Closed: 1st January and 24th, 25th and 31st December.

General public: €7; Concessions: €5 / €4,5; Under 6’s, free. page 45

+

st

CHILLIDA LEKU MUSEUM Temporarily closed.

Check for updates. page 43

+

CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA

November-February:

·Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 to 15:00 ·Weekends and public holidays: 10:00 to 17:00

March to May and October:

·Tuesday to Friday and Sundays: 10:00 to 17:00 ·Saturdays and public holidays: 10:00 to 19:00

June and September: Tuesday to Sunday:

From Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 to 17:30

From 1st September to 8th December

From Wednesday to Sunday: 10:00 to 17:30 page .44

+

SAGARDOETXEA – CIDER MUSEUM

Tuesday to Saturday:

11:00-13:30 / 16:00-19:30

Sunday and public holidays:

11:00-13:30 Closed: Monday (July and August open every day).

Groups: €3,50 / Individuals: €4 / 4 Under 10’s: free / Schoolchildren: €2. page .45

+

REAL SOCIEDAD MUSEUM

Tuesday to Saturday: 10:30 - 13:30 / 16:30 - 19:30

Sunday and public holidays: 10:30 - 13:30

Closed: 1st, 6th and 20 th January, 15th August and 8th and 25th December.

Museum:

Adults: €4; Under 14’s: €2; Adult season ticket holders: €2; Season ticket holders aged under 14: Free.

Museum+Stadium:

Adults: €6; Under 14’s: €3; Adult season ticket holders: €3; Season ticket holders aged under 14: Free. page 46

+

REZOLA CEMENT MUSEUM

Tuesday to Sunday:

10:00 – 14:00

Closed: Monday

+ page 46

Environmental Resource Centre

Monday to Saturday:

10:00 - 13:30 page 46

Spring:

TXURI URDIN ICE PALACE Open from 1 October 2014 to 25th May 2015. st

Special opening hours during the Immaculate Conception bank holiday weekend, Christmas and Easter Week.

Weekdays: Up to 12 years: €6; Adults: €8,85

Weekends, public holidays and days before holidays: Up to 12 years: €6,85; Adults: €9,85 page 62

+

FUNICULAR

Winter

Weekdays: 11:00 to 18:00 Weekend: 11:00 to 19:00 Closed: Wednesdays in winter.

11:00 - 14:00 / 16:00 - 20:30 Summer: weekdays: 11:15 - 14:00 / 16:00 - 20:00 Weekends and public holidays: 11:15 - 14:00 / 16:00 - 20:30

Big Week:

up to 23:30

Autumn:

11:30 - 14:00 / 16:00 - 20:00

Closed: Winter, spring and autumn weekdays.

Access to the park by car or on foot: €2,20 /person. page 61

+

SS CITY CATAMARAN

Spring and autumn:

12:00, 13:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00

July:

12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00 y 20:00

Weekdays: 10:00 to 21:00 Weekend: 10:00 to 22:00

August:

Every day from 10:00 to 22:00

September:

from 1st to 8th: 11:00 - 21:00

From 9th:

Weekdays: 11:00 - 20:00 Weekend: 10:00 - 21:00

Closed: Rest of year.

11:30 - 14:00 / 16:00 - 19:00

Spring and June

Weekdays: 11:00 to 20:00 Weekend: 10:00 to 21:00

Red line (direct service): 10:00 - 20:00 (runs every 30 min /1 h) Blue line (underwater view and ride around bay): 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:30, 16:30, 17:30, 18:30, 19:30

MOUNT IGELDO AMUSEMENT PARK

Winter:

+

1st June to 30th September and Easter Week:

+

9:30 - 13:30 and 15:00 - 20:00 (winter 19:00)

Sunday and public holidays:

ISLAND MOTORBOATS

Return: Adults: €3,10 Children: €2,30 Single ticket: Adults: €1,70; Children: €1,30; Special ticket: €3,10 page 61

Summer:

Winter: Inquire for groups Closed: Winter, except for groups.

Adults: €9; Children aged 3 to 10: €5 page 61

+

Red line: €4 blue line: €6 Children aged under 4: free.

Groups: see prices. page 61

+

TOURIST BUS

15th March to 15th November Daily from 11:00 to 21:00 Hourly service

From 16th Nov to 14th March:

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, public holidays, Christmas (from 5/12 to 5/01), San Sebastian Day (20/1) and Carnivals: 11:00 17:00 Leaves every hour.

Closed: Monday to Thursday in low season.

Adults: €12 Young people (aged 5-12): €6 Children (0-4): free. page 62

+

TOURIST TRAIN

15th March to 15th November: Daily from 11:00 to 22:00 Leaves every hour

From 16th Nov to 14th March:

Weekends, public holidays and long weekends: 11:00 - 19:00 Leaves every hour.

Closed: Monday to Friday in low season.

Adults: €5; Young people (aged 5-12): €3; Children (0-4): free. page 62

+

* Prices and hours valid in December 2014

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

93

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6. MAP OF

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THE CITY 1

San Sebastián Turismo

Tel.: 943 48 11 66 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47

San Vicente Church San Telmo Museum Constitution Square Santa María Church Naval Museum Aquarium “Empty Construction”.

Oteiza English Cemetery La Mota Castle Town Hall County Council Victoria Eugenia Theatre Buen Pastor Cathedral Miramar Palace and Park The “Wind Comb”.

Chillida Funicular Mount Igueldo (Funfair) Kursaal Conference Centre Monte Ulia Park Cristina-Enea Park Environmental Resource Centre Aiete The house of peace Diocesan Museum (Temporarily closed) Eureka! Zientzia Museoa Chillida Leku Museum (Temporarily closed) Rezola Cement Museum Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture Real Sociedad football club museum La Perla Thalasso-sport Centre Txu txu touristic train Touristic Bus “Ciudad San Sebastián” Tourist Boat Motorboats to the island and tourist boat (Only in summer) Taxi-bike (Only in summer) Kursaal Casino Koldo Mitxelena Cultural Centre Illumbe Bullring Ice Rink Sports Centre Royal Tennis Club Car Pound “RENFE” Train Station “Eusko Tren (TOPO)” Station Bus Station Igeldo Campsite Ondarreta Youth Hostel Ulia Youth Hostel Green Nest Hostel Uba Youth Hostel

Access to motorway

Cinema

Petrol station

Theater

Hospital

Underground parking

Church

Overflow parking lot

Traffic flow

Bus stop

Railway

Caravan park

Police

Taxi

Cycle lane

Toilets

Cultural Centre

Showers open all year

Sports Centre

Showers open in summer

Swimming Pools

Train Stop

Post Office

Funicular

2

39

3

Parque de Miramar parkea

45

44

4

5

6 A-8 San Sebastián Oeste / E-70 Donostia Mendebaldea N-1

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San Sebastián Oeste / Donostia Mendebaldea

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46

1

Pe

P a ata u a

ra

ade

P a a de e r

29

32

30

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San Sebastiรกn Este / Donostia Ekialdea

41

40

3 35 28 A-8

E-70

San Sebastiรกn Centro / Donostia Erdia

42

4

43 47 5

Parque de Aiete parkea

A-8 E-70

37

San Sebastiรกn Centro / Donostia Erdia

27

6 36

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96

7. BRIEF DICTIONARY OF THE BASQUE LANGUAGE

USE EUROPE’S OLDEST LANGUAGE TO ORDER A BEER. Basque is the oldest living language in Europe and one of the few non-Indo-European languages that has not only survived but is actually thriving in San Sebastian today. Half of the people in San Sebastian speak Basque. Join in and learn some expressions. Use a 15,000-year old language to say hello or order a beer: “Egunon. Zurito bat, mesedez”. (Good morning. A small glass of beer please).

ENGLISH ESPAÑOL EUSKERA Greetings

Saludos

Agurrak

My name is Miren / I’m Miren Hello! Hi! Good morning Good afternoon/ evening Good night Bye See you tomorrow See you later Please Excuse me / sorry Thank you / Thanks Not at all / You’re welcome Yes No Welcome Enjoy your meal

Me llamo Miren

Ni Miren naiz

Hola Buenos días Buenas tardes

Kaixo Egun on Arratsalde on

Buenas noches Adios Hasta mañana Hasta luego Por favor Perdón Gracias De nada

Gabon Agur Bihar arte Gero arte Mesedez Barkatu Eskerrik asko Ez horregatik

Sí No Bienvenido(s) Buen provecho

Bai Ez Ongi etorri On egin

Places

Lugares

Lekuak

Banco Biblioteca Iglesia Museo Cine Exposición Hotel Albergue Agroturismo Camping Aparcamiento Parada de autobús Estación de tren Bar Restaurante Playa Policia Autónoma Policía municipal Farmacia

Banketxea Liburutegia Eliza Museoa Zinema Erakusketa Hotela Aterpetxea Landa etxea Kanpina Aparkalekua Autobus geltokia Tren geltokia Taberna Jatetxea Hondartza Ertzaintza Udaltzaingoa Botika

En el hotel, bar o restaurante

Hotelean, tabernan, jatetxean

Cama Servicio Baño Llave Sábanas

Ohea Komuna Bainugela Giltza Maindireak

Street Square Tourism office Town / City Council / Hall Bank Library Church Museum Cinema Exhibition Hotel Youth hostel Agroturism Campsite Parking Bus Stop Train station Pub Restaurant Beach Basque police Municipal police Chemist’s At the hotel, pub or restaurant

Good morning, I’d like one room Room Double room / Twin room Bed Toilet Bathroom Key Sheet

Calle Plaza Oficina de turismo Ayuntamiento

Buenos días, quería una habitación Habitación Habitación doble

Kalea Plaza Turismo bulegoa Udaletxea

Egun on, gela bat nahi dut Gela Gela bikoitza

ENGLISH ESPAÑOL EUSKERA

Blanket Towel Breakfast Lunch Dinner Heating Air conditioning Price Card Bar/Pub Restaurant Dining room Sidrería/Cider bar Coffee Milk White coffee Wine Red wine White wine Rose wine Beer Cider Txakoli Patxaran Water Sandwich Mixed grill Today’s menu Menu Appetizer Pintxo (appetizer) First course Second course Dessert Food Drink Sweet Salty Tasteless Bitter Tip Waiter Cook/Chef Meat Fish The bill, please Cheap Expensive

Manta Toalla Desayuno Almuerzo Cena Calefacción Aire acondicionado Precio Tarjeta Bar Restaurante Comedor Sidrería Café Leche Café con leche Vino Vino tinto Vino blanco Vino rosado Cerveza Sidra Chacolí Pacharán Agua Bocadillo Plato combinado Menú del día Carta Aperitivo Pincho (sobre pan) Primer plato Segundo plato Postre Comida Bebida Dulce Salado Soso Amargo Propina Camarero Cocinero Carne Pescado La cuenta por favor Barato Caro

Estalkia Eskuoihala Gosaria Bazkaria Afaria Berogailua Aire girotua Prezioa Txartela Taberna Jatetxea Jangela Sagardotegia Kafea Esnea Kafesnea Ardoa Ardo beltza Ardo zuria Ardo gorria Garagardoa Sagardoa Txakolina Patxarana Ura Ogitartekoa Plater konbinatua Eguneko menua Karta Janaurrekoa Pintxoa (ogi gainekoa) Lehen platera Bigarren pletera Postrea (azken burua) Janaria Edaria Gozoa Gazia Motela Mikatza Eskupekoa Zerbitzaria Sukaldaria Haragia Arraina Kontua mesedez Merke Garesti

Numbers

Números

Zenbakiak

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Uno Dos Tres Cuatro Cinco Seis Siete Ocho Nueve Diez

Bat Bi Hiru Lau Bost Sei Zazpi Zortzi Bederatzi Hamar

Bidasoa Hondarribia - Irun www.visithondarribiairun.com

We’re so close by, you won’t want to miss out ...

Nature History and Heritage Culture Cuisine Shopping Water sports Between Biarritz and San Sebastián...

www.bidasoaturismo.com www.visithondarribiairun.com