Fortresses were built, a navy was stationed, and for the next 4 centuries San Sebastián defended against attacks from many fronts. The city lost its mercantile flair, and that business was diverted to Bilbao and Pasajes. The result was much more than a change in material from wood to stone, but also in mission. It wasn’t until after the last fire, in 1489 (so around the same time that typhus was getting started on the peninsula), that the city’s future was seriously reconsidered. Business was so brisk in fact that the city was rebuilt a half-dozen times after massive fires left it in ashes. The locals in the meantime enjoyed the Navarran traffic as well, for Sancho didn’t have much choice. In less than a few decades it was wrestled away by the Kings of Castile, whose thirst for a naval fleet suited and fed the locals better. This was useful to Sancho, but to the people of the town it was of little benefit to support a kingdom with so few opportunities to expand. San Sebastián was founded in the late 12th century by King Sancho (the wise) of Navarra to be its principal maritime port. If you are feeling ambitious make the climb (or take the cable car, no judgment here) to the top of Monte Urgull where you can visit the Castillo de la Mota or the museum (not much help to non-Spanish speakers) or simply take in the views. Though you may not get to visit the inside, the surrounding park is a calmer place to take in the views than are the beaches that flank it.Īlso worth a visit is the Catedral de Buen Pastor, a neo-gothic gem dedicated to the Good Shepherd whose interior will delight even more than its exterior. The namesake of the town, a monastery to San Sebastián Martír, no longer exists but in its place stands the former summer home of Isabella II, the Miramar Palace. ![]() Get a taste here, and then run wild in Bilbao. ![]() Known as pintxos (bites), and washed down with txakoli (the local white), they display a boggling amount of culinary genius. It is the first major city along the coast where you will find, primarily in the Parte Vieja (old town), the celebration of food that Basque chefs take such pride in. This despite being one of the rainiest cities in Spain (a point which offers little consolation to rain-soaked Santiago). The city is home to about 200,000 people and twice as many more annual tourists, who flock to the Cantabrian seaside to enjoy the sands of the La Concha beach as well as the many international festivals to films and dance that are held here annually. San Sebastián is one of the best-known tourist destinations in all of Spain, and is the capital city of the Basque province of Guipúzkoa (there are two more provinces in Spain and three in France).
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