SAN SEBASTIAN:SAN SEBASTIAN, or Donostia as its friendly Basque inhabitants would tell you it is called, has some of the highest property prices in Spain for a reason: it's breathtakingly beautiful.
At its heart the scallop-shaped golden Playa la Concha curves to a charming working harbour, with wooded islands in the bay. Great Atlantic rollers crash on to the city’s more exposed seafront and wilder Zurriola Beach, all of which are surrounded by low, green, hills, completing the picture of this naturally protected, historically important, strategic port nestled into the Vizcaya coast.
This importance came at a price, as it was regularly assailed. On one occasion, back in 1838, Leopoldo O’Donnell, a descendant of Red Hugh O’Donnell who sailed to Spain after the Battle of Kinsale, defended the lines of San Sebastian against the Carlists. A brilliant soldier, according to Tim Pat Coogan, he subsequently became prime minister of Spain after suppressing a slave uprising in Cuba with Cromwellian levels of atrocity.
These days the grid-planned old city – the Parte Vieja – and its charming harbour have swelled to include plenty of des-res; a Zona Romantica, with attractive art-nouveau facades; and a number of ornate bridges that cross the Urumea river, which flows through the centre, grandly, to meet the sea.
Foodies and bons viveurs will delight in Donostia-San Sebastian, as it is officially called. The Basque region as a whole is famed for its culinary dishes, and this city, the capital of the Gipuzkoa province – one of three that make up this autonomous region – stands out. Pinxtos – delicious tapas offerings that cost about €1 – form the cornerstone of this cuisine, which has claimed no fewer than 16 Michelin stars around the city.
We quickly found we were stuck for choice, particularly in the bustling bars where food takes pride of place. Unlike other parts of Spain, where drink-accompanying tapas are generally kept in display trays, here pinxtos flamboyantly fill the entire bar counter. Garlic-drenched octopus vies with chorizo, irresistible fish morsels such as anchovies in spider crab cream, and myriad colourful variations on the great Spanish omelette, for one’s delectation.
And that was just our favourite breakfast bar, Bar Gorriti, where market stall holders mingled with well-heeled Spanish tourists and others. All were eating, naturally, and drinking coffee, or excellent Navarra wines or brandy, while the staff worked smoothly to keep the tapas replenished while loud music – which swung from AC/DC to flamenco – helped to jar the senses into action for another day in this fun, no-nonsense, city.
It’s this joie de vivre that marks San Sebastian as such a great destination at any time of the year and that saw it achieve a successful bid to become European Culture Capital for 2016, to be held jointly with the Polish city of Wroclaw.
But it’s fair to say that, while charming at almost every turn, there is no outstanding architectural centerpiece. Instead one should simply enjoy the experience of seeing the city on foot, which is easy to do thanks to the extensive pedestrian areas, and soak up its salt-air- enhanced, upbeat atmosphere. San Sebastian is exuberantly Basque, and this ancient culture is celebrated with great gusto, from impromptu late-night street dances and the widely heard Basque music to the way they pour their beloved cider at arm’s length.
Possibly the finest art work is to be seen in the open air, where contemporary sculptures such as the shoreside Wind Combby Eduardo Chillida and architect Luis Peña Ganchegui both amuses and draws admiration. Across the city, more than half a dozen museums offer plenty of diversity.
This unostentatious, upmarket seaside resort also hosts an international film festival every September in the incongruous Kursaal centre. Along with Cannes and the Venetian Mostra, it is one of Europe’s most important film events. At last year’s event Julia Roberts was handed the Donostia award in recognition for her work. The previous year Sir Ian McKellen was in the city to pick up his Donostia award. Earlier recipients include Sean Penn, Woody Allen and the late Dennis Hopper.
Other festivals include Music Fortnight – spread over five weeks in August and September – where the impressive Gothic church of San Vicente and different venues in the city host symphony orchestras and noted soloists. Also on offer is the Surfilm festival, which caters for the wave addicts who flock to Zurriola beach.
The successful 2016 European Cultural Capital nomination was based on more than artistic merit, however. Its undertaking to “overcome its history of violence through culture” was what impressed Spain’s ministry for culture to make the northern Spanish city its primary choice for the title. After years of Eta bombings and insurrection the win for San Sebastian marks a departure from the past and comes at a time of burgeoning change in Basque political life. Bildu, a secessionist coalition that includes former members of Eta’s political branch, became the region’s second most popular party in May elections. That came as a shock after conservatives and socialists failed to block the newly formed party and its eligibility to contest the elections was allowed by the constitutional court. It means the way is paved for the moderate elements and makes the likelihood of Eta breaking its ongoing ceasefire less likely, though splinter groups remain a danger.
The Basque people have endured a lot of turmoil in the recent past. They were bombarded during the Civil War and subject to persecution under Franco, followed by Eta’s bloody campaign. The city’s leaders say citizens yearn to embrace a project such as the European Capital of Culture.
In April former taosieach Bertie Ahern came to San Sebastian to contribute his experience of the Irish peace process. He likened the Basque region to Ireland in the 1990s.
Irish visitors will feel at home here. While you’re in the area, it’s well worth exploring the surrounding villages to get a feel for the down-to-earth Basque way of life.
But there may be a deeper reason for the affinity between the Basques and the Irish. According to Prof Stephen Oppenheimer, a medical geneticist at the University of Oxford, the vast majority of us have Basque ancestry due to an exodus at the end of the last Ice Age by these peoples via France and into Ireland and Britain by a then existent land connection.
Genetically linked or not, if you follow the local Donostia-San Sebastian adage Gorostian gorosti, eta Donostian Donosti– "do as the locals do" – you'll have a whale of a time.
Get there:Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies from Dublin to Bilbao, an hour from San Sebastian by airport bus. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Dublin to Biarritz (France), 40 minutes from San Sebastian by airport bus
San Sebastian where to . . .
Stay
Value: Pension Santa Clara, 6 San Lorenzo, 00-34-943-431203, pensionsantaclara.com. Clean and functional pension with friendly staff. In a fabulous location where the old city begins. Expect early morning noise from street-side rooms. In high season, double rooms are €67 (€37 low season).
Mid-market:Pension Aldamar, 2 Calle Aldamar, 00-34-943-430143, pensionaldamar.com. High-end pension, which should really be called a hotel, in a great location by the ramblas. Double rooms in high season from €108.
Upmarket:Hotel Tryp Orly,
4 Plaza de Zaragoza, 00-34-902-144440, solmelia.com. One of the most modern and elegant hotels in the city centre. It’s part of the Melia chain and has stunning views over La Concha beach. Double room, sea view and breakfast from €230.
Eat
Value:Bar Gorriti, 3 Calle San Juan, 00-34-943-428353. No tables but excellent food. Principally for local traders and delivery men. Electric atmosphere.
Mid-market:La Fabrica, 17 Calle Puerto, 00-34-943-432110, restaurantelafabrica.es. This stylish, welcoming, modern restaurant does exceptional value and tastefully presented dishes. The wine list guarantees a successful evening.
Upmarket:Arzak, 273 Avenida Alcalde Jose Elosegui, 00-34-943-278465, arzak.info. Family-run three-star Michelin restaurant famous for its fish dishes, which are underpinned by traditional Basque cuisine.
Shop
Zona Romantica, named for its resemblance to the romantic Parisian streets, has chic boutiques. Top Spanish shops are found in the Centro Commercial.
Visit
Make a beeline for San Sebastian’s old quarter, where the bars, among the densest concentration of drinking establishments in the world, will be in full swing.