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SAN SEBASTIAN AND THE BASQUE COAST

Photos and design : josep soler minobis - www.jslenews.com -

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Exploring Basque Country

In this publication you can see photographs made by me in the Spanish and French Basque Country . From the capital of Guipuzcoa, San Sebastain, through the coastal towns of Zarautz, Orio and Getaria on the Spanish side and Bidart and Saint Jean de Luz in France.

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The most recognisable city snapshot features the beaches of Ondarreta and the Concha, with Santa Clara Islandnestling in the centre of the bay. The city’s third beach, the Zurriola, lying alongside and beyond the Kursaal Congress Center, is famous worldwide for its excellent surfing. San Sebastián is the administrative capital of Gipuzkoa, one of the three provinces making up the Basque Autonomous Community. It lies to the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula, 30 kilometres from the border with France. The cross-border region running from San Sebastián to Bayonne represents an important hub of social, economic and tourist development in the south-west of the European Union (EU).

SAN SEBASTIÁN IS A CITY OPEN TO THE SEA AND SHELTERED BY MOUNTS IGELDO, URGULL AND ULÍA

San Sebastián is a medium-sized city with almost 186,000 inhabitants. It is a tertiary, tourist city, eminently commercial, with strong emphasis on services and congresses. In recent years, San Sebastián has moved into the leading position among European cities, largely because of its commitment to science, technology, sustainable development and culture. Its designation as European Capital of the Culture confirms this pledge. Its smart urban layout and short distances make San Sebastián perfect for getting around on foot, with sprawling pedestrian precincts bike lanes and promenades that hug the city coastline from tip to tip.

A 16th century church in Gothic style, an 18th century Baroque basilica, Belle Époque buildings, palaces, Rationalist buildings, contemporary works... San Sebastián’s architecture has everything; San Sebastián is tradition and avant-garde! Would you like to know more about its architecture?

OLD TOWN OF SAN SEBASTIÁN

One of the activities enjoyed most by locals and tourists is taking a wander round the Old Town, stopping to get their strength back at one of the numerous bars and restaurants with a txikito, little glass of Txacoli wine and the odd ubiquitous pintxo the Old Town is a foodie hotspot! The Old Town is also home to the city’s two oldest churches

GOURMET MARKETS AND SHOPS

Although the secret to San Sebastián’s typical mouth-watering cuisine is the loving care and knowhow that goes into it, the biggest secret lies in the quality of the raw materials used. Gipuzkoa is very well known for its quality produce and the delight taken in good eating: traditional markets and fairs, delicatessen stores and denominations of origin are but a sample of this.

PLAZA DE LA CONSTITUCIÓN

The Plaza de la Constitución lies deep in the heart of the The Old Town . The building that dominates the square was San Sebastián’s City Hall until the 1940s. The balconies on the colourful buildings that line the square display numbers dating back to the time when it was used as a bullring.

KURSAAL CONGRESS PALACE AND AUDITORIUM

KURSAAL CONGRESS CENTRE AND AUDITORIUM

Big stars and young directors. The entire national and international film panoply flocks to San Sebastián every September to attend the most cosmopolitan event of the year: Zinemaldia, or the International Film Festival, one of the biggest of its kind in Europe alongside the Festival de Cannes and the Venice Mostra.

SURFING

Surf plays a major role in San Sebastián. Thousands of surfers from all over the world make their way to San Sebastián's Zurriola with the sole pretext of taking to the waves. That’s why San Sebastián is the setting for dozens of local, national and international championships mainly held from spring to autumn. During these months, it becomes easy to confuse the Zurriola and its surrounding areas with any surf city in Australia or California

SURFING

THE HOTEL ASTORIA 7

The hotel Astoria 7 is located in a very special building, the old Astoria cinema of San Sebastian. For this reason, every one of their 102 rooms are decorated individually with the essence of famous actors, actresses and directors who have been meeting in San Sebastian Festival of cinema

Monte Igeldo offers the best known and most iconic views of the Concha Bay, a fact that makes them no less impressive. Monte Igeldo stands at the extreme western end of the bay; although it can be accessed by private transport, we recommend that you take the funicular raywail, the oldest in the Basque Country, running since 1912, for spectacular hilltop views and photographs.

MOUNT IGELDO

GETARIA

Sewn down to the smallest detail with Balengiaga´s needle and thread, outlined witt txacoli vineyards sprinkled by the sea breeze, turned into a rush basket by that restless navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano, the firts explorer to circumnavigate the world, and the lair of ships in waiting to hunt whales.Such Getaria.

Strength, willpower and incentive. These are the aptitudes associted with yellow Orio´s emblem, and tey are well suited to the history of tihis fishing town. Sculptor Jorge Oteiza felt the influence of Orio in his artistic expression and the lyrics of Basque singer-songwriter Benito Lertxundi got their inspiration from this town. Orio´s rowers pull their boats through the wawes with such strength thay they are tops in the races held al along the Cantabrian coast. Also in the lead is the favourite local dish, Orio-style sea bream, which is served at tall the restaurants in this riverside town.

ORIO

ZARAUTZ

The sea embraces Zarautz along two kilometres of fine sandy beach, the longest one in the Basque Country, where pure nature with a protected biotype turns urban an the pier, with outdoor sculptures , restaurants , and seafront cafés. This is one of most emblematic of all Basque coastal towns. It is a full of history, has museums, offers perfect conditions for water sports, and lively shopping area with many pedestrian streets.

Surfing Zarautz: Birthplace of great surfers

Surfers can enjoy waves of up to 3 metres’ high and the mild temperatures which are maintained throughout the year mean you can surf all year round. If you would like to learn this sport you should know that the town has five surf and bodyboard schools and numerous shops selling specialised material.

Exploring France’s Basque Country

BIDART

The Pays Basque may not have the name recognition of its Spanish neighbor, but the region’s hidden villages and strong culinary traditions are ripe for discovery.

BIDART

BIDART

BIDART

BIDART

BIDART

SAINT JEAN DE LUZ

SAINT JEAN DE LUZ

SAINT JEAN DE LUZ

SAINT JEAN DE LUZ

SAINT JEAN DE LUZ

The Pays Basque may not have the name recognition of its Spanish neighbor, but the region’s hidden villages and strong culinary traditions are ripe for discovery.