San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque), 20 km from the French-Spanish border, is a beautiful tourist city of 190,000 inhabitants, surrounded by mountains and bordered by the sea. Capital of Guipuzcoa, this ancient stronghold was the scene of a battle against English and French troops; its village was surrounded by walls until 1863. The history of San Sebastian is also marked by its destruction by Napoleonic troops in 1813, an episode that would later give rise to major commemorative events. Spain's neutrality during the First World War allowed the city to welcome a crowd of aristocrats and great families, and to live a flourishing era. An ancient tradition: San Sebastian was the place of residence of Isabel the Catholic, Queen Maria Cristina, Alfonso XII and Franco, among other personalities. Today, it is still a city where life is good. This quality of life is due to the ocean and the three beautiful beaches that border it: Zurriola, La Concha and Ondarreta, bordered by the Ulia and Igueldo mountains. The bay of San Sebastian is similar to the bay of Rio, with the island of Santa Clara in the center. Donostiarres are people who like to go out, eat well and party. In the old part of the city, there are many tapas bars for the pleasure of tourists, but the city also has many good restaurants.

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Pictures and images San Sebastián

Vue sur San Sebastian. Karol Kozlowski - iStockphoto
Plage de La Concha. Elodie SCHUCK
Théâtre Victoria Eugenia, à San Sebastián. Khrizmo
Basilique Santa María del Coro. Elodie SCHUCK
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