On August the 5th of 1907 two Japanese armored ships, the modern Tsukuba and the Chitose, docked at La Concha. These huge ships were some of the most modern ones in the Japanese Imperial Fleet, and, according to the writings of those years, the Japanese sailors even offered visits to the locals that came close, […]
We’ve already talked about Ramón Cortazar in previous posts, he was a San Sebastian architect designer of beloved buildings such as the Bellas Artes Theater. He worked in different architectural styles over his life, like modernism or Art Nouveau. In Donosti there are different buildings that can fit inside this category, being probably the nicest […]
A few days ago we were contacted through our social media to let us know about a little mystery, two medieval little figures in some holes in the old fortress at Mount Urgull. Our Instagram informant also asked us if we knew what they were doing there. Let’s solve the mystery of Mount Urgull. And, […]
The Basque Country is marked with ruins of ancient times. From castles to towers, going through mines, megalithic monuments or bridges that avoid rivers or abyss. Nowadays we know that the ones building these elements were neolithic cultures, the romans, the muslims and medieval christians. But for generations our ancestors attributed them to the “Gentiles” […]
In the Basque Country, most of our sports have evolved from the works on the fields. This is quite known outside of Euskadi. Many of our visitors have heard already about our rock lifters (harrijasotzaile) or woodchoppers (aizkolaris) as the charismatic Iñaki Perurena or Joxe Mari Olasagasti. But there are many other modalities, as harvesting […]
All the cities in the world have their day of holiday and Donosti could not be less. And obviously, in a city called San Sebastian, the main holiday coincides with the day of Saint Sebastian, our patron saint. This very special day is the 20th of January, it’s a holiday that lasts only 24 hours, […]
Cinema is invented in 1895 thanks to the Lumière brothers. Just 20 years after that first cinematographic projection, in San Sebastian the Bellas Artes Theater is built, one of the first buildings in the Basque Country built exclusively as a cinema theater. It’s the oldest cinema theater in Spain that still maintains its original design. […]
One of the most renowned characters in the basque mythology and popular culture is San Martin Txiki or San Martiniko, a very smart rascal that acts as a civilizing hero in the Basque Country (and also as the only saint with an important role in the basque legends). This sort of Prometheus gave the basque […]
If you walk alongside the Boulevard on a not very busy day, maybe you will see a line of red paving stones on the floor that goes until some flowers that end up at a bandstand. What you are seeing over there is the original outline of the city walls, which started to be demolished […]
If while walking around San Sebastian’s Central District you want to dedicate a moment to look for the next book you are going to read, you can always come around this little bookstore that remind of the ones of back in the day. Here, you can feel in the air from the moment you step […]
Even if jatorra means in basque nice or kind, in our daily life, people from the Basque Country we use it to refer to someone authentic. That kind of person that always has a smile on their face, a kind word and is willing to give you a hand without asking anything in exchange. Always […]
Donostia-San Sebastian has been known by several names. Irutxulo, Gaztelupe… and La Bella Easo (like a muffin brand). Although during our tours we normally explain the origins of the first two ones, which are linked to peculiarities of our city, the third one is a little bit more complicated. In Ancient times, Oiasso was a […]