Donostia-San Sebastian

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Donostia-San Sebastián municipality
Saint Sebastian 2006 05.jpg
coat of arms Map of Spain
Coat of arms of Donostia-San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián (Spain)
Finland road sign 311 (1994-2020) .svg
Basic data
Autonomous Community : Basque Country
Province : Gipuzkoa
Comarca : Donostialdea
Coordinates 43 ° 19 ′  N , 1 ° 59 ′  W Coordinates: 43 ° 19 ′  N , 1 ° 59 ′  W
Height : 6  msnm
Area : 60.89 km²
Residents : 187,415 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density : 3,077.93 inhabitants / km²
Founding: 1180
Postal code : 20.0XX
Municipality number  ( INE ): 20069
Nearest airport : EAS
administration
Official language : it, baq
Mayor : Eneko Goia ( EAJ-PNV )
Address of the municipal administration: Ijentea 1, 20003 Donostia / San Sebastián
Website : www.donostia.eus
Location of the municipality
Donostia (San Sebastian), Spain location.png

Donostia-San Sebastián ( Basque Donostia , pronunciation: [dɔ'nɔɕtija] ; Spanish San Sebastián ) is the capital of the province of Gipuzkoa (Spanish Guipúzcoa ) in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Basque Country . It is located about 20 km west of the French border in the arch of the Bay of Biscay . In 2016, the city was European Capital of Culture together with Wroclaw .

geography

location

Overlooking the bay de la Concha from Monte Igueldo from
San Sebastián and Surroundings (2011)

San Sebastián is located in the far north of the Iberian Peninsula on the bay of La Concha (German: The mussel ), whose name comes from its striking shape. The border with France is only 20 kilometers from San Sebastián. The mouth of the bay is bounded by the rock massifs of Monte Igueldo and Monte Urgull , and the small rocky island of Santa Clara lies in the exit itself . The wide arc of the bay with the beach promenade and between La Concha and the mouth of the river Urumea located Parte Vieja-Alde Zaharra (German: Altstadt ) are known tourist attractions.

climate

The climate is maritime with mild winters and cool summers. The annual rainfall is over 1500 mm. The annual average temperature is 13.1 ° C, determined on Monte Igueldo, 218 m above sea level, averaged from 1950 to 1996. In the city itself, the average temperature is 14.4 ° C

Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Donostia-San Sebastián
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C ) 11.0 11.5 13.4 14.5 17.7 20.0 21.8 22.5 21.1 18.5 14.0 11.6 O 16.5
Min. Temperature (° C) 5.9 5.9 7.2 8.1 11.1 13.8 16.0 16.5 14.8 12.4 8.7 6.6 O 10.6
Temperature (° C) 8.5 8.7 10.3 11.3 14.4 16.9 18.9 19.5 18.0 15.5 11.3 9.1 O 13.6
Precipitation ( mm ) 141 110 113 138 120 90 86 117 111 159 169 151 Σ 1,505
Hours of sunshine ( h / d ) 3.16 3.82 4.65 5.23 5.84 6.3 6.32 6.13 5.97 4.52 3.4 3 O 4.9
Rainy days ( d ) 13.2 11.6 12.4 13.4 12.2 10.6 9.8 10.5 10.1 11.8 13.0 12.4 Σ 141
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
11.0
5.9
11.5
5.9
13.4
7.2
14.5
8.1
17.7
11.1
20.0
13.8
21.8
16.0
22.5
16.5
21.1
14.8
18.5
12.4
14.0
8.7
11.6
6.6
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
N
i
e
d
e
r
s
c
h
l
a
g 		141
110
113
138
120
90
86
117
111
159
169
151
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

coat of arms

Description : In blue with silver board and the inscription "Ganadas por fidelidad, nobleza y lealtad" in black capital letters , a golden barque with three silver billowing square sails , a jib and golden mast pennants on five silver waves left driving; in each place a silver S as initials for the city name. On the shield the golden royal crown.

history

middle Ages

Historic artillery pieces on Mount Urgull

According to some historians, the area around today's city was originally called Izurum . The first mention of the name "San Sebastián" (Spanish for Saint Sebastian ) is found in connection with the description of a local monastery in a document from the early 11th century.

From the end of the 12th century, at the instigation of the kings of Navarre , San Sebastián was expanded to become the central port of this province, but lost this position to the city of Bilbao in the middle of the 14th century . This, together with the developing steel production in the region, led to a gradual movement of autonomy for individual local districts.

Modern times

In January 1489, a major fire reduced the entire settlement, which was then mainly made of wood, to rubble and ashes. The reconstruction was used to make San Sebastián the base of the Cantabrian navy, which until the end of the 19th century had to fight against French, Dutch and British armadas again and again.

King Philip IV granted San Sebastian town charter in 1662 .

In 1719 the city was conquered by a French army and then served as a garrison for around 2,000 French soldiers until it was returned to Spain under the Hague Peace Treaty of August 25, 1721.

After a further occupation of the city by French troops in 1813, an attempt at liberation on August 31 of the same year resulted in the occupiers finally surrendering on September 8, but in the days in between, San Sebastián burned to the ground again almost to the ground .

In 1863 Queen Isabella II had the city walls torn down. This cleared the way for a generous expansion of the city to the south, to today's city center.

Maria Christina of Austria , widow of King Alfonso XII. and Queen of Spain until her son Alfonso XIII came of age. , made San Sebastián her permanent summer residence from 1886 and thus helped the city to a strong social upswing.

In 1914, with the onset of World War I , San Sebastián developed into a cosmopolitan center of Europe. Personalities such as Mata Hari , Leon Trotsky and Maurice Ravel frequented the city's then world-famous casino .

Latest time

From 1940 to 1975, San Sebastián was the summer residence of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco every August . In the 1950s, Juan Carlos de Borbón, who later became King of Spain Juan Carlos I, also resided there .

San Sebastian was at the center of the conflict over the independence of the Basques, which was bloody (e.g. by bomb attacks by the Basque organization ETA and police countermeasures). The quest for independence was unsuccessful, and the open conflict has ended in 2011.

On 11 April 2019 the city was awarded the European Prize awarded for their outstanding efforts to European integration thoughts.

Origin of the Basque name

The Basque city name Donostia , like the Spanish name San Sebastián , arose from the name of St. Sebastian . Done , derived from the Latin domine ( lord ), is prefixed to the names of saints in Basque and thus corresponds to San in Spanish . Done Sebastian evolved from Donebastia to Donostia . The Basque- speaking residents of San Sebastián call themselves Donostiarrak , a name also used in the Spanish word donostiarra (s) .

Culture and sights

Cityscape

The city fathers succeeded in maintaining the architectural character of the city through strict building regulations. In particular, the view of the Concha Bay has remained almost unchanged since the mid-19th century.

Nowadays tourism is a main source of income for the city, but there are no hotel castles or similar characteristics of mass tourism.

Individual structures

San Sebastián City Hall, old casino
Kursaal in 2009 (10 years = 10 años, 10 urte)
Kursaal Bridge ("puente del Kursaal")
  • City Hall, opened as a casino in 1897, has housed the City Hall (Spanish: Ayuntamiento ) since 1947
  • Kursaal , event and congress center, which was built from 1989 to 1999 according to plans by architect Rafael Moneo on the site of the old Gran Kursaal ; Received the Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture in 2001
  • Buen Pastor Cathedral
  • Palacio Miramar (Eng .: Palace of Miramar), former summer residence of Queen Maria Christina on the bay of La Concha opposite the island of Santa Clara
  • Diputación
  • Palacio de Aiete
  • Victoria Eugenia Theater
  • Peine del Viento ("WindComb"), sculpture by Eduardo Chillida , which integrates the wind and the sea on the edge of a pier

District

Currently, the city is divided into districts ( barrios ), some of which have their own history and different characters.

Surname population description
Aiete / Miramon 15,662 Quiet residential area on a central hill along the road to Hernani and around Parque de Aiete .
Altza 20,377 Integrated into the city in 1939, it was a large area that grew rapidly in the 1960s.
Amara Berri / Riberas de Loiola 28,114 Newer district ( New Amara ) on the left bank of the Urumea; with the Estadio de Anoeta (German: Stadium Anoeta).
Amara / Morlans 6,528 Centrally located south of the center around the Easo square .
Antiguo 15,084 Upscale district on Ondarreta beach with many villas and old palaces.
Añorga 2,177 Small, rural, hilly district on the western edge of the city, halfway to Lasarte-Oria , cut up by the expressway and the railway line and separated from the rest of the city.
Bidgebieta 9,169 One of the newest neighborhoods; in the east direction Pasaia located
Centro 10,077 The city center shapes the image of the city. It is located south of the old town between La Concha Bay and La Zurriola Beach and was built upon after the city walls were torn down in 1862. This is the "km 0" of all roads in the province of Gipuzkoa that start in San Sebastian.
Egia 14,956 Quarter on the east bank of Urumea at Parque de Cristina Enea , divided by the railway line.
Large 19,442 Quarter with many shops and office buildings on Zurriola beach between the Urumea River and Mount Ulia .
Ibaeta 9,408 One of the oldest neighborhoods; on the eastern slope of the Igeldo, includes residential areas, industrial park and campus of the UPV / EHU University.
Igeldo 1,072 Formerly an independent rural village on Mount Igeldo in the west of the city.
Intxaurrondo 16,211 Residential district in the east of the city with the headquarters of the Guardia Civil ; recently strong population growth.
Loiola / Txomin-enea 4,962 On the left bank of the Urumea , north of the railway line.
Martutene 2,893 Residential area on Urumea south of the prison and the infantry barracks of San Sebastián.
Party Zaharra 6,083 The oldest part of the city, the name is made up of Spanish Parte Vieja and Basque Alde Zaharra (both German: old town ); until the demolition of the city wall the only district. Burned down completely in 1813.
Ulia 3,962 Residential area on the slopes of Mount Ulia in the northeast of the city.
Zubieta 294 Enclave southwest of the urban area; is administered by a "Junta Vecinal".

Squares, streets, beaches and parks

Jacques Cousteau Square
Plaza de la Constitución
  • Fishing port, in a corner of La Concha Bay between the old town and Mount Urgull
  • Plaza de la Constitución (Basque: Konstituzio Plaza , German: Constitution Square), central square in the old town with the old town hall
  • Plaza de Guipuzkoa , central square, seat of the provincial government ( diputación )
  • Boulevard and Avenida de la Libertad , central promenade where the city fortifications were demolished in 1863, separates the old town from the new town, a central bus stop
  • Bay of La Concha (English: the shell) with the same name Playa de La Concha , together with Ondarreta the beach with only small waves
  • Ondarreta beach at the western end of the Concha
  • La Zurriola beach east of Urumea , the only beach used for surfing; Bathing is only possible to a limited extent
  • Park Alderdi Eder
  • Cristina Enea Park
  • Park Aiete
  • Monte Igueldo mountain with a small amusement park and lighthouse
  • Mount Urgull with Jesus statue
  • Monte Ulia mountain with youth hostel and old watchtower

music

The city is the seat of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi , the Orfeón Donostiarra Choir and the Music Academy of the Basque Country Musikene .

Regular events

“Cooks” at Tamborrada

San Sebastián presents internationally important cultural events throughout the year.

  • Tamborrada : Every year on January 20th (day of Saint Sebastian ) the Donostiarrak celebrate the festival Tamborrada (for example: "drum egg " or "drumfestival"). At midnight, the head of the festival hoists the flag of San Sebastiánin the Plaza de la Constitucion , and the sound of drums fills the city for 24 hours.
  • Heineken Jazzaldia : a jazz festival, founded in 1966, takes place annually in July
  • Semana Grande Donostiarra (German: Big Festival Week of the City of Donostia, Basque: Aste Nagusia ):
    The festival week 'Semana Grande Donostiarra' takes place every year in August during the week of the Assumption Day. (German: Big Festival Week of the City of Donostia, Basque: Aste Nagusia ) instead, u. a. with a fireworks competition with international participation, accompanied by concerts, horse races and theater performances.
  • On August 31st, the devastating fire in the city in 1813 is commemorated. After dark, the residents walk through the street of August 31 with candles .
  • At the end of August and beginning of September, the "Basque festivals" ( Euskal Jaiak / Fiestas Vascas ) take place, which include cultural, sporting and festive events on Basque culture. Of particular note is the Bandera de La Concha , the most important rowing competition in the Cantabrian Sea .
  • San Sebastián International Film Festival : One of the most outstanding events is the world-famous 'San Sebastián International Film Festival', which has been held every September since 1953 and which regularly attracts celebrities from the international film industry to the city.
  • Día de Santo Tomás (Eng .: Day of St. Thomas): The 'Día de Santo Tomás' is celebrated on December 21st. In the Plaza de la Constitucion a traditional market with pets, freshly slaughtered and prepared meat and much will Sidra (cider) celebrated.

gastronomy

Culinary delights in the "parte vieja" de Donostia

kitchen

Donostia is the stronghold of Basque cuisine . Many of the most respected chefs in the Basque Country, such as Juan Mari Arzak , Martín Berasategui , Pedro Subijana or Andoni Luis Aduriz (in Errenteria ) have restaurants in the city or in the vicinity. Not only are the city's well-known restaurants remarkable, the cuisine is generally of a very high standard. Donostia is known for its very high density of Michelin stars .

A Basque peculiarity are the 119 gastronomic societies ( sociedades gastronómicas ) of the city.

The pintxos de Donostia , which can be found in many restaurants, especially in the pubs in the old town, have a very good reputation .

In San Sebastián and the surrounding area (e.g. in the suburbs Astigarraga and Usurbil as well as in the neighboring town of Hernani ), cider , the sour cider typical of the region , is produced in autumn and tasted in cider houses at the beginning of the year during the cider season. Another regional specialty is the extremely dry white wine Txakoli from the Basque wine-growing region Getaria , which is served in every bar and restaurant, especially with the delicate pintxos.

Gastronomy Faculty

Juan Arzak was one of the initiators of the “Basque Culinary Center” (BCC), which opened in San Sebastian in September 2011 and which describes itself as “Europe's first gastronomy faculty” and offers a university degree in “Gastronomy and Culinary Arts”. The BCC is financially supported by several companies and is assigned to the private University of Mondragón. The annual tuition fee is 8,000 euros.

Sports

The Real Sociedad , the most successful football club in San Sebastián, played for a long time in the Spanish Primera División and qualified more often for international competitions. In the 2006/07 season, however, she rose to the second division. In June 2010 "La Real" rose again to the highest Spanish league, the Primera División. The club's venue is the Estadio Anoeta , which has a capacity of almost 32,000 spectators.

Every year in August, the Clásica San Sebastián , a one-day cycle race with World Tour status, takes place in and around San Sebastián .

In 1977, San Sebastián hosted the European Athletics Indoor Championships . In 2005 the Senior World Championships in athletics were held here . In March 2013, after 2003, the city again hosted the European Senior Athletics Championships in the hall (EVACI).

Economy and Infrastructure

Partial view of the port

economy

San Sebastián is a valued location for Spanish and foreign investors, and a number of corporations have branches here. Many companies are based in the Miramon Technology Park .

Tourism is an important industry. The convenient location on the Bay of Biscay attracts surfers.

traffic

Road traffic

San Sebastián is on the A1 Madrid - Irun (formerly NI), the main route from France via northern Spain, and on the AP 8 Bilbao -San Sebastián. Two bus companies offer trips from San Sebastián to Bilbao and back every half hour (hourly on weekends).

The Puente de María Cristina has existed since 1905.

Funicular

Carriage of the funicular on Monte Igueldo

Since 1912, the existing funicular Spanish Funicular de Igueldo , which connects from Playa de Ondarreta to Monte Igueldo.

port

The downtown port of San Sebastián has lost its former importance and has only been used for fishing and sports since the 1970s. The nearest commercial port is in the suburb of Pasaia (Spanish: Pasajes ).

air traffic

The airport of San Sebastián in Hondarribia , around 20 km away , is mainly of regional importance, as there are only scheduled flights to and from Madrid and Barcelona . International airports can be found in Bilbao (Basque Bilbo), about 100 km (an hour's drive) away, and in Biarritz (Basque Miarritze or Biarritz) in France, about 50 km away .

Rail transport

Rail transport is provided by Euskotren Trena, the largest Basque rail operator. Euskotren Trena operates the train service to Bilbao and other destinations as well as the Metro Donostialdea. Their network extends to the French city of Hendaye (Hendaia in Basque), which is connected to the French rail network.

education

Universities

Personalities

Sons and daughters

Town twinning

City partnerships exist with the cities

Relations with Germany

In addition to the town twinning mentioned, there are various relationships with Germany: there are two German schools here, Mary Ward and the German School San Sebastián , which has existed since 1921 and was founded by German industrialist families. San Sebastián has a German honorary consul .

  • View from Monte Urgull over La Concha Bay and the city

  • View over the bay to Monte Urgull with Castillo de La Mota and Jesus statue by Donostia

  • Buen Pastor Cathedral, built in 1897

  • Plaza del Buen Pastor, with the cathedral on the right

  • Kursaal Auditorium

  • Victoria Eugenia Theater (built 1912)

  • Seat of the San Sebastián Choral Society

  • Alfonso VIII street from Plaza de Bilbao with the cathedral in the background

  • Palacio de Miramar, summer residence of Queen Maria Christina of Austria

Web links

Commons : Donostia-San Sebastián  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cifras oficiales de población resultantes de la revisión del Padrón municipal a 1 de enero . Population statistics from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (population update).
  2. ↑ Valores climatológicos normales. Donostia / San Sebastián, Igueldo . Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  3. ↑ http://website-pace.net/documents/10643/5949743/20190411-EuropePrize-EN.pdf ( Memento from April 12, 2019 on WebCite )
  4. ^ Donostia-San Sebastián: Barrios. Ámbitos territoriales para la participación (City Council website). In: donostia.eus. Retrieved January 10, 2018 (Spanish).
  5. ↑ Fiestas Vascas - Euskal Jaiak. In: donostia.eus. (Spanish).
  6. ↑ The 20 Most Michelin-Starred Cities In The World in: Huffington Post , August 16, 2011, accessed July 25, 2014.
  7. ^ Leo Wieland: Basque porridge in San Sebastián. In: FAZ.net . September 29, 2011, accessed December 14, 2014 .
  8. ↑ Website of the Basque Culinary Center (Basque, Spanish, English)
  9. ↑ Javier Cáceres: Food for research: At Europe's first gastronomy faculty in San Sebastian, Spain, young chefs are tinkering with the future of taste , in: Süddeutsche Zeitung May 4, 2012, page 11
  10. ↑ San Sebastian is ready for EVACI 2013 on evaa.ch; Retrieved August 26, 2012
  11. ↑ Wide angle - "San Sebastian - Spanish, Basque ... European!" February 11, 2016, accessed on February 14, 2016 .
  12. ↑ Information on the website of the German Embassy in Madrid ( Memento of the original from August 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed July 31, 2014 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.spanien.diplo.de