As we leave Sagues behind, walking along the Paseo de la Zurriola, we stumble upon the Kursaal Conference Centre: the “cubes” designed by the architect Rafael Moneo. The author presented these in the form of two rocks stranded at the mouth of the Urumea River. At first, the Kursaal Palace caused a great stir. It came to replace the previous building: the Gran Kursaal, inaugurated in 1921 and symbol of French architecture of the time. Moneo’s creation was a complete rupture from the aesthetics of the Belle Époque in San Sebastian. It was inaugurated in 1999, and became a landmark of modern San Sebastian.

However, the neighborhood’s renewal began earlier, with the creation of Zurriola Beach in 1995. A wall was built on one side of the Urumea’s mouth to enlarge the beach and protect it from waves. However, the waves didn’t disappear, and today the beach remains a favorite among surfers.

As many activities in the city’s cultural calendar take place at the Kursaal, it has become a high-traffic area. The Jazz Festival, Quincena Musical, Film Festival, and countless other events attract large crowds.

Walking along Paseo Nuevo, a unique view opens up on both sides. From the Photography Association headquarters, we’ll see Mount Urgull to the left and the vastness of the sea to the right. We’ll reach Jorge Oteiza’s sculpture Empty Construction when we see Santa Clara Island to our right. The work, which won the prize at the 1957 São Paulo Biennial, is now a reference in contemporary art.

Looking towards Mount Igueldo, we’ll see Eduardo Chillida’s Wind Comb at its base. The San Sebastián coastline hosts works by leading Basque artists like Nestor Basterretxea, Jorge Oteiza, and Eduardo Chillida. In 2021, they were joined by a fourth member, the first woman: San Sebastián native Cristina Iglesias. Her installation, Hondalea, is located at the Santa Clara Island lighthouse. The topography of the Basque coast inspired her work, which advocates for environmental protection.

The Nautical Club is another favorite spot to sit, stay, and gaze at the bay. Here stands the building of the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián, one of the most emblematic examples of rationalist architecture.

Built by José Manuel Aizpurua and Joaquín Labayen in 1929, the two Basque architects drew inspiration from naval architecture. From any angle, the Nautical Club looks like a ship anchored at the dock.

From La Concha promenade, we head towards the city center, and standing on Loiola street, we’ll see the tallest building in the city: the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, built in the 19th century. Interestingly, from this pedestrian street, we can see in a straight line, on one side, the Santa María church in the Old Part and on the other, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. The building is located in a large square of the same name, in the romantic area of San Sebastián. Thanks to its tall spire, it has become the city’s tallest building and also its largest church. The church was inaugurated in 1897 in neo-Gothic style. It didn’t become a cathedral until 1953.

On July 18, 1946, an action against Franco’s dictatorship took place at the cathedral’s spire. Joseba Elosegi, a Basque soldier in the 1936 war, along with friends, placed the Basque flag there when it was still a banned symbol. Nearby the cathedral, in San Bartolomé, a public viewpoint named after him opened in 2021. From there, you can see the rooftops of the center, Atocha tower, the cathedral itself, Mount Ulía, and Mount Urgull.

We’ll move away from the city center and climb a small hill to discover another great green area of San Sebastián: Aiete Park. What was once a luxurious country house for aristocratic families has become a public space for everyone’s enjoyment. For many, it’s the oasis of this neighborhood in the city’s upper area. The grounds designed by municipal gardener Pierre Ducasse from Bayonne allow escaping the city’s intense rhythm and remaining in a peaceful and beautiful place.

Although the house belonged to the Dukes of Bailén, it was used as a summer residence by many Spanish Kings, as well as dictator Francisco Franco. In 2011, the San Sebastián International Peace Conference was held in this building, which became a symbol of conflict resolution in the Basque Country.

As we walk along the Paseo de la Concha, at the Bicentenario Viewpoint we will encounter a sculpture made by Eduardo Chillida in 1955: Homenaje a Fleming (Tribute to Fleming). The sculpture was made in homage to the biologist Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin.

Looking out over the bay, we can imagine what the fishermen from San Sebastian could see on their way home. In the past, the city was known as “Irutxulo“, because of the three holes they could see between the cliffs as they looked towards land: Ulía, Urgull, Santa Clara and Igueldo.

We are close to Loretopea: this is the rocky hill that divides the beaches of Ondarreta and La Concha. It was once the site of the hermitage devoted to the Virgin of Loreto. The current name derives from the transfer of the toponym Loretopea (at the foot of Loreto) into Spanish. The pedestrian tunnel that connects the Paseo de La Concha with the Antiguo neighbourhood bears the same name and since 2016 has housed a work of art inside it: the Miramart work. The artist Víctor Goikoetxea painted the sea on the tunnel’s vault so that passers-by can experience an underwater journey.

We have arrived at the place that houses one of the best-known symbols of the city, the Peine del Viento (Wind Comb) by the San Sebastian sculptor Eduardo Chillida. Chillida came up with the idea of sculpting in his favourite place. He began to draw the first sketches in the 1950s, and in 1977 the three pieces of steel that make up the Peine del Viento (Wind Comb) were finally put in place. Since then, these three sculptures have been combing the waves and gusts of wind coming in from the horizon. For Chillida, this was “a place to look at the sea, a place where people could live together and meet”.

This square was designed by the architect Luis Peña Ganchegui. He wanted to turn this space into a kind of open amphitheatre to enjoy nature’s splendour. When the waves of the Bay of Biscay crash with force, the water and the wind come bursting out of the chimneys that he placed on the ground, turning them into amusing geysers.

To enjoy the beautiful views of San Sebastián and travel in a time machine, there’s nothing like taking the funicular up to Mount Igueldo’s amusement park. It still preserves the essence of old San Sebastián. When getting off the funicular, we’ll see old retro-style advertisements and discover that several park attractions are still the original ones: the Swiss Mountain and the Mysterious River, among others.

The funicular was inaugurated in 1912 to connect the restaurant and casino that were once here. However, in 1924, when General Primo de Rivera banned gambling, the owners were forced to change the venue’s purpose. When establishing the new direction, the owners of Igueldo park took Barcelona’s Tibidabo amusement park as a model, turning it into a viewpoint to enjoy the city’s landscape and a leisure park. Besides the Igueldo amusement park, there are countless paths to enjoy nature. Along the natural trails exploring Igueldo, we can descend to the seashore and even connect with the Camino de Santiago.