What to See in San Sebastián, Spain: Free Audio Guide

The best things to do in San Sebastián combine Atlantic scenery, Basque history, striking architecture and an exceptional museum scene. From Mount Urgull and La Concha Bay to the Old Town, the Kursaal and Eduardo Chillida’s sculptures, San Sebastián—Donostia in Basque—offers plenty to explore on foot. Neywo’s free audio guide for San Sebastián brings 56 narrated places to life as you visit them.

Part of the Basque Country in northern Spain, the city is shaped by the sea and by its cultural heritage. Its landmarks range from a 16th-century Gothic church and a former Dominican convent to contemporary architecture, interactive science exhibitions and a stadium that is home to Real Sociedad.

What to see in San Sebastián

Mount Urgull and the Castle of La Mota

Mount Urgull rises above San Sebastián’s Old Town, with the Castle of La Mota at its summit. Also known locally as Motako gaztelua, Urgulleko gaztelua and Donostiako gaztelua, the castle is one of the city’s most prominent reminders of its strategic and military past.

Mount Urgull also places several historic sites within reach of the Old Town. The area features in Neywo’s walk through the city’s history, alongside the Church of San Vicente, San Telmo Museoa and the port.

San Vicente Church

The Church of San Bizente Martiria—San Vicente Mártir—is one of the oldest landmarks in the Parte Vieja. This 16th-century Gothic parish church is one of the few monuments to have survived the fire and destruction of 1813.

Its survival gives the Old Town an important link with San Sebastián’s earlier history. The Basque Government classified the church as a Cultural Asset of Interest in 1984.

San Telmo Museoa

On Plaza Zuloaga, beside Mount Urgull, San Telmo Museoa explores the evolution of Basque society through ethnographic objects and works of fine art. Founded in 1902, it is the oldest museum in the Basque Country.

The museum occupies a former Dominican convent dating from the first half of the 16th century. Its Renaissance cloister includes tombstones and sculpted coats of arms. After an expansion and renovation between 2007 and 2010, the museum reopened in 2011 with a renewed focus on Basque society.

The Basque Maritime Museum

At the port, the Basque Maritime Museum—Museo Marítimo Vasco—presents the maritime history and heritage of the region. Its collections cover subjects including whaling and shipbuilding, while exhibitions, research and educational activities explore the influence of the sea on Basque life.

The building is part of the story: it is one of the few structures to have survived the city’s catastrophic destruction in 1813.

The Good Shepherd Cathedral

The Good Shepherd Cathedral stands on Artzain Onaren Plaza in the heart of San Sebastián. Built between 1889 and 1897 by local architect Manuel Etxabe, it was originally a parish church before receiving cathedral status in the mid-20th century.

The city’s most prominent religious building has a Neo-Gothic design, a strongly vertical character and a Latin-cross floor plan. Its entrance features an alabaster cross by Eduardo Chillida. The cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of San Sebastián and the largest religious building in Gipuzkoa.

The Kursaal and Victoria Eugenia Theater

On Zurriola Avenue in the Gros neighbourhood, the Kursaal convention centre and auditorium is one of San Sebastián’s defining modern buildings. Designed by Rafael Moneo and opened in 1999, the complex contains an auditorium, a chamber hall, multipurpose rooms and exhibition spaces.

The Kursaal is the main venue for the San Sebastián International Film Festival, held each year in late September, and also hosts events connected with the city’s music festival.

Across the city centre, beside the Urumea River, the Victoria Eugenia Theater offers a very different architectural experience. Opened in 1912 and designed by Francisco de Urcola in a Neo-Renaissance style, it has been an important cultural venue for more than a century. It hosted every edition of the San Sebastián International Film Festival until 1999, including the world premieres of Vertigo and North by Northwest. A major renovation between 2001 and 2007 renewed both its interior and exterior.

The San Sebastián International Film Festival

The San Sebastián International Film Festival, or Donostia Zinemaldia, has taken place every September since its first edition in 1953. It is Spain’s only Category A film festival, a status awarded by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations.

The festival combines an international film programme with a strong audience culture. The Kursaal and Victoria Eugenia Theater are central venues in its history, making cinema part of San Sebastián’s architectural and cultural identity.

Miramar Palace and La Concha Bay

Miramar Palace stands on a headland in the Loreto district, between Ondarreta and La Concha beaches. Commissioned by the Spanish Royal Family, it was built in 1893 by José Goicoa, following a project designed in 1889 by English architect Selden Wornum.

Miramar Park surrounds the palace and overlooks La Concha Bay. Its position between the two beaches makes it one of the city’s most memorable viewpoints and a natural starting point for exploring the waterfront.

Peine del Viento

At the northwestern end of Ondarreta Beach, the rocks form part of Eduardo Chillida’s Peine del Viento XV, or The Comb of the Wind. Three ten-ton steel sculptures face the Cantabrian Sea, while waves force air and water through openings in the surrounding space, producing geyser-like effects.

Basque architect Luis Peña Ganchegui designed the architectural setting: platforms, terraces and seating areas integrated with the sculptures and the coastline. The work was completed in 1976, and its three components were installed in 1977.

Anoeta Stadium

In the Amara district, Anoeta Stadium is the home ground of Real Sociedad. The city-owned venue opened in 1993, replacing Atotxa, which had been used from 1913 to 1993.

A redevelopment completed during the 2019–20 season gave the stadium its current configuration, with capacity for 40,000 spectators and a 105-by-70-metre pitch. Anoeta also hosts occasional concerts, rugby matches, sports days and other events.

More museums and churches

San Sebastián’s cultural map extends well beyond its central landmarks. Eureka! Zientzia Museoa, in Miramón Technology Park, is an interactive science museum built around manipulation, experimentation and learning through play.

The Museum Cemento Rezola in Añorga examines the importance of cement in modern society through audiovisual presentations, simulations and interactive modules. Created in 2000 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Cementos Rezola factory, it occupies a former school opposite the factory.

Other religious buildings include the Church of Carmelite Fathers in Amara, inaugurated in 1915, and Zorroagako eliza, also known as San Jose, a Neo-Gothic church in the Miramon-Zorroaga district.

Explore San Sebastián with a free audio guide

Neywo offers a free audio guide for San Sebastián with 56 narrated places. Its programme includes five walking tours, one bus route and one bike route, with routes ranging from 1.93 to 3.8 kilometres and from 19 to 95 minutes.

You can choose a route to match your interests:

• A 2.21-kilometre, 95-minute walk through the Old Town and Mount Urgull, with 12 narrated stops
• A 2.13-kilometre, 88-minute walk from the Kursaal to Easo, with 11 stops
• A 1.93-kilometre, 53-minute walk focused on Peine del Viento and Monte Igueldo, with 5 stops
• A 3.5-kilometre, 85-minute walk through Gros and the slopes of Ulia, with 7 stops
• A 2.3-kilometre, 61-minute walk through Amara Berri and Anoeta, with 5 stops
• A 5.5-kilometre, 24-minute bus route through Amara and the Belle Époque Centre, with 6 stops
• A 3.8-kilometre, 19-minute bike route from the Kursaal to Miramar, with 6 stops

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, so you can explore San Sebastián independently while keeping the city’s history, art and architecture connected to the streets around you.