San Sebastian

Bradt's e-city guide to San Sebastian by expert author Murray Stewart covers not only alluring San Sebastian itself but also the surrounding province of which it is capital, Gipuzkoa. Hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, walks, maps and transport are all included, as well as the many sights of this charming city, from Monte Igueldo and Monte Urgull to the Aquarium with its maritime history of the Basques, the Old Town and the city's quartet of beaches.

San Sebastian is renowned as a global gastronomic giant and frequently appears in most 'world's best cities' lists. It rejoices in the vibrancy of its festivals, which stretch from the chic internationalism of its annual film festival and its well-established jazz festival to the unbridled raucousness of January's tamborrada. And all the while it basks in the elegance of its Belle Époque buildings.

With Bradt's E-City San Sebastian, you will discover all this and more, for the guide also reveals the lesser-known known Gipuzkoan hinterland that lies to the south, and it meanders along the surrounding coast to find the treasures that lie to the east and west, helping you to take diversions from the beaten track to discover a region of charming smaller-scale coastal resorts, natural parks and mountainous terrain, lively markets that have endured for centuries, fiercely preserved festivals and traditions, churches, tower-houses and forts. The region may not be without its scars, but inland forays will reveal a depth of history, a richness of nature and a strong, unbowed and very-much-alive Basque culture that will be here for centuries to come.

Written in an engaging and colourful style that entertains as much as informs, Bradt's E-City San Sebastian is drawn from the larger Bradt guide to The Basque Country.