San Sebastian, or Donostia in Basque language, is the capital of Gipuzkoa province in the Basque Autonomous Community and located on a floodplain where the Urumaya river empties into the Bay of Biscay. The city is a very popular seaside resort.

San Sebastian was founded around 1180 and was named after Saint Sebastian, known protector against the Plague.

In the 18th century a lucrative trade with the Americas brought San Sebastian plenty of wealth, but that period came to an end in the Peninsular war. Napoleon's troops took the city in 1808, but the British successfully laid siege and in 1813 its looting soldiers burned the town down.
Afterwards San Sebastian was rebuilt in an elegant neoclassical style.

The Spanish Civil War and the ensuing Franco regime drew a heavy toll on the Donostians and the city's economy. Recovery only occurred after the death of Franco.

Points of interest are City Hall,La Concha Beach, Constitution Square, the Comb of the Winds and the centenarian Funicular on Mount Igueldo.

We visited San Sebastian on a rainy day in May 2019.