A tale of two cities
September 21st, 2006
Here’s a little general knowledge test for you: one is famous for its elegant streets, stunning setting and internationally acclaimed arts festivals. The other was once a proud industrial powerhouse which has tried to re-invent itself, replacing decaying shipyards with stylish riverside apartments and avant-garde architecture. Oh, and it only takes an hour on the motorway to get from one to the other.
Ask most Scots to name cities that match this profile and, not surprisingly, the answer would probably be Edinburgh and Glasgow. But it could as easily be the Basque provincial capitals of San Sebastian and Bilbao. Situated on the north coast of Spain, San Sebastian has long been a draw for Europe’s aristocracy and, like the Scottish capital, its appeal is immediately apparent.
The fountains and elaborate bridges you pass going into town are a warm-up for the star act – the stunning La Concha Bay.
Protected from the swell of the Bay of Biscay by the Isla de Santa Clara just offshore, the crescent-shaped beaches of La Concha and Ondarreta are justifiably regarded as among the finest city beaches in the world.
Since Queen Isabel made San Sebastian – or Donostia, as it’s known in the Basque language – the summer capital of Spain, people have been flocking to these golden sands. If you can drag yourself off the beach, the city is an easy place in which to get your bearings, largely because the capital of Gipuzcoa province, like Edinburgh, is built around hills. At one end of La Concha Bay is Monte Urgull, which looms over the harbour and the Parte Vieja (Old Quarter) and is topped by a statue of Christ and the ruins of a 12th-century fortress. At the other end of the bay is Monte Igeldo, the summit of which can be reached by funicular and from where you get great views over the city.
Wander along the city’s boulevards and it quickly becomes apparent they have lost none of the belle-époque elegance that captivated Hemingway in the 1920s.
Today, though, the casino has been converted into the town hall – no jibes about money still being frittered away – but the grand hotels are still in rude health. The chic shops and boutiques off the Avenida de la Libertad also reflect the fact that property in San Sebastian is among the most expensive in Spain.
But even if many of its residents are unmistakably well-heeled, you don’t necessarily need big money to enjoy the city. If your budget doesn’t stretch to five-star luxury then there are plenty of good-value hostales in the grid of narrow streets that makes up the Parte Vieja.
Since much of San Sebastian’s nightlife is also found here, anyone looking for a quieter locale would be advised to cross the Río Urumea to Gros. This former working-class district is now popular with surfers because of its location behind Zurriola beach, which is more exposed than La Concha. The city end of the beach is dominated by the box-like Kursaal auditorium, home to the annual international film festival.
San Sebastian has made a name for itself as a festival venue – as well as this month’s film extravaganza it hosts jazz, horror films, music and book festivals – but it still finds the time to celebrate more traditional occasions such as the riotous Carnival in February and August’s Semana Grande (Big Week), which culminates in an international fireworks competition.
After a day on the beach, a stroll around the shops or a walk up one of the city hills, it’s time to test San Sebastian’s reputation for fine food. For a city of just 180,000 people, it has a disproportionately high number of Michelin-starred restaurants, but there is no need to pay a fortune to sample some creative Basque cuisine.
Before it was chosen as the new European home of the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao was not a place many people chose to visit. Even today, nearly a decade after the Frank Gehry-designed modern art museum was opened on the banks of the river Nervion, the approach to the centre can be drab. However, all this disguises a vibrant city that has instigated a programme of urban renewal – especially along its riverbanks – that Glasgow’s planners would be daft not to have looked at.
Leading the charge is the Guggenheim, where the structure housing the 20-odd galleries is as much an attraction as the collection of 20th-century art within. And while the Guggenheim is at the heart of Bilbao’s renaissance, there is much more to the city than this swirl of titanium and glass.
The Museo de Bellas Artes, just a few minutes’ walk away, has a great collection of Spanish and Basque paintings. The Maritime Museum is a fascinating introduction to the city’s industrial and seafaring heritage.
When you’ve sated your appetite for things cultural, the best place to head for is the Casco Viejo (Old Town), a compact medieval enclave on the right bank of the river. The historical heart of the city, its cobbled streets are lined with bars and cafés. If you do nothing more than spend a night mingling with bar-hopping locals in the arcaded Plaza Nueva or on the Siete Calles (Seven Streets), you will have got a real flavour of Bilbao.
The city’s excellent public transport system includes a tram that runs along the riverbank and an efficient metro system – whose cockpit-style entrances were designed by Sir Norman Foster. The underground takes you all the way to the beaches on the north coast or along to the river-mouth suburb of Gexto to see the 100-year-old Puente Colgante (hanging bridge).
For passengers arriving on the new AT Ferries service from Portsmouth at the terminal across the bay from this immense steel structure, Bilbao still bears the hallmarks of its industrial past. It may not have the obvious charm and appeal of San Sebastian but the combination of shiny new and gritty old is an alluring mix.
Just like Glasgow and Edinburgh, the attractions of these two Basque cities are distinctly different – and being on each others’ doorsteps just adds to their appeal.
Full Story from living.scotsman.com
