Don’t let them tell you that you don’t like culture, that you only visit cities to experience their nightlife, traditional cuisine, and monuments. How dare they?
Okay, at first glance, it sounds like a great plan, but hey, it’s also good to immerse yourself fully in the culture and history of the place you’re visiting. And that can be achieved in many ways, and one of them is by visiting the best museums.
In this case, we’re bringing you the best and most popular museums in San Sebastián, because learning about the culture and historical figures of this region will help you better understand its history and fully enjoy everything this beautiful city has to offer. And yes, I promise we’ll go for pintxos afterward.
Best museums in San Sebastián
Chillida Leku Museum
Okay, so at first glance, we may not have been entirely true to our word, and the first museum isn’t exactly in the centre of San Sebastián or in its Old Town. In fact, it’s about a twenty-minute drive away, near Hernani. Sorry.
But it’s impossible not to start our list with such an important figure as Eduardo Chillida. The sculptor left his largest and richest collection here, all outdoors in stunning forests and gardens. No less than 150 works and pieces by one of our most important and international sculptors.
A visit is quite an experience, a way to delve into his world and better understand the artist’s great impact on the art world. It’s also a wonderful place.
Aquarium
Plaza de Carlos Blasco Imaz, 1
In the port and at the foot of Mount Urgull is one of San Sebastián’s most famous and popular museums, the Aquarium. It has over a century of history, but that doesn’t prevent it from being considered one of the oceanographic museums with the most modern facilities in Europe.
An example of this is not only the studies it carries out, but also the way it brings marine life closer to its visitors. Enjoy a 360-degree view thanks to its transparent tunnel in the middle of the sea, where you can practically swim among species like sharks and manta rays.
Eureka! Science Museum
South of the city, just outside the city limits and about a fifteen-minute drive away, we find one of the most famous and fun interactive museums of all. Here, science leaves you speechless, makes you laugh, and invites you to be a part of it.
More than 170 modules with experiments and exhibits, where you can discover and even question your own existence. It also has the Animalia room, where you’ll find a large number of animals and diverse ecosystems. This is a window to knowledge and fun.
San Telmo Museum
Plaza Zuloaga, 1
Now we return to the Old Town, and we find a museum of great importance, both in terms of history and its subject matter. The building was once an artillery barracks, although its origins were as a Dominican convent, which began its use in the 16th century, which is nothing short of the same.
In the 20th century, its use changed, and this museum was created in 1902, becoming the oldest museum in the city. After a renovation in 2011, it is in perfect condition and explains the past of Basque history and culture, hence its official name: Museum of Basque Society and Citizenship.
Basque Maritime Museum
P.º del Muelle, 24
It is impossible to understand San Sebastián, Donostia in Basque, without the sea. San Sebastián is bathed by the sea and surrounded by mountains; it is pure nature, and it is nature that we must understand better than anyone to understand San Sebastián.
In the Basque Maritime Museum, next to the Aquarium, you can discover the secrets that Basque culture holds with the sea, which is extensive and interesting. Both the history and the location of the museum should be World Heritage Sites. It’s a fantastic way to learn more about the city and its history.
Sagardoetxea
Calle Nagusia 48, Astigarraga
We’re heading away from the centre, from the Old Town, and approaching the town of Hernani again, but we’re still just outside the gates. Cheer up, because in less than fifteen minutes you’ll reach your destination: the Cider Museum.
I’m sure this seems like a much better idea now, and before you ask anything, yes, here they explain the entire process of making this fantastic drink, its methods, its tools, and all the information you can imagine. And yes, of course you can buy and taste cider; what better place than this? It’s a very dynamic and interactive museum that will surprise you.
House of History
Museum that tells the history of San Sebastián, in one of the most beautiful places in all of Donostia, the Castillo de la Mota. In addition to the beauty of the castle, we have to remember that it’s located at the top of Mount Urgull, so imagine the views you’ll have from here.
Tabakalera
Pl. de las Cigarreras, 1
In the centre of San Sebastián, very close to the river, the Donostia International Centre for Contemporary Culture is a space that fosters artistic creation, encourages culture, and promotes critical thinking. Various exhibitions and temporary displays are held here. A large part of San Sebastián’s local culture passes through here.
