San Telmo Museum (STM)

With an avant garde extension coated in aluminum, this museum does well to combine the old with the modern, reflected both in the design and their constantly updated exhibits. Take a couple hours to explore, have a bite at the eatery, and walk it off on Mount Urgull where a trail leads to scenic lookout points.xa0

Enjoy the museum as part of an independent tour during which you explore the city at your own pace. Independent tours often include accommodations, vouchers for shows, and admission to attractions such as the Aquarium. If you have more time, take a longer excursion to explore the Basque Country, visiting nearby cities Bilbao, itoria, and Rioja.

• San Telmo Museum is an ideal spot for lovers of history and art.
• Admission is about $7 for adults and about $4 for students.
• Come on a Tuesday when admission is free for everyone.
• Run by celebrated local chefs, the restaurant and café on-site are both excellent.
• The museum is wheelchair accessible.
• Audio-guides are in Basque, Spanish, English and French.

San Telmo Museum is located at Plaza Zuloaga on the edge of San Sebastián Old Town. The best way to get around is on foot or by the city’s easy bike-sharing service. As well, taxis are cheap, and the public D-Bus services all the main points of interest in the city. If driving, two car parks nearby.

The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday. City festivities take place throughout the year: Tamborrada when 15,000 drummers drum 24 hours in the square, on January 20; Semana Grande, a week-long festival of cultural and sporting events, regattas, and fireworks in August; the International Film Festival in September; and the gastronomic festival, Gastronomika in October.

Nearby is another wonderful museum of a totally different species. One of the most modern aquariums in Europe, Aquarium San Sebastián features marine eco-scapes from Cantabria and the tropics. The piece de resistance is the show-stopping 360-degree clear tunnel. Walk through and see more than 40 species of fish including bull sharks, turtles, stingrays, and jellyfish swim by.