City Stories Index · Spain · 2026 edition
Madrid vs San Sebastián
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Madrid leads 3–0. Character is a different question: Madrid is the city of kings and canvases; San Sebastián is the queens' summer capital.
Change the matchup
| What we measure | Madrid | San Sebastián | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 100 | 27 | Madrid |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 260 | 298 | Madrid |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 16 | 4 | Madrid |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 51 | — | Madrid |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 9 | — | Madrid |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 60 | — | Madrid |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Madrid in orange, San Sebastián in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
MadridSan Sebastián
43 places
royalty & nobility8 places
36 places
arts & culture8 places
23 places
faith & churches7 places
20 places
parks & leisure8 places
19 places
crime & dark history2 places
17 places
legends & myths1 place
10 places
guilds & trade6 places
8 places
industry & modern era4 places
Madrid scorecard →
The city of kings and canvases
San Sebastián scorecard →
The queens' summer capital