The City Hall, San Sebastián, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The City Hall of San Sebastián (Donostia) stands beside the Alderdi Eder gardens, close to the seafront of La Concha bay. It was built in the 19th century as a luxury casino and has housed the city council since 1947, which makes it one of the more unusual town halls in Spain.

The story behind it

The building began life as a casino, a grand place of gaming and society that drew visitors from across Spain and Europe, among them royalty and aristocrats. At that time the city council sat elsewhere, in the building on the Plaza de la Constitución, which also held the municipal library.

The casino's golden age ended in 1924, when the dictator Primo de Rivera banned gambling and the great halls were closed. The building later became a meeting place for politicians, artists and writers, and in 1947 it took on its current role as the City Hall. Local accounts also point to bullet marks on one side of the facade, a reminder of fighting during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

What to look for

• Look at the grand facade as a whole and ask yourself whether it looks like a council building or a place built for leisure and show, because its original purpose was the second.
• Walk around to the edge of the building and look for the bullet marks left in the stonework during the Civil War.
• Notice how the building sits at the edge of the Alderdi Eder gardens, with the bay just beyond, a setting that explains why a casino was built here.
• Pick out the stately proportions of the entrance and the upper floors, which hint at the grand halls that once held gamblers, politicians and artists.

Tips for your visit

• Ten to fifteen minutes is enough to see the outside and walk around it, longer if you pair it with the gardens.
• Soft morning light or late afternoon is pleasant for photos, and the gardens are quieter earlier in the day.
• It is a working town hall, so check current opening hours and whether visits inside are possible.
• The beach of La Concha, the Alderdi Eder gardens and the Old Town are all within a short walk, so it fits easily into a wider stroll.

See it on a quest

Downtown San Sebastian: The Identity Mystery passes the City Hall on foot as one stop of a longer route through the centre. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so the building becomes part of the game rather than a quick photo. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like.