San Sebastian, Spain is a city whose first history beginnings date back to the 6th Century, but it wasn't until the 7th Century that San Sebastian was officially called a city. The King of Aragon and Navarra, Pedro I, was in charge of the confirmation. Since then, 10 centuries have passed and many events have occurred in this area of the Basque Country to turn this city into the dynamic and beautiful place it is today with so much to offer: fantastic cuisine, shopping, accommodation, sports...

Around the 6th Century, the Monastery of San Sebastian was the main center of social, administrative, and spiritual life in the area, that grew little by little in population, which lead to it becoming an official town in the 7th Century. It was then named the Puerto Comercial del Reino de Navarra (Port city of the king), and because of this special duty it had to the king, the town rapidly grew in population. Houses were built and shortly after, the area became part of the Kingdom of Castilla.

During the middle ages, San Sebastian had grown into a young but important city. Its naval army served the Retes Catolicos and Alfonso VIII, giving privileges to the city and to its businesses, but also bringing it tragedy, such as the various fires that happened during the 8th Century.

Later in the 14th and 15th Century, two negative events happened, giving a hard knock to San Sebastian. First, Bilbao absorbed a large portion of commercial sea traffic, and second, at the end of the 15th Century, a devistating fire reduced the town to ashes, and made that when the buildings were reconstructed, they were made in stone instead of wood to prevent a similar fate in the future. A new Donostia was born.

The travesty of the commercial activity that was happening in Bilbao and the reconstruction of the town created a new way of seeing San Sebastian. Not in vain, the Passenger Port changed from being a commercial port to being a military port. This is what converted the city into a military base and for this, the city acquired the reputation for being a fortress, which gave birth to an economic decadence because of the large amounts of money being spent on the city's fortress, armies, protection, etc.

During the 18th Century, the city was attacked by the French army and was defeated. Then, in 1808, Napoleon took the city again, and later the British isolated it years later. After that, allies retook the city, even after another raging fire that devastated an important part of the city.

In the 19th Century, San Sebastian was reconstructed and made a capital city of the Province of Guipuzcoa. The commercial port was opened again for business. In 1863, the city walls were torn down to make room for new construction, and thus began the most important part of this city's growth, a period in which Queen Maria Cristina had an important role in this city's history. The Belle Epoque began as the queen decided to spend her holidays in San Sebastian. Because of this, the Palacio de Miramar Palace was converted into an emblem to the city.

At the end of the 19th Century, new buildings were constructed, as well as the casino, and San Sebastian began to become a summertime destination. The Buen Pastor Cathedral, the Art School, the Penalflorida Institute, the Vitoria Eugenia Theater, the Hotel Maria Cristina... all of these places helped make it a more desirable place to visit. This is why it earned a name as the "Little Paris."

During World War I, San Sebastian was converted into a cosmopolitan city with big political names moving through, as well as literature, bull fighting, philosophy..

During Franco's rule, this city was his preferred summer destination, along with his followers.

1953 was one of the most important years for this city, as this is when the first film festival was held here, something that breathed new life to the city after what the Spanish Civil War had taken away. This festival turned San Sebastian into one of the main cities in the country, and in the world. Its film festival, beaches, gastronomy, culture, hotels, and accommodation, all helped in making this city a number one tourist destination.