Urgull Mountain

Monte Urgull, or Mount Urgull, is the green hill at the eastern end of La Concha Bay in San Sebastián, rising above the old town and the harbour, and it is the best place for a short walk with a view in the city. The hill is about a hundred and twenty metres high, and it is crossed by a network of paved paths and steps that climb through woods of holm oak, laurel, palms and other trees, past old walls and batteries, to a fortress at the top. The mount is a public park, free to enter, and it is open from morning until evening, with a closure at night, and hours are longer in summer.

For most of the city’s history, Urgull was a military position. It overlooks the narrow neck of land on which the old town stands and commands the entrance to the harbour, so it was fortified from the Middle Ages. The fortress at the top, the Castillo de la Mota, officially the Castle of Santa Cruz de la Mota, was built in the sixteenth century and modified over the following centuries, and it carries the marks of many sieges. In 1813, during the Peninsular War, British and Portuguese troops fought the French garrison here and, after a long siege, stormed the town, which was largely destroyed and burned in the process. Cannons still stand on the ramparts, and sections of the walls and batteries date from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The castle houses a small exhibition on the history of the city and a viewpoint.

At the very top, a large statue of Jesus showing the Sacred Heart, a monument of the mid-twentieth century, rises above the castle on the summit, and it can be seen from across the bay. The paths lead to several viewpoints, where the whole sweep of La Concha Bay, the island of Santa Clara, the beaches, the old town and the open sea of the Bay of Biscay are visible. The view of the bay, with Monte Igueldo at its far end, is one of the classic images of San Sebastián. On the slopes, the British Cemetery commemorates soldiers who died in the siege of 1813 and the later conflicts, a quiet, shaded place that is worth a stop.

The climb is easy to moderate and takes about fifteen to thirty minutes from the foot of the mountain, with several routes. The paths are paved, though steep in places, and they are suitable for most people with sturdy shoes. The woods are cool and green, a pleasant contrast with the busy streets below. The mountain has a gentler, more natural character than the rest of the city.

Urgull lies directly behind the old town, with its pintxo bars, and at the foot of the mountain are the harbour, the Aquarium and the Basque Naval Museum. It is easily combined with a walk along La Concha and Ondarreta beaches, the Chillida sculptures and the coastal trails of Monte Ulia.