Mikel Chillida
Gipuzkoa really "hooks" you because of the sincerity of its people and their innate respect for others.
Hi! I'm Mikel Chillida, development director at Chillida Leku and grandson of sculptor Eduardo Chillida, to whose work the museum is dedicated.
Gipuzkoa is an extraordinary province where the local people have kept up a high level of social commitment, as well as a really important quality: loyalty and pride in a job well done. In Gipuzkoa, it's easy to find quality resources which, together with the natural beauty and historical and cultural heritage, give us a sense of pride. And of course, we're always delighted to welcome all comers to share our culture. Gipuzkoa really "hooks" you because of the sincerity of its people and their innate respect for others.
Gipuzkoa is a ride on a “made-in-Gipuzkoa” bike: there are some easier rides and there are others along winding roads with views of the sea and the forests, where you can get to know its character and its culture and finish up at one of those hallowed meeting points — a gastronomic society (or anywhere else, for that matter; you'll always get a good meal in Gipuzkoa).
The favorites of Mikel Chillida
Chillida Leku
It's a place that means a lot to me. A singular, utopian, personal dream-museum which the sculptor Eduardo Chillida —my grandfather— created in Hernani, barely 10 minutes from Donostia-San Sebastian. It is an open-air museum, where a forest of trees and steel illustrates the character of the Basques, full of work and questions; here we confront ourselves.
It's a place that means a lot to me. A singular, utopian, personal dream-museum which the sculptor Eduardo Chillida —my grandfather— created in Hernani, barely 10 minutes from Donostia-San Sebastian. It is an open-air museum, where a forest of trees and steel illustrates the character of the Basques, full of work and questions; here we confront ourselves.
Mount Urgull
As a native of Donostia-San Sebastian, one of my favourite outings in the city involves a climb up Mount Urgull. It's a demanding walk up the side and the old-fashioned stairs leading to the English Cemetery and its old gravestones and the various viewing points where you can gaze out on the vast, unattainable horizon, and the works of public art in the park.
As a native of Donostia-San Sebastian, one of my favourite outings in the city involves a climb up Mount Urgull. It's a demanding walk up the side and the old-fashioned stairs leading to the English Cemetery and its old gravestones and the various viewing points where you can gaze out on the vast, unattainable horizon, and the works of public art in the park.
Pasaia
Start with a visit to the Albaola Basque Maritime Factory, a rara avis of a museum where they are building a replica of the sixteenth-century whaler San Juan, using traditional methods. It's an example of strength, tradition and personality. Ideally, you should follow this by taking the ferry between Pasaia San Pedro and Pasaia Donibane, a regular line running between the two tips of the harbour leading into the port, and then take a magnificent stroll through this magical village, finishing up at a sort of natural cove, known as San Juan beach. And to complete the experience, I recommend you book a table at the Cámara restaurant!
Start with a visit to the Albaola Basque Maritime Factory, a rara avis of a museum where they are building a replica of the sixteenth-century whaler San Juan, using traditional methods. It's an example of strength, tradition and personality. Ideally, you should follow this by taking the ferry between Pasaia San Pedro and Pasaia Donibane, a regular line running between the two tips of the harbour leading into the port, and then take a magnificent stroll through this magical village, finishing up at a sort of natural cove, known as San Juan beach. And to complete the experience, I recommend you book a table at the Cámara restaurant!
