San Telmo Museum

Such a cool museum! It was a great way to learn about Basque culture, and I was impressed to find a large collections of art as well as many informative exhibits about Basque history. The building itself is incredible! Plus they had an awesome temporary exhibit about flora and textiles.

Better than expected with some great displays and some a bit baffling. A big variety and an important insight into the history of the Basque people and culture. Perfect for a rainy day. Wish we'd booked a tour in English to get more out of the experience. It was free the day we visited. We would have not visited for €10 each as there was not enough information for non Spanish speakers. It is tiring to translate.

San Telmo museum is located at the old town and right at the foot of Mt. Urgull. The old part of the museum is housed in a 16th-century Dominican convent and the main entrance is the modern part and also used it for special exhibition. If you want to know more about the Basque culture and history , then this is the right place. It has a bit of everything. Paintings , archaeology , special history sessions for the last hundreds year. Interesting display of large scale murals from Josep Maria Sert.

Very interesting museum, was glad to learn more about the history of the Basque Country in the context of the Spanish Civil War. The old church is outstanding! However I think the history had a clear left wing bias in terms of cultural/political changes in more modern times, and should be more neutral.

A good introduction into the history of the Basque country. The museum is a good balance between history, culture and art. The chapel is a "must see" in the city. A good value for money alternative in the city, particularly for families, since people under 25yrs enter free.

San Telmo is like stepping into a living storybook of Basque culture! The moment you walk through that stunning 16th-century convent, you’re hit with this incredible blend of ancient vibes and modern flair. Those massive Sert murals in the old church? Jaw-dropping. I spent hours soaking in the history, from prehistoric artifacts to sleek modern designs, and still felt like I barely scratched the surface. A quirky tidbit: the museum’s new wing is covered in 3,500 recycled aluminum sheets with moss growing through them, blending right into Monte Urgull like it’s part of the mountain! Tickets are €6, but go on a Tuesday for free entry just get there early to avoid the crowd. Bring a phone for the audio guide; not everything’s in English, and it really brings the exhibits to life. Don’t skip the Zazpi café for a quick pintxo break it’s a gem

The museum has a very beautiful church, the history of Basques, some paintings and some vintage (1930-1990) furniture and other stuff. Would totally recommend it.

Really interesting museum, both the building and the exhibitions. Not very crowded which gives you plenty of time to check the exhibits.

Came here while visiting Donostia and we managed to get free entry! It's a really great museum and it's manageable for spending as little as an hour, unless you want to go through all of the exhibits in substantial detail, which could take quite a bit more time. There's a lot of old Basque history including seafaring history, whaling stuff, and then more modern stuff, too, ranging from Basque artists to, I don't know, secret Basque space lasers. The architectural integration of the old cathedral and cloister is also well done-- leaving the sanctuary, you walk out into this gorgeous, peaceful grassy area and aren't even thinking about the fact that the upstairs is more of a proper museum setting. Definitely worth a visit

Definitely recommend visiting if you are in San Sebastian for more than a couple of days, or if it's raining and are looking for an indoor activity. It's a great way to learn about Basque history and culture and it includes a church and cloister as part of the building's structure. Bonus: they have a a cafe with tasty pintxos and tapas for the appetite you will work up walking through the museum.

The exhibition and the multi media presentation were amazing. We were very impressed.

A few things about Museo San Telmo. 1. If you are going to be in San Sebastian for a few days, get the San Sebastian card and you'll get a discount at the musuem. 2. Do not pass up on the free English translation devices when you enter. None of the exhibits are in English, but the translations that you can listen to are awesome. 3. Do not miss the movie they play in the church. Easily one of the top 3 uses of video I've seen in a museum. 4. The pintxos in the cafe aren't too shabby. The permanent exhibition is a great overview of Basque culture and history. We also went during their temporary exhibition, Frivolite, and thoroughly enjoyed that one as well (even though there was no English translation). We ended up spending quite a bit of time at the museum, more than we expected. It is bigger than it looks. I'm glad we did this toward the beginning of our trip because it provided great context for us. I'd put this on the Don't Miss list if you are traveling in San Sebastian.

A definite must-visit if you have a few days in the city. It is very well laid out and takes you on a comprehensive cultural history of the area. The building itself is worth examining just for the architecture. Some great details and resolution, marrying the old and the new with Nieto y Sobejano's recent expansion.

Great local museum in San Sebastian. It is free every Tuesday including an audio guided tour in multiple languages. This is absolutely great for families. There is a Basque history section with video and audio guides. As well as a vast collection of Basque Art. But the best find is the café Bokado on the first floor which has fantastic food and a lovely patio to sit on well your children play in the park across the plaza. The whole set up including lockers and a wonderful bathroom are very family-friendly and a great short educational tour of the Basque country for kids.

Really nice museum, though it's not worth going if you don't have a lot of time to spend in San Sebastián. Unfortunately everything is in either basque or spanish, so if you don't understand either you won't be able to learn anything about what you are seeing. The old convent part of the building is very pretty. Museum is also free on Wednesdays. Nice cafe here too.