Zarautz

Zarautz (the official and Basque spelling) is a coastal village located in Gipuzkoa Province in the Basque Country. The town is a popular tourist destination with the population swelling from its usual 22,323 to around 60,000 in summer. The Palace of Narros, located adjacent to Zarautz's 2.8km long beach, is where Queen Isabella II and Fabiola of Belgium once spent their summer holidays. The beach is known for being the longest in the Basque Country and one of longest of the Cantabrian cornice.

The Mayor of Zarautz since July 2007 is Jon Urien Krespo (Eusko Alkartasuna).

History

*1237 The city is awarded status as fuero by king Fernando III of Castile.
*1857 The beginning of the Industrial Revolution in Zarautz, thanks to the enterprise "Fabril Linera". An era of economic growth and development begins.
*1936 The Civil War begins and Zarautz overwhelmingly supports the Republican cause.
*1937 The province falls to Falangist forces in the Spanish Civil War, who conduct reprisals against the nationalists.

At the end of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th Century, the popularity of Zarautz as a luxury tourist destination grew, and many well known people began to holiday there. A number of lavish houses and mansions sprung up, particularly along the beach. Nowadays many of these buildings have become public buildings.

During the 70s and 80s Zarautz became a more affordable destination, and is now perhaps best known for its surfing and water sports.

Infrastructure and Transport

Road

Zarautz is connected to the European road network and to the rest of Spain by the A8 motorway.

Public Transport

Zarautz has two railway stations, and trains (Euskotren) connect it with San Sebastian and Bilbao.

Zarautz has two bus lines operating within the town.

Museums

There are two museums in Zarautz, the Photomuseum [http://www.photomuseum.name] and the Art and History Museum of Zarautz [http://www.menosca.com] . In "Dorre Luzea" there are frequent art exhibitions. The town also has many other picture galleries.

Churches

There are three main churches in Zarautz and many other smaller churches. Santa Maria la Real is the main church, with a very interesting altar piece and a Romanesque structure. Santa Clara is also quite interesting, built in a baroque style. Finally, Franciscanos church, which has been virtually rebuilt, features a very interesting library.

Recreation

Zarautz has first class sporting facilities, such as an old and elegant Golf Club. But Zarautz is renowned worldwide as a surfing destination. Over the last few years, it has become incredibly popular among surfers, and even a number of surfing schools have been established (Zarautz, Pukas).

port

Zarautz is the birthplace of the Basque Weighlifting Federation, and the Gipuzkoa Weightlifting Federation. Since 1968 weightlifting (ZKEhalterofilia) is one of the sports that can be practiced at the local sports club (Zarautz Kirol Elkartea). Since then, every summer an international weightlifting event takes place in the town. In the beginning very famous athletes took part in that competition as Serge Reding and Alain Terme to name a few. In the recent times the event has become a club competition, in which the French champion Girondins de Bordeaux has obtained most of the wins. [http://www.zkehalterofilia.com/sites/default/files/images/zkehalterofilia-banner.preview.png|250px|thumb|right|ZKEhalterofilia, Zarautz's Weightlifting Club]

ister Cities

* Cardamo Al Campo
* Pontarlier
* Hagunia

External links

* [http://www.zarautz.org Official Website] Information available in Spanish and Basque.
* [http://www.zarautzturismo.com Tourism in Zarautz]
* [http://www.alaplaya.com Beaches Website] Information about the beaches and the weather, pictures