San Sebastian’s city hall was constructed between 1882 and 1887 and is an architectural masterpiece of the fin-de-siècle period. This 19th century eclectic building is located between the iconic La Concha Beach and the marvelous Alderdi Eder Gardens that mark the gateway into the city's Old Town. Monumental and elegant, its image is irreplaceable to the extent that it is difficult to imagine that another building could occupy its privileged location.

Originally it was home to a casino and a ballroom, where politicians and artists of the Belle Époque enjoyed entertainment, at the time Europe’s bourgeoisie and aristocracy spent their summers in San Sebastian. The building set the scene for one of the many fights between nationalists and republicans in the Spanish Civil War and the bullet holes can still be found in the facade. Since 1947 it has hosted the city council, which governs the Basque city.