Irun, Spain

Irun Spain

Irun (from an old Basque word meaning “fortified town”[citation needed]; Spanish: Irún) is a town in the Bidasoaldea region in the province of Gipuzkoa, in Spain’s Basque Autonomous Community. It is now widely accepted among historians that Irun is the site of the ancient Basque‑Roman town of Oiasso, based on remains such as a port and industrial facilities uncovered in the historic centre of Irun, although the name may originally have referred to the wider surrounding area.[citation needed] One of the largest towns in Gipuzkoa, its position on the border with France (it lies across the Bidasoa River from Hendaye) has turned Irun into an important commercial and logistics hub, with major railway infrastructure where the SNCF 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard‑gauge lines meet the 1,668 mm (5 ft 5 21⁄32 in) broad‑gauge lines of Renfe. Irun also has a fairground with modern exhibition and telecommunications facilities, located about 100 metres from the border at the Santiago Bridge over the Bidasoa. Irun forms part of the Txingudi Bay conurbation together with Hondarribia and Hendaye, and is also involved in the Eurocité Basque Bayonne–San Sebastián (fr). One of the town’s main festivals is the Alarde de San Marcial, a parade held every year on 30 June that recreates an episode from the Peninsular War. Its main sports club is Real Unión, whose football team plays in Spain’s Segunda División B.
Recommended airport
San Sebastian (EAS)
Points of interest
  • Cabo Higuer
  • Hondarribia
  • Puerta de Santa María
Nearby destinations
  • San Sebastian a 16.02 km
  • Basque Coast a 19.63 km
  • Biarritz a 24.61 km