Irun, Spain

Irun Spain

Irun is a town in the Bidasoaldea region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Autonomous Community of northern Spain. It is widely considered by historians to be the site of the ancient Basque-Roman town of Oiasso, based on archaeological remains such as a port and industrial facilities found in its historic center; the original name may have referred to the wider surrounding area. One of the largest towns in Gipuzkoa, Irun’s position on the border between Spain and France—across the Bidasoa River from the French town of Hendaye—has made it an important commercial and logistics hub. It has a major railway junction where the French SNCF standard-gauge tracks (1,435 mm / 4 ft 8½ in) meet the broader-gauge Spanish Renfe tracks (1,668 mm / 5 ft 5 21⁄32 in). The town also has a modern fairground and exhibition center with up-to-date telecommunications facilities, located about 100 meters from the international border at the Santiago Bridge over the Bidasoa. Irun forms part of the Txingudi Bay conurbation along with Hondarribia and Hendaye, and participates in the cross-border Eurocité Basque Bayonne–San Sebastián area. A key local festival is the Alarde de San Marcial, a parade held every year on June 30 that reenacts an episode from the Peninsular War. The town’s main sports club is Real Unión, whose football team competes 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