Must-see attractions in French Basque Country

  • Porte Notre Dame gate in St Jean Pied de Port, France.

    Walled Town

    St-Jean Pied de Port

    Though modern St-Jean has expanded considerably, during medieval times the entire town was enclosed by defensive ramparts guarding France's southwestern…

  • Église St-Jean Baptiste

    St-Jean de Luz

    The plain façade of France’s largest and finest Basque church conceals a splendid interior with a magnificent Baroque altarpiece. It was in front of this…

  • Cathédrale Ste-Marie

    Bayonne

    The twin towers of Bayonne's Gothic cathedral soar above the city. Construction began in the 13th century, and was completed in 1451. Above the north…

  • Musée Basque et de l'Histoire de Bayonne

    Bayonne

    If you're still getting to grips with the complex culture and history of the Basque region, this excellent ethnographic museum is a great place to start…

  • L'Atelier Anciart Bergara

    French Basque Country

    At this workshop in the village of Larressore, around 6km north of Espelette, craftspeople make the traditional wooden walking sticks known as makhila,…

  • Grottes de Sare

    French Basque Country

    Who knows what the first inhabitants of the Grottes de Sare, some 20,000 years ago, would make of today's whiz-bang technology that now lights up the…

  • Grande Plage

    Biarritz

    Grand by name, grand by nature, Biarritz’ vast main beach has been the place at which to be seen since the days of Napoléon II and Eugénie. It's wall to…

  • Musée Bonnat-Helleu

    Bayonne

    Bayonne's venerable fine-arts museum is undergoing an extensive expansion, which will give it more spacious, modern galleries – veritably doubling its…

  • La Citadelle

    St-Jean Pied de Port

    From the top of rue de la Citadelle, a rough cobblestone path ascends to the massive citadel itself, from where there's a spectacular panorama of the town…

  • Cité de l'Océan

    Biarritz

    Biarritz' splashiest sea-themed attraction is part museum, part theme park and part educational centre. It takes a fun approach to learning about the sea…

  • Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain

    French Basque Country

    Housed inside the magisterial Villa Saraleguinea, this intriguing little art museum is based around the collection of local poet Paul-Jean Toulet, who…

  • Socoa

    St-Jean de Luz

    The heart of the historic district of Socoa is about 2.5km west of Ciboure along the continuation of quai Maurice Ravel (named for the Boléro composer,…

  • Rue des Faures

    Bayonne

    This pretty street was once home to the city's bayonet-making blacksmiths, but it's now reinvented itself as the artisan quarter. It's a lovely place to…

  • L’Atelier du Chocolat

    Bayonne

    Visit this chocolate factory to sample and buy its chocolates (which are also available at a shop on rue Pont Neuf in central Bayonne). While here,…

  • Maison Louis XIV

    St-Jean de Luz

    The grandest house in town was built in 1643 by a wealthy shipowner, but its main claim to fame is as the house where Louis XIV lived out his last days of…

  • Musée de la Mer

    Biarritz

    Housed in a wonderful art deco building near the old port, Biarritz' Musée de la Mer is seething with underwater life from the Bay of Biscay and beyond,…

  • Musée d'Art Asiatica

    Biarritz

    Out on the edge of town is this unexpected treasure trove of ancient Indian, Chinese and Tibetan statues, monuments and temple artwork. The layout is a…

  • Église St-Étienne de Baïgorry

    French Basque Country

    The lovely church of St-Étienne was built in the 11th century using the red stone of the nearby Arradoy, and is in the Roman-Byzantine style. It's notable…

  • Rocher de la Vierge

    Biarritz

    If the swell's big, you might get a drenching as you cross the toy-town-like footbridge (closed in high wind) at the end of Pointe Atalaye to Rocher de la…

  • L'Écomusée Basque Jean-Vier

    St-Jean de Luz

    Basque traditions are brought to life at this illuminating multimedia museum, which explores everything from pelota and Basque architecture to the art of…

  • Grande Plage

    St-Jean de Luz

    St-Jean de Luz' beautiful arcing beach sprouts stripy bathing tents from June to September. It's protected from the wrath of the Atlantic by breakwaters…

  • Phare de Biarritz

    Biarritz

    Climbing the 258 twisting steps inside the 73m-high Phare de Biarritz, the town’s 1834 lighthouse, rewards you with sweeping views of the Basque coast…

  • Chapelle Impériale

    Biarritz

    Built in 1864 on the instructions of Empress Eugénie, this glitzy church mixes Byzantine and Moorish styles, and the plaza in front has a superb view of…

  • Plages d'Anglet

    Biarritz

    North of Pointe St-Martin, the adrenaline-pumping surfing beaches of Anglet (the final 't' is pronounced) continue northwards for more than 4km. Take bus…

  • Plage de Ciboure

    St-Jean de Luz

    Ciboure has its own modest beach 2km west of Socoa on the corniche (the D912); it's served by Transports 64 buses en route to Hendaye and, in the high…

  • Pointe de Ste-Barbe

    St-Jean de Luz

    A superb panorama of St-Jean de Luz unfolds from this craggy promontory, at the northern end of the Baie de St-Jean de Luz and about 1km beyond the town…

  • Cloister

    Bayonne

    Monks and pilgrims would once have perambulated around the cathedral's peaceful 13th-century cloister. The entrance is on place Louis Pasteur.

  • Plage Miramar

    Biarritz

    A little bit north of the Grande Plage, on the way to the lighthouse, plage Miramar is packed on summer days.

  • Plage de Marbella

    Biarritz

    Plage de Marbella is about 2km south of Port Vieux. Bus 10 or 13 heading south will get you here.

  • Prison des Évêques

    St-Jean Pied de Port

    Dating back to the 14th century, this vaulted cellar served as the town jail after 1795, as a military lock-up in the 19th century, then as a place of…

  • Château d'Urtubie

    St-Jean de Luz

    This small château was constructed in the 13th century and has been in the hands of the same family ever since. Rooms are decorated in period style and…

  • Plage de la Milady

    Biarritz

    A flat arc of sand backed by golf courses and a kids' playground, Plage de la Milady is about 2.5km south of Port Vieux. Look out for the grand edifice of…

  • Ramparts

    Bayonne

    Once the defensive barrier that kept the city safe from attack, Bayonne's 17th-century fortifications are now covered in grass and enveloped in pretty…

  • Maison de l'Infante

    St-Jean de Luz

    In the days before her marriage to Louis XIV, María Teresa stayed in this brick-and-stone mansion (like the temporary home of her husband-to-be, it was…

  • Hôtel du Palais

    Biarritz

    Dominating the northern end of the Grande Plage is the massive 19th-century Hôtel du Palais, built for Empress Eugénie and now a luxury hotel – complete…

  • Église Orthodoxe de Biarritz

    Biarritz

    This Russian Orthodox church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and Saint Alexandre Nevsky was built by and for the Russian aristocrats who frequented Biarritz…

  • Église Ste-Eugénie

    Biarritz

    The neo-Gothic Église Ste-Eugénie was built in 1864 for – who else? – Empress Eugénie, and sits on a prominent spot in the old port.

  • Plage de la Côte des Basques

    Biarritz

    A long, exposed beach popular with surfers and walkers, said to be one of the first where boardriders hit the waves around Biarritz.

  • Plage du Port Vieux

    Biarritz

    A good option for families due to its sheltered aspect, this tiny wedge of sand is just under the Musée de la Mer.