Biarritz in France on the map. What hotels in Biarritz have nice views? Surf beaches
The elegant, aristocratic and famous seaside resort of Biarritz enjoys a magnificent location on the shores of the Bay of Biscay in France.
Biarritz was a favorite summertime destination for the Empress Eugénie (Napoleon III's wife), who turned the fishing village into a trendy resort town. To entertain her holiday, a majestic palace was built, which now houses a luxury hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant. The city is filled with beautiful mansions decorated with turrets and historical monuments from the 19th century.
Although Biarritz's history of influence has faded, the city still attracts visitors in search of a classic summer getaway. Pristine sandy beaches, beautiful coastal villas and stylish restaurants offer a sophisticated atmosphere. A wide waterfront promenade and benches allow visitors to enjoy the stunning natural landscape. Biarritz is also the surfing capital of Europe.
One of the largest beaches in the city annually attracts crowds of tourists from all over the world. This beautiful wide sandy beach starts at Bellevue, near the Boulevard General de Gaulle, and extends to the Hotel Palais. During the summer, the beach is filled with tourists and their colorful striped umbrellas. However, it is important to note that this beach has strong surf and water safety is monitored on a daily basis.
During certain periods, due to strong currents, swimming and surfing are prohibited. There is a promenade next to the beach, which is ideal for a leisurely scenic walk. This wide walkway offers stunning views of the breaking waves and views of the Biarritz lighthouse. It also has many restaurants and cafes.
Situated on a cape at the end of the beach, the luxurious Palais Hotel was built by Emperor Napoleon III for his wife Eugenie. This magnificent palace is a national monument and exemplifies the grandeur of the Second Empire style.
Since 1893 the building has been used as a hotel. The luxurious five-star hotel offers golf courses and an elegant Michelin-starred restaurant to its visitors. This is a luxurious place with great design and gorgeous ocean views. Guests are treated to the best of Basque cuisine while watching the panorama of the beach.
This beautiful beach is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the refreshing seaside atmosphere. Miramar Beach has stunning scenery and romantic surf. This secluded beach gives a sense of calm, rough seas and strong currents.
The state of waves and currents should be considered before entering the water. Surfing is prohibited on this beach. First of all, it attracts spa lovers, who often visit the nearby Thalassa Sea & Spa Center. Miramar Beach attracts fewer tourists than the Grand and has the charm of an old seaside resort, especially in the summer when the beach's striped umbrellas give it a retro feel.
Sea Museum
One of the main tourist attractions in Biarritz is the charming Museum of the Sea. The idea for the museum was conceived by the scientist Marquis de Folin in the 1880s, after he began the scientific discovery of the Bay of Biscay surrounding Biarritz.
The museum was opened in 1935 with a focus on the marine life found in the Bay of Biscay and aims to educate visitors about the importance of ocean water. The museum features natural history collections and an impressive marine aquarium filled with fauna from the nearby ocean.
It features an outdoor panoramic terrace, which is a popular tourist attraction. Other highlights include a special shark exhibit that shows them hunting and feeding.
Lighthouse Biarritz
Symbolizing a historic seaside town, the Biarritz lighthouse enjoys an important position overlooking the coast of Cape Hainsart. Built in 1834, the lighthouse is located on the outskirts of Saint Martin and forms the boundary between the sandy beaches in the south and the rocky coast of the Basque country in the north.
Visitors can climb the lighthouse's 248 steps to take in the scenery from this incredible vantage point. At 73 meters high, the lighthouse offers exceptional panoramic views of Biarritz and the countryside.
Housed in an elegant 17th century building, this historic tea house is one of the oldest establishments in Biarritz. Mirmont is famous for its classic bakery with eclairs, brownies and strawberry pie, as well as an assortment of rare teas. Founded in 1872, Mirmont became part of the glory in Biarritz.
The Spanish King Alfonso XIII enjoyed his lunch here. King Edward VII of England appreciated fine French pastries. The Queen of Serbia often bought caramels for her friends, and the Queen of Portugal, Amelia, had a habit of enjoying tea near a windowsill with a good view. This teahouse offers stunning views of the Grand Beach and the Palais Hotel.
Tourists can taste local pastries or dine in the tea room. Also here you can buy gift sets of sweets, toffees and other sweets.
Rocher de la Vierge is one of the most romantic places in Biarritz. It is located on a steep, narrow rock in the ocean. An iron bridge, designed by the workshops of Gustave Eiffel, leads to it. As a focal point, on top of the cliff, looking out to sea, stands a statue of the Virgin Mary. Here, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in a magnificent panorama of the coastline stretching from the mouth of the River Adour to the Spanish border.
Children's beaches
Vieux Beach is the best choice for families with children. This small secluded beach is located in a rocky gorge near the city center. Because the beach is located in a sheltered bay, the waves are smaller and safer than Miramar Beach. The water here is usually calm and offers the best swimming conditions.
Since Vieux Beach is small and less crowded than other beaches in the city, it is an ideal place for a summer holiday. Another great beach for children is Milady Beach, which has a seaside promenade and playground. It is very popular with locals and bodyboarding.
Surf beaches
Plage de Basque is the most famous surf beach in Biarritz. Powerful waves create ideal conditions for surfing and many competitions are held here. Safety Notes: To begin with, surfers should be briefed on how and when to enter and exit the water to avoid hitting rocks.
Swimming is allowed except at high tide. This beach is a great place to walk along the ocean, admiring the beautiful view of the coast. Marbella Beach is another favorite spot for surfers and bodyboarders. The magnificent sandy beach is also a good choice for nature lovers. It is wild and harsh, and it can only be reached by a steep staircase. Access to it is difficult for people with disabilities.
Chocolate Museum
The history of chocolate is closely connected with the history of the city. This museum allows visitors to learn about the heritage of chocolate in France from its discovery to the New World to its development into a gourmet drink and confection.
The museum has short educational videos and a collection of antique objects. Visitors have the opportunity to taste traditional hot chocolate made in the old European style. The Chocolate Museum holds master classes in cooking, as well as pastry classes for children and adults.
Historical Museum
Housed in a former English church, the Biarritz Historical Museum was opened in 1986 by a local association. The museum has an extensive collection of documents, antiques and works of art.
Notable exhibits include Empress Eugenie's handwritten letters, paintings by Emperor Napoleon III, as well as medals and jewelry. There is also a video that offers a deeper understanding of the city's culture and history. The city's history collection spans from its origins as a small fishing village to the fashionable resort that became known as the "resort of kings" or the "king of spas". Tours are held every third Saturday of the month.
The city of Biarritz is known for its famous beaches, medicinal waters and amazing coastline, offering visitors a unique atmosphere. Here, chic restaurants and resorts stand side by side with small cozy pizzerias and numerous shops for surfers.
The atmosphere in Biarritz is quite mixed, in a good way. The city consists mainly of stately houses, filling the architecture of the resort with luxury and pomposity. At the same time, the streets of the city are not suffocated by snobs, but are filled with a simple and easy culture of surfers who turned the Biarritz resort into a kind of Mecca. This interesting contrast is part of Biarritz's personality.
Surfing is not just a very popular hobby in Biarritz, but has extremely deep roots here. Although not documented, surfing in Europe is said to have originated in 1957 on the beaches of Biarritz, on the Plage de la Côte des Basques, to be more precise.
The start of the holiday season in Biarritz
May in Biarritz is the last month of spring, and the weather at the end of the month enters a stunningly beautiful summer season. Biarritz is well located in the Bay of Biscay on the southwest coast of France in the Basque Country. The expected average daytime temperature is 18°C (65°F). These are ideal conditions for sightseeing of the city itself and its surroundings.
Expert opinion
Knyazeva Victoria
Guide to Paris and France
Ask an expertThe average rainfall for May is about 114 mm. It usually rains for 16 days in May, and daylight hours last about 9 hours.
Around Biarritz, water temperatures average around 16 °C (61 °F) in May. Many surfers choose this particular month to raid the coasts. Visiting this particular month is actually very enjoyable as the weather starts to warm up but there are still not many other tourists around. The beaches are still clean, and families on holiday in Biarritz will find the water cool but pleasant.
Biarritz is one of the most popular resort towns in France and, perhaps, it can be called the resort No. 1 of the country's southwestern coast on the Atlantic Ocean. This is primarily due to historical reasons.
In the beginning - the middle of the 19th century, the French aristocracy was drawn here after the Emperor Napoleon I, then after Napoleon III, who fell in love with resting in Biarritz with his wife Eugenia. On the rocky shores of the former Basque fishing village, graceful palaces and residences, befitting the level of high-ranking guests, quickly grew up. Russian nobles did not ignore Biarritz either: many of them spent time at this resort, especially when sea bathing rapidly became fashionable in the 19th century. Aristocrats from the Russian Empire moved across France between two coasts: the Cote d'Azur (which, however, did not yet bear this name) and the Atlantic. Thanks to the Russian presence in Biarritz, a beautiful Orthodox church was built in the very center of the resort, which is open to visitors today. In some places you can find information that this "royal" resort was visited by the Grand Dukes, but documentary evidence of this has not been preserved.
The infrastructure of Biarritz is still "sharpened" for the rest of wealthy people from all over Europe, while the Atlantic coast is much more intimate and calmer than, say, another "mecca" of the rich and famous - the Cote d'Azur. If you want truly French discreet chic, vast ocean expanses and breathtaking landscapes before your eyes, the color of two countries (France and Spain, which is literally a couple of tens of kilometers from here), then you are in Biarritz.
Surfers don't need to be told what Biarritz is either - this name is put on the map of every boarding enthusiast as one of the best places in Europe where you can catch a huge wave. It is not for nothing that every year the prestigious world surfing championship Quicksilver Pro France is held in the fall, 40 kilometers from Biarritz, in the town of Sort-Hossegor (Hossegor), where the best surfers in the world come to fight for the title.
A bit of history
Since about the 11th century, on the site of modern Biarritz, there was a small fishing settlement, whose inhabitants were mainly engaged in whaling on the ocean. For centuries, this village belonged to the territories of the Basque lands (until 1790, when the French Revolution took place, Biarritz was part of the Basque province of Labourdan).
Today Biarritz belongs to the French department of the Atlantic Pyrenees, the region - New Aquitaine. The city is located on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from here the Pyrenees mountain range is clearly visible. The close connection with the historical region of the Basque Country has not been interrupted and is expressed in eclectic cuisine and preserved Basque traditions, as well as in the presence of red-green-white Basque flags everywhere, including on official institutions of the city.
How to get to Biarritz
The nearest international airport to Biarritz is located at a distance of 3 kilometers from the city and is called Aeroport Biarritz Pays Basque. It is common to the communes of Biarritz - Anglet - Bayonne. The code for this airport on aviation scoreboards is BIQ. Another airport is located in Spanish San Sebastian (~30 minutes drive from Biarritz).
. Pros: large reliable company, international taxi service at local prices; confirmation of the order is sent to your e-mail, and the driver is waiting at the exit from the arrivals area with a sign with your name on it; the fare is known in advance; payment of the full amount only upon arrival at the place.
Air France operates daily flights to Biarritz from Orly Airport in Paris.
By train
On SNCF trains, you can get to Biarritz from almost all cities in France (with or without transfers). Travel time by high-speed train TGV to Biarritz from Paris (Gare Montparnasse): from 5 hours 30 minutes; from Bordeaux - 2 hours; from Toulouse - 2 hours 30 minutes.
By car
By highways A63 and A64 (exit from highway No. 4)
Distance to Biarritz from different cities:
Paris - 789 km; Lyon - 735 km; Marseille - 708 km; Bordeaux - 187 km; Clermont-Ferrand - 555 km; Montpellier - 534 km; Nantes - 512 km; Toulouse - 350 km; Spain (border) - 25 km; Bilbao - 160 km; Madrid - 550 km.
You can choose in advance and book a car for traveling around France here(instant comparison of offers, prices and conditions of the world's leading car rental companies, online booking confirmation and flexible terms, discounts, super offers)
Where to stay
As a luxury resort, Biarritz has no shortage of great accommodations. The best historical hotels of the city are located on the embankment, the most famous and expensive of which, of course, Hotel du Palais 5*, which earlier, in the middle of the 19th century, was built as a residence specifically for the wife of Napoleon III - Empress Eugenia.
Other palaces, now owned by large hotel chains, are also located near the ocean. The closer to the beach, the higher the price. By the way, the mountainous terrain of Biarritz should be kept in mind when choosing a hotel/apartment. Where on the map it seems only a hundred or two meters to the beach, in reality it can be a 20-minute walk from the mountain / uphill. In any case, you will have to go down steep stairs to almost all the beaches within Biarritz, which is worth keeping in mind when going on vacation with small children or people with health problems. That is why the real "front line" in this resort is so expensive. It may also be an unpleasant surprise that the ideal options in terms of price / quality ratio in this resort are booked long before the start of the season by numerous Biarritz fans and surfers.
Attractions
I will list the main attractions of Biarritz, located along the ocean within the city limits.
As a starting point from which it is worth starting a walk around Biarritz, you can take the Grande Beach - the central beach of the city, surrounded by ancient buildings in the Belle Epoque style.
However, the problem is that the SNCF train station in Biarritz is located far from the city center and the beach, at a distance of 4-5 kilometers, and you also have to walk through confusing streets. Therefore, you can get from the station on foot to the embankment, where the main attractions are concentrated, only by bus (if you came to Biarritz to take a train ride, for example, from Spain). In this regard, the best option for transportation in these places, as, indeed, on the entire Atlantic coast of France, would be a rented car. You can park your car directly next to the center in numerous underground parking lots (for a fee), where the number of free places is always indicated on the scoreboard, or simply on the nearby streets (also for a fee).
So, you are standing on the Grand Beach and looking at the stylized "historical" striped sun awnings that have become the "calling card" of the resort...
To your right, on the protruding and ringing promenade of Cape Saint-Martin, there is a white lighthouse Biarritz, at an altitude of 73 meters above sea level (the lighthouse itself is 47 meters). This lighthouse was built in 1834. A cape with a lighthouse divides the coast into two parts - to the right of it (if you look at the ocean) the endless sandy beaches of the Landes department stretch, and to the left towards the Spanish border lie the rocky shores of the French Basque Country. You can climb 248 steps to the lighthouse and see the panorama of the city in all its beauty.
Impossible to miss the waterfront-dominated luxury Hotel du Palais 5*, which was built by order of the Emperor of France Napoleon III for his wife Eugenie. It is here that first-class restaurants and spas are located.
Directly behind the Hotel du Palais is Russian Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Virgin and St. Alexander Nevsky, built in 1892 in the Byzantine style by the French architect M. Tisnés. The church is not open every day, you need to clarify its schedule. Of particular interest is the iconostasis of this temple, the icons for which were brought from St. Petersburg at one time by order of noble Russian aristocrats - lovers of Biarritz.
Right in front of the Grande Beach is the imposing art deco palace with casino barriere inside.
If you go from the casino to the left along the embankment (along the General de Gaulle Boulevard), slowly going uphill, you will see rocky green cape with a bridge leading to it - one of the favorite places for tourists both during the day and at night.
Further on your left side there will be an elegant St. Eugenia Catholic Church(built at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries) in honor of the patron saint, as the name implies, the same Empress Eugenia, wife of Napoleon III.
Church of St. Eugenia rises above the so-called ancient Port of fishermen in rocky small bays (it was in this place from time immemorial that there was a fishing settlement), and today the best fish restaurants of the city "with views" are located in the port. Climbing up the hill above the port or going around it through a small tunnel, you will come to the main attraction of Biarritz, captured in millions of photographs and postcards - Rock with a statue of Our Lady, which is located on a hill on a cliff in the ocean. A long iron bridge, designed by the architects of Gustave Eiffel, leads to the cliff and the statue. Here are also Maritime Museum And oceanarium. The museum is at the same time an architectural monument in the Art Deco style and an educational object for adults and children. The inhabitants of the seas and oceans live in the aquarium, and its special pride is a large collection of sharks of different species.
If you continue walking along the embankment above the ocean, you will reach another beautiful building - Belz villas, built on a rock at the end of the 19th century and remembering the heyday of Biarritz as a resort of aristocrats. At the beginning of the 20th century, in the 1920s, there were private apartments and a cabaret, as well as a Russian restaurant owned by the son-in-law of the famous composer Igor Stravinsky. Today you can look at the villa only from the side. After Villa Belza, if you go further, you will see another stunning view from the height of the cliffs to the coast and the "Spanish coast". From here, the Pyrenees are already visible almost at a glance.
Naturally, I have not listed all the sights of Biarritz and its museums, but the most important ones, which are quite possible to see during a leisurely 2-3 hour walk (perhaps with a break for lunch or dinner in one of the coastal cafes or restaurants). If you are in Biarritz in the late afternoon, I advise you to go to the Rock of Our Lady just before sunset and see the most beautiful sunset over the Bay of Biscay, just for which many photographers and artists come here.
Elena Kurylenko
Biarritz photo
Lighthouse Biarritz
Hotel du Palais 5*
In the restaurant of the Hotel du Palais you can dine on the menu: Menu Decouverte - 95 euros per person, Menu Imperatrice - 135 euros per person.
Russian Orthodox Church of St. Alexander Nevsky
Architecture of Biarritz
Church of St. Eugenia
Fishermen's port
Cliff with the Rock of Our Lady
Sea Museum
Villa Belza
Here you can find and buy tickets to Biarritz at the lowest price (in the search form at the top of the article), as well as instantly compare hotel prices in different booking systems and choose the best offer
September 10th, 2012
Biarritz(Biarritz), located on the Atlantic coast of the Bay of Biscay, in the French part of the Basque Country, only about 25 kilometers (by car) from the border with Spain, is a fairly well-known European balneological resort (“balneotherapy” in Latin means “treatment bathing").
It's no joke to say that Emperor Napoleon III, Queen Amelie of Portugal, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, English kings Edward VII and George V, King Leopold II of Belgium, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and princes with princesses without counting rested in these places ... Actress Sarah Bernhardt, pianist Arthur Rubinstein and dozens of other world stars gave chamber concerts in the villas and chateau of Biarritz. Aleksey Tolstoy, Aleksey Gorky, Anton Chekhov, Prosper Merimee and Stendhal, Theophile Gauthier and Gustave Flaubert combined rest with work... an impressive list of names, isn't it?!
About the name of the city. Biarritz from the local (Basque) language is translated as "Two cliffs" (bi arri). According to another version: its name comes from the pre-existing Bearrids or Beiarriods "hips" (Bask.), that is, "to see", and means "a place from which one can see." And, finally, the third version of the name, associated with the legend, which said that Biarritz acquired its name from the merger of two names - the beautiful Miarritz, a young villager, and her lover, a fisherman from Gascony, whom the girl saved during a shipwreck. However, what was the name of the saved Gascon, the legend is silent.
But, you see, in any case, it sounds beautiful!))
What is known from the history of the city ... The Vikings were the first to inhabit the territory of the modern city in 840. They settled here because this place was ideal for catching whales. At first, the Biarritz fishermen lived freely. In the Middle Ages, they were recognized champions in catching whales. Demand gave birth to such a supply that pretty soon all the whales in local waters were knocked out. The 15th century became a black age for the Basques - whales stopped appearing in the Bay of Biscay. The last time whales were seen here was in 1686. But the whale still flaunts on the coat of arms of the city...
Since then, Biarritz has developed into a provincial town. But gradually, the Spanish nobles explored this place, appreciated its beauty, the convenience of bays and beaches, and began to come here to rest. The French followed suit. The Duchess of Montijo began visiting Biarritz in 1838. She always took her daughter with her - Eugene. It so happened that Eugenia later became the wife of the future Emperor Napoleon III (the nephew of that same Napoleon Bonaparte). Evgenia invited her husband to places she knew well. The husband was captivated by the beauty of the local landscapes, allocated considerable sums from the royal bounties and built a chic palace, which he named after his beloved wife - "Eugene". This event was no less important for Biarritz than the departure of whales to the Pacific Ocean. In one year, the godforsaken village turned into a fashionable aristocratic resort of the same class as Deauville, La Baule and Nice with St. Tropez. Until now, the city lives by the names of Napoleon and Eugenia, although a century and a half have already passed since then...
Church of Sainte-Eugénie ( Eglise Sainte-Eugenie) in neo-Gothic style is dedicated to Saint Eugenie, the patroness of Empress Eugenie. It looks pretty modern. It is known that the first church dedicated to St. Eugenie was built in Biarritz as early as 1856. However, it was later demolished, and in 1898 the foundation stone of the current Saint-Eugène church was laid. Construction was completed in 1903. The bell tower above the entrance was built later than the main building - only in 1927, and in 1931 bells appeared in the temple.
A wide staircase leads to the entrance to the church, where the parishioners are met by the figure of a standard-bearer. The bas-relief above the entrance depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child on her knees; the child stretches out his hand and, as it were, blesses the believers. The plot of the bas-relief to the right of the entrance reflects the ancient occupation of the inhabitants of Biarritz - whaling. The bas-relief on the right is made in the form of the city coat of arms.
Inside the church, the model of a three-masted warship above the altar and wonderful stained glass windows attract attention. Colorful paintings show the Sermon on the Mount, the Annunciation, the Entrance to Jerusalem.
It should be noted that here in almost every church where we went (both Biarritz and Bayonne) there are very beautiful stained-glass windows.
For example, in the church of St. Joseph, which is opposite the City Market (Halles) on Place Sobradiel. Stained glass windows with female saints (Genevieve, Joan of Arc, etc.):
Notable also Imperial Chapel(chapel) (La Chapelle Impériale) on Avenue de la Marne, erected by the architect Boeswillwald in 1864 by order of Empress Eugenia in a style that is a mixture of Byzantine and Spanish-Moorish. It was dedicated to the black maiden of the Mexican Virgin Guadalupe (Notre- Dame de Guadalupe). It received the status of a historical monument in 1981.
The chapel is built of brick and consists of a single nave preceded by a portico and finished with a semicircular apse. Inside, everything is in white doves and the initials NE (Napoleon & Eugene).
In the garden in front of the chapel is a bust of the Empress.
View of the chapel from Avenue de la Reine Victoria (entrance from Avenue de la Marne):
It works for excursions only on Thursdays and Saturdays, from 14.30 to 18.00 - in the summer months, and in autumn and winter - only on Saturdays and until 17.00.
Next to Du Palais on the Avenue of the Empress (avenue de l "Imperatrice) stands Russian Orthodox Church of the Intercession of the Virgin and St. Alexander Nevsky, founded in 1879 and becoming a clear confirmation of the growing status of Biarritz in the eyes of the Russian Imperial House. It is known that earlier one of the halls of the palace of Empress Eugenia was temporarily assigned to the church.
This church is one of the rare Orthodox churches in the southwest of France, built by Princess Yurievskaya, widow of Emperor Alexander II. Here, in this church, the cousin of Emperor Nicholas II, Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, and the American Audrey Emery got married.
For the first time I was in a two-story church building, the iconostasis is located on the second floor, where you climb a wide wooden staircase. For some reason, I immediately “smell of Russia” here, or maybe it was just incense ...
The church is surrounded by a wrought-iron fence, with a gate, on the right is a yard where one of the most expensive premium cars, a Porsche Cayenne Turbo, is parked, which allows us to conclude that churchmen abroad live well.)))
The history of Biarritz will, of course, tell you well Historical Museum of Biarritz(Musee Historique), which is located on Rue Broquelis, in the former St. Andre Anglican Church (Eglise St-Andre).
The museum tells about the stages of the city's history, starting from a small fishing port and ending with a developed coastal resort. Among the exposition of the museum are numerous costumes, furniture, paintings, photographs and other artifacts.
We also looked there...
I'll tell you about the coastal sights of the city ...
The resort town of Biarritz is a popular resort located in the southwest of the French state, in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques department (Aquitaine region).
In fact, the borders of Biarritz run along the Basque Coast (Cote Basque) on Cape Saint Martin, adjoining close to the cities of Anglet and Bayonne. Biarritz is considered one of the best seaside climatic resorts on the Silver Coast of France.
In the "Belle Epoque" aristocrats and royalty rested here, and in our time, presidents and other dignitaries stop here. For prices and conditions, the city of Biarritz is comparable to Saint Tropez resort .
Thanks to the powerful waves of the Atlantic, Biarritz is a world famous center for surfing. At 4 kilometers from the city there is an international airport that connects the resort with many cities in France and Europe. The railway station is located 3 kilometers from the city center, travel time is up to Paris on the TGV high speed train is 5.5 hours.
The resort town of Biarritz is located on the border between the Basque lands and Gascony. On all municipal buildings of the department, next to the flags of France and the European Union, the red-green-white flags of the Basques are installed.
Geographic location of the city of Biarritz
The resort town of Biarritz is located on the territory of the Atlantic coast, in the south-west of France in the depths of the Bay of Biscay, in close proximity to the Spanish-French border. Cape Saint-Martin, on which the lighthouse of Biarritz is located, is the border between sandy beaches Silver coast of France, starting far north in the Gironde, and a steep rocky coast, stretching south from here into the Basque lands.
The city of Biarritz was built on several hills along the coast. Most of the city blocks face directly to the bays and sandy beaches, including the central beach of Grand Plage, which is systematically mapped thanks to positioning systems and ships equipped with echo sounders.
In fact, the resort of Biarritz is located on the lands of the historical province of Labourdan at the western border between the Basque lands and Gascony. The territory of the commune is located at the extreme southern point of the area of distribution of the Gascon language. According to the Sandre database, only the Atxinetxe canal flows through the commune, which, after passing through Anglet, flows into the Adour River in Bayonne.
In the past, until the beginning of the development of the city and the change of its stream beds, the local settlement was distinguished by a hilly territory, partly overgrown with gorse, partly swampy, with streams and springs. These streams flowed into a pond located between the beaches of Marbella and Milady, on the site of which there is now a sewage treatment plant.
Attractions in Biarritz
One of the main attractions of Biarritz is the local casino, located almost on the banks of the Grand Plage, carefully restored in full accordance with the magnificent appearance of the 1930s.
And around it stretch low and rather "amorphous" quarters of the resort itself, the main points of attraction in which are the Church of Saint-Eugene (XIX century), the Imperial Chapel (XIX century), church Saint-Martin(XII-XVI centuries), Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky(XIX century) and the Asian Museum with a good exposition of Indian and Tibetan art from the collection of Michel Postel.
In addition, the Museum of the Sea with an aquarium is very popular, as well as the picturesque old port of Pesce, built up restaurants and numerous villas, among which the most famous Hotel du Palais (now a five-star hotel, and in the past, Villa Eugene, built by Napoleon III in the middle of the 19th century for his wife, Empress Eugenie, whom the monarch met in Biarritz).
However, the most recognizable and famous symbol of the city of Biarritz remains towering on a coastal cliff. statue of the virgin(Virgin Mary), the steel overpass of which was built by Eiffel himself (creator eiffel tower).
Resort Biarritz
The resort town of Biarritz, which received wide recognition in the 19th century, was built on the site of a small whalers' village (which existed since the 11th century), which was noticed in 1843 by the writer Victor Hugo. He foresaw the possibility of turning Biarritz into one of the best summer resorts on the Atlantic coast.
Initially, the village had two residential areas: the quarter around the church of Saint-Martin and the quarter in the fishing port (Port-Vieux), which were under the protection of the castle of Belai or Ferragus. On the coat of arms of the settlement there is a large whaling barge, which still remains the main symbol of the city.
The local population is of Vascon origin; however, it is difficult to establish the presence of Basque or Gascon roots. Until 1790, Biarritz was part of the Basque province of Labourdan. The first lighthouse was built here in 1650.
Around the end of the 18th century, sea bathing came into fashion in France, and already in 1808 in Biarritz he took sea baths himself. Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1854, Empress Eugenia rested here, after which the emperor Napoleon III ordered the construction of Villa Eugene (Hotel du Palais). Subsequently, this circumstance began to attract many crowned heads of Europe to Biarritz, and the resort became famous as "the king of beaches and the beach of kings."
In October 1868, during the Biarritz regatta, the crews of the messenger ships of the flotilla of the west coast of France, Chamois and Argus, had the honor of hosting the Empress Eugenie and her son, the Prince of the Empire. It was Biarritz that became the meeting place in September 1865 of the "iron chancellor" Bismarck with Emperor Napoleon III, at which the German chancellor sought to enlist the support of the French monarch in Prussian politics.
To this day, several buildings unusual for this area have survived in Biarritz, including a two-domed Orthodox church, testifying to the popularity of Biarritz among the Russian aristocracy before the October Revolution (the magnificent visits of the Grand Dukes were not documented and remain an element of local folklore).
The beaches of Biarritz
The resort of Biarritz has a fairly large number of popular tourist places, but still the main attraction for which vacationers come here is the ocean.
By and large, the coast around the resort cannot boast of an abundance of beaches - the rocky spurs of the Pyrenees everywhere go to the very edge of the surf, forming high coastal ledges and rocky headlands. However, at their foot there is a whole series of relatively small beaches with clean sand, which can be reached from Biarritz by municipal transport (buses).
The beach areas of Milady, Marbella, Côte des Basques (there are several surf schools), Port Vieux, Grand Plage and Miramar are considered the most popular recreation areas among tourists.
Recently, the resort town of Biarritz has become the largest center of thalassotherapy - several health resorts operate here on a permanent basis, using both the favorable natural and climatic features of the region and mineral waters brought from Brisk (20 kilometers from Biarritz) in the process of recovery.
A little further south is another suburban resort - Anglet (Anglet, Angelu), stretching along the coast from Pointe Saint Martin to La Bar. Apart from excellent beaches, wider and more deserted than in Biarritz, there is nothing interesting here.
More photos of the sights of the resort town of Biarritz here: Photo gallery
