Travel guide – basque country
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Overview
France's three Basque provinces are in the south-western corner of the country, near the Spanish border, steeped in folklore and ancient customs. Unlike their Spanish counterparts, the French Basque people do not harbour radical separatist views, but they do cling to their identity, their local unique languages and traditional way of life, offering an interesting diversion for tourists who visit the area. Men can still be seen in the traditional costume of a beret and cummerbund, towns and villages all have concrete courts for the playing of the national ball-game, pelota, and bull fighting is a popular spectator sport. Most visitors head for the Atlantic coast to the popular resort towns of Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz, or to explore the Basque capital, Bayonne. Hikers and nature lovers are drawn to the grand Pyrenees mountains to fish for fat trout, wander the trails, dunk in warm mineral pools, marvel at the glaciers or climb challenging peaks. Another great attraction in the Bigorre region, close to Basque country, is the Roman Catholic shrine at Lourdes, where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to a peasant girl in the mid-19th century. Millions of believers have since made a pilgrimage to the Lourdes grotto in the hope of miracle cures for ailments and afflictions.
The capital of Basque country, Bayonne is a beautifully preserved cathedral city, offering narrow streets lined with half-timbered houses, small enough to explore on foot. It is divided by the Nive and Adour rivers and is set between the mountains and the sea a few miles up the coast from Biarritz. It is a busy port and commercial centre sporting an interesting medieval town centre with ramparts and quays and lively markets and festivals. The Bayonne Festival takes place every year for five days from the first Wednesday in August and is an explosion of activity with cow races, bull fights in the Roman arena, candle-lit processions and marching bands. It has two museums: Le Musée Basque, which showcases the traditions, architecture, and decorative arts of the Basque region and Le Musée Bonnat, which displays thousands of drawings and paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries, including works by Rubens, Greco and Ingres.
Situated in the very southwest of France, Biarritz became famous in the 19th century when Empress Eugenie (the wife of Napoleon III) fell in love with this part of the Basque country and built a Palace on the beach (which is now the world class Hotel du Palais) and a centre with natural springs at Eugenie les Bains. The resort became popular with aristocracy from all over Europe - Queen Victoria came here regularly over a period of 30 years, Edward VI stayed in the Hotel du Palais days before his death and in the 1930s Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson were regular visitors. Until the revolution in 1917 the Russian nobility wintered here and built the magnificent Orthodox Church next to the Palace. However, the days of being reserved for high society are long gone and today Biarritz is an affordable vibrant and cosmopolitan town with magnificent beaches. There are a couple of interesting museums including the Musée de la Mer, which houses 24 aquariums of fish native to the bay; try to visit during the seal feeding time (10.30am and 5pm). The town has good sporting facilities including some excellent golf courses and the best surfing in France. Each summer surfers from all over the world come to ride the waves at the annual Surf Festival. Those after more gentle exercise opt to stroll along Biarritz's principal promenade, Quai de la Grande Plage.
Not strictly Basque country, but part of the nearby Bigorre region, the town of Lourdes is situated in the Hautes-Pyrénées and has been one of the great Roman Catholic pilgrimages since the Virgin Mary allegedly revealed herself to a shepherd girl, Bernadette Soubirous, in 1858. Over five million pilgrims visit the town each year, particularly in August, from the Catholic nobility to the poverty-stricken sick and ailing. Pilgrims are sometimes offended by the commercialisation of the shrine (there is a very good trade in candles and Lourdes water) but miracle cures have been documented by the church so it can be assumed this exploitation does not affect the healing properties of the spring in which the afflicted bathe in a grotto. The Virgin is said to have appeared 18 times at the Grotto of Massabielle and mass takes place here every day. The town itself is ancient, and includes several sights of interest. The Fortified Castle was successively a military fortress, a state prison and, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the residence of the counts of Bigorre. There are wonderful panoramic views of the town and the sanctuary from high on the fortifications. Since 1921 the castle has housed the Musée Pyrénéen, which exhibits the art, traditions and history of the Pyrenees. There are some interesting churches in this religious town. The Upper Basilica of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1854; the inside is as impressive as the magnificent exterior. The oval Basilica of Pius X is one of the world’s largest churches, its enormous underground chamber can hold as many as 20,000 people. International masses are conducted in six languages, including English, every Wednesday and Sunday at 3.30pm from April to October. The Musée Ste-Bernadette is nearby, as is the house where Bernadette was born which, along with the home of her parents, has become a shrine.
Pau is situated 50 miles (80km) inland, high above the Gave de Pau River, and is a good base from which to explore the Pyrenees and the picturesque little villages of the Bearn region. This year-round resort was popular with the English in the early 19th century (at one time 20 percent of the population was from England) and many customs were imported from across the Channel to become entrenched, including fox hunting and afternoon tea. The town is home to 85,000 people and is the most cosmopolitan city in the western Pyrenees. Panoramic views are to be had from a stroll along the Boulevard des Pyrenees. Worthy sightseeing excursions include the 12th century Chateau de Pau, containing some interesting contemporary artefacts including a crib fashioned from a single tortoise shell. The Musee des Beaux-Arts is worth a peek with a collection of European paintings by the likes of El Greco, Degas, Zurbaran and Boudin. The people of the Pau and the Bearn region are very proud of their language (a variation of Occitan) and heritage and have indulged in friendly rivalry with the Basques of Bayonne for centuries.
Things to do and see in or around Pau
Walking in the Pyrenees
The wild mountains of the Pyrenees stretch for 250 miles (402km) from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and have for many centuries formed a natural frontier: physical, climatic and linguistic, between France and Spain. Second only to the Alps among the great mountain ranges of Western Europe, the Pyrenees are much less frequented, and still offer an exciting combination of knife-edged summits, small glaciers, forested valleys, mountain tarns and little-trodden summer passes. Splendid trails lead to the magnificent cirques and lake-spangled basins of France’s Pyrenees National Park. Over on the Spanish side paths lead through the spectacular canyons of the Ordesa-Monte Perdido National Park, one of Europe’s oldest. In 1997, the United Nations inscribed a portion of the French and Spanish Pyrenees near the French village of Gavarnie and the Spanish village of Torla on its list of World Heritage Sites. Here, nature over the eons has carved three stupendous glacial cirques including the renowned Cirque de Gavarnie and a 3,000ft (914m) deep canyon called Ordesa - Spain’s 'Grand Canyon.'
A popular seaside resort and active fishing port just above the Spanish border, Saint Jean de Luz is a lively and cosmopolitan town. The lovely medieval town centre has been influenced by Spain and the Moors and has a mix of architecture among the narrow streets. Around the main square are some of the best seafood restaurants in the region, as well as other bars and terraces from which to see and enjoy the regular musical events in the square - including a Basque Choir every Sunday morning (summer months only). The newer, more commercial end of town is littered with chic shops and boutiques and a casino.
Climate
The Atlantic influences the climate of the coastal areas like Biarritz, creating mild and temperate weather year round. Winters record the highest temperatures in France and summers are warm with cool sea breezes. Rain usually occurs in short downpours and is distributed throughout the year.
Health
French hospitals and health facilities are first class. British, and visitors from other EU countries, are entitled to heavily discounted medical treatment and medicines on presentation of a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Otherwise doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. Medical insurance is advised. Pharmacies will provide some first aid, but charge for it. There have been increased reports of hantavirus (caused by rodents) in the Ardennes, Aisne and Jura regions. Rabies also occurs occasionally. In February 2006, France confirmed its first cases of bird flu; all affected birds have been culled and precautionary measures taken. The risk is low for travellers, but close contact with domestic, wild and caged birds should be avoided, and all poultry and egg dishes well cooked.
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