|
Biarritz
is a large town with several quartiers and is one of the principal resorts
on the Côte Basque, and probably the most famous part of the Pays Basque.
Biarritz came to fame in the mid 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 at Biarritz (which is now the
world class Hotel du Palais) and a centre
with natural springs at Eugenie les Bains in the Landes. Eugenie invited
foreign royalty to stay with their entourages and courtiers; Queen Victoria
of Britain, who came regularly over a period of 30 years, and sundry
Spanish, Swedish, Dutch, German, Russian nobility. The Russians built
their own magnificent Orthodox Church next
to the Palace.
The principle architecture in Biarritz was not typically Basque, but
rather a blend of 19th century city residences, large and expansive,
made of local stone bricks. If you bought one of these houses now, you
would probably find titles such as the Prince, Duke, Baron, Marquee
etc. on the title deeds.
Biarritz has a lot more
than beautiful buildings to offer today. It's a vibrant cosmopolitan
town with magnificent beaches, golf courses and numerous sporting facilities,
not forgetting the surf. Surfing started in France here in Biarritz
in 1957 and surfers come from all over the world to ride the waves. The Biarritz Surf Festival brought together surfers
from Hawaii, California and Australia every year in July to celebrate the birth
of surfing in Biarritz.
|
TourAdour.com
