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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 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 to celebrate the birth of
surfing in Biarritz. |
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