Basque Country
What other part of France can boast of having such an identity?
Here, there is the language, a particular climate, unique landscapes, cult products, a gastronome table, a perennial culture, an original urbanism… Here are some excerpts from what awaits you!
Biriatou
Our small picturesque village of about 1300 inhabitants is located on the outskirts of France and Spain. Leaning against the «Xoldokogaina» mountain, Biriatou offers a stunning view of the Bidassoa valley and the Spanish mountains facing it.
Originally district of Urrugne, Biriatou became an independent community in 1603. During the wars of the revolution and under the empire, Biriatou experienced incessant movements of troops. During the Spanish Civil War and the Battle of Irun in 1936, the village served as an observation site.
Jorge Semprún’s affection for the village
In Biriatou, from the shaded terrace of the restaurant, I looked at Spain, on the opposite bank of the Bidassoa. The sun was setting on the ocean, invisible, in the distance. The horizon of light, cotoneous clouds, sailing in a pale sky, was still blushed by its imminent absence. Spain very close, forbidden, condemned to be only a dream for memory. Throughout the day, the light of August which evaporated in the evening mist had been stirred, crossed by reflections of autumn: shimmering, mordored, somewhat breaking the density, the aplomb of the summer sun. September was already creeping into the landscape, into the renewed languor, the obsolescence of the colors, the pink and blue nostalgia of the hydrangeas massifs. Facing south, the terrace of the restaurant of Biriatou overlooked the course of the Bidassoa. The shadows of this late afternoon seemed to rise from this wet gorge on the slopes of the Spanish hills of Elizondo, just opposite, to the south; from Fontarrabie, to the west.
Jorge Semprún - extract "Adieu, vive clarté"
Surroundings
Several hiking trails leave the village, including the famous GR 10 that joins the lake and the Ibardin pass.
Add to this 10 golf courses within a 20 km radius, the beaches at 6 km, where there are 5 thalassotherapy centers, and also the possibility to practice a multitude of water sports…
Finally, Biriatou is only 2 km from the motorway connecting Saint-Jean de Luz (10 km), Biarritz (25 km) and San Sebastian in Spain (25 km). And a few kilometres from the typical Spanish villages.
An ideal holiday destination for discovering major natural sites and Basque cultural heritage.