Welcome

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.

village_biriatou
Le cœur du village - Biriatou
fronton-pelote
Partie de Pelote - Fronton de Biriatou
Biriatou
L'église St Martin - Biriatou

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.

The writer could not be buried in Biriatou as he wished but a stele, made by the artist Eduardo Arroyo was inaugurated in the village in front of the Bidassoa in 2011.

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.

Hendaye nature et culture Domaine d'Abbadia
Les 2 Jumeaux et le Domaine d'Abbadia - Hendaye