5 Reasons to Visit the Basque City of Bayonne, France

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France is a land of countless destinations, so much so that many simply get overlooked. Even the south of France is jam-packed with marvellous cities and landscapes that require repeat visits to work through. One destination that unfortunately seems down the list is the Bayonne on the Atlantic side of the south of France. People often focus on the Mediterranean part of the south of France, but visiting Bayonne is quite different than visiting somewhere like say, Nimes.

By the coast but not quite on the coast, Bayonne is almost the twin of the popular seaside city of Biarritz. On its own, Bayonne is a rather small city, but that may just add to its old-fashioned appeal. For travellers looking for a good reason to visit Bayonne, I’m glad to share more than just one. One of the highlights of my last France trip, here are five reasons to visit the Basque city of Bayonne.

The French Basque Country

Anyone that spends a little time in France will realise that there are many different sides to France. Food, culture, language, architecture – they all differ from one region to the next. This most definitely applies to the southern region of the French Basque Country. Much like the Basque region of northern Spain with cities like Bilbao, it genuinely feels like you’ve entered a separate country.

As you explore, there are plenty of clues to this otherness. For instance, street signs are shown in both French and Basque around the place. Perhaps the strongest indicator is the ever-present Basque colours of green, red and white shown throughout Bayonne. Walking about Bayonne, either alone or on a guided walking tour, the immense Basque pride of locals is immediately obvious thanks to these Basque flags, flown from flagpoles, windows etc.

For those looking to get a feel for this culture, Basque Bayonne is a great place to ease yourself in. Whereas you might find fully Basque towns and villages in the countryside, Bayonne is more of a mix of Basque and general French culture. This means that while Basque is only understood by about 10% of the population, people still very much identify as Basque. One element that has staunchly endured though is the region’s cuisine, including the delicious sweet Gâteau Basque.

Quickly worth noting is that Bayonne also has a notable Gascon influence to it. Another ethnic region of southern France, Gascony borders Bayonne and so it makes that elements of Gascon culture are present there today.

The Scenery of Two Riverfronts

One of the main defining features of Bayonne has to be the city’s two rivers, the Adour and the Nive. The two meet in the very heart of Bayonne, making for quite the scenic city centre. They’re also very important in defining the layout of Bayonne, as they carve the city up into its three main central quarters. Don’t do the math.

Probably most important to visitors is the quarter of Grand Bayonne on the west bank of the Nive. Here you’ll find many of the key landmarks that we’ll touch on later. Across the Nive we found the quarter of Petit Bayonne, which has a more dense, residential feel to it. Lastly, on the northern bank of the Adour lies the Quartier Saint-Esprit, which has long been home to Bayonne’s Jewish community.

No matter which quarter you’re in, heading to the riverfront is quite a treat. Looking along and across the rivers, the views of these buildings even in cloudy skies is quite something. Since the Nive is much smaller than the Adour, the views between Grand Bayonne and Petit Bayonne are much better. That being said, the view across to the Citadel in Quartier Saint-Esprit is quite striking too.

It’s worth mentioning that the Nive riverfront and bridges are home to a lively weekend market. Here you can get all sorts of regular produce, plus snacks and local delicacies.

Classic Half-Timbered Houses

It doesn’t take long into your Bayonne trip to recognize one of Bayonne’s greatest features – its half-timbered houses. The painted wooden frames against white walls are an icon of so many French destinations, think Colmar and Strasbourg. Bayonne may have a mix of building styles from various centuries, but that just means these half-timbered houses just stand out even more.

With their tall and narrow frame and uncoordinated arrangement, they’ve clearly kept to their form from the Middle Ages. If there’s one feature though that draws attention to all of Bayonne’s houses, it’s clearly their shutters. On practically ever building, you’ll find boldly painted shutters that really lend Bayonne’s its air of history and tradition. Even when a building seems to be a little generally rundown, you can trust that the shutters are well looked after.

If for nothing more, these houses and shutters make Bayonne an immensely pretty city to sight-see around. You definitely feel the atmosphere they create as you wander between the high houses in the Old Town’s narrow pedestrian streets, that’s for sure.

Its Historic Landmarks

Bayonne, like much of the south of France, is not short on history. And of course, visiting the city’s historical sights is one of the best things to do in Bayonne.

A great place to start with historical sightseeing in Bayonne is the Grand Bayonne quarter. In the heart of city here, you’ll find several major landmarks, including Château Vieux and Bayonne Cathedral. Château Vieux is a rather understated castle dating back to the late 11th century. It was here that local rulers resided, at the core of the city’s fortifications.

Bayonne Cathedral on the other hand is anything but understated. The spires of the gothic Cathédrale Sainte-Marie can be seen across much of the city, even in the narrow streets of the city’s old town. The cathedral is home to quite a pleasant cloister courtyard as well.

Probably the most consistent historic remnant found in Bayonne are the old city fortifications. Both Grand Bayonne and Petit Bayonne were encircled by major city walls, parts of which are still able to seen today. Built by famed engineer Vauban who also constructed the citadel of Lille, these 17th century fortifications were expansions on the city’s older walls.

Over in Grand Bayonne, below the fortifications you’ll find the expansive Botanic Gardens. They’re quite pleasant in their own right and let you admire how well defended the city must have been. Back up above, some of the towers from the older walls have melded with the houses and have people living in them.

Far From Over-Crowded

In this day and age of over-tourism, I think it’s important to continue highlighting less-visited destinations. It’s only be diversifying where we travel to that the impacts of tourism can be better managed. France is most the popular tourist destination in the world according to the World Tourism Organization, with more than 80 million tourists in 2016. Therefore, I think highlighting places like Bayonne is an important thing to do.

Now I know that visiting in March means I definitely didn’t see Bayonne at its busiest. There certainly weren’t many other obvious tourists at the time that’s for sure. But given that Bayonne is ranked #84 on Tripadvisor’s top destinations in France, I don’t think things would be much busier in France’s peak season. So if you want to avoid crowds and enjoy a destination that many miss out on, visiting Bayonne is a pretty great idea.

Visiting Bayonne

Bayonne is a surprisingly easy destination to reach via public transport. Within France, there are direct intercity trains from major cities like Bordeaux and Toulouse. Bus connections can also be found for French destinations, as well as over into Spain. The trip from Bayonne to San Sebastian for example, is both quick and cheap to do. I generally recommend Flixbus for Europe bus rides.

Of course, if you plan on visiting more of the region, it’s always worth looking into renting a car for your time in Bayonne.

As for accommodation in Bayonne, I happened upon one of the best Airbnb stays I think I’ve had. My stay’s in Pascal’s spare room was really comfortable and even though I didn’t see him much that weekend, he did all he could to help out. If you’ve never stayed at an Airbnb before, I highly recommend it and Bayonne has some good options. As for other accommodation, Bayonne has a reasonable choice of mid-range hotels and apartments.

For those looking to sample local Basque cuisine, I found Restaurant Le Chistera in Grand Bayonne to be a great little spot. Helpful staff, lots of interesting dishes to try and quite affordable. Their piperade with sausage, a Basque dish of tomato and peppers, was quite tasty.

Would you choose to visit Bayonne next time you travel to the South of France? If you’ve been, would you recommend visiting Bayonne, France? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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