Biarritz

history

Biarritz (; Gascon ; or <'strong>) is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers.

The town lies in Basque territory, and Basque flags and symbols are prevalent throughout Biarritz.

Geography

Biarritz is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Aquitaine region. It is adjacent to Bayonne and Anglet and 11 miles (18 kilometres) from the border with Spain. It is in the traditional province of Labourd in the French Basque Country.

History

Vikings who invaded Gascony in 840 settled in Biarritz, which later participated in the whaling trade. Biarritz is a Basque name with locative suffix -itz (cp. Isturitz) attested Bearriz in 1170, Bearids in 1186, Bearritz in 1249. The Scandinavians settled in the area above the Gardague Beach. It has been suggested (disputedly) that the remaining Vikings became "Agots," a social group in Gascony not allowed to mix with the population at large. Segregation among these communities—there were many in Gascony and Navarra— disappeared only in the early 20th century.

Biarritz has long made its fortune from the sea: as a whaling settlement from the twelfth century onwards, in the 18th century doctors recommended that the ocean at Biarritz had therapeutic properties, inspiring patients to make pilgrimages to the beach for alleged cures for their ailments.

Biarritz became more renowned in 1854 when Empress Eugenie (the wife of Napoleon III) built a palace on the beach (now the ''HĂ´tel du Palais). The British royal family regularly took vacations in Biarritz: European royalty such as Queen Victoria, Edward VII, and Alfonso XIII of Spain were frequent visitors.

Biarritz's casino (opened 10 August 1901) and beaches make the town a notable tourist centre for Europeans.

Main sights

Biarritz features:

  • the Asiatica Museum, which houses a significant collection of Asian art primarily from India, Nepal, Tibet, and China.
  • The Museum of the Sea, which has 24 aquariums containing sharks and seals
  • The annual Biarritz Surf Festival founded in 1993 at the CĂ´te des Basques is one of the premier surf events in Europe and longboarding events in the world.[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=-DWQSYRx4MUC&pg=PA56&lpg=PA56&dq=%22Biarritz+Surf+Festival%22+annual+europe&source=web&ots=UaeS1CMvFW&sig=HUlizIz1CXu3FISXS2SL2Z1erQA&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result Encyclopaedia of Surfing]
  • St-Martin's Church, constructed in the 12th century, and restored in the middle of the 16th century.
  • The Russian Orthodox Church in Biarritz, constructed in the 19th century for visiting Russian aristocrats, with its famous blue dome.
  • The Chapelle Imperiale built for Empress Eugenie, which has an intricately decorated roof interior, and elegant wall tiling.
  • A Museum of Chocolate, which explains its history and manufacture.
  • Two large Casinos, the Barriere and the Bellevue, on the waterfront by the Grande Plage.

Spectacular cliffs and lookouts lie to the west of the main beach.

Sport

Surfing in Biarritz is of a world-class standard and first appeared in 1957. The town has a strong surfing culture.

The town is home to a prominent rugby union club, Biarritz Olympique.

Basque pelota is a very popular sport of the Basque country. Several local and international competitions take place in Biarritz.

The golf course near the lighthouse (Le Phare) was created in 1888 by British residents. In addition to this the town has a large circular golf range area on the border with illbaritz.

Transport

Biarritz is easily accessible from Paris by France's high-speed train, the TGV, which departs from Gare Montparnasse. Furthermore, as of April 2008 a 'discothèque' night train runs this route.

Biarritz has an airport AĂ©roport de Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne located about 4 kilometres away from the city in the inland. It's very near at N10 road towards Anglet, it is joined airport with Anglet and Bayonne.

Notable people

Biarritz was the birthplace of:

Other:

  • Aaron Bank, World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agent and co-founder of the U.S. Army's Special Forces Group (later, Green Berets), was a lifeguard and medical (physical) therapist's aide at Biarritz before he enlisted in the army in the late 1930s.

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Biarritz is twinned with:»Twin towns, Biarritz Official Site

Gallery

File:Biarritz.jpg| The Sea and the Mountains at Biarritz, ca. 1943, by Louis Dewis File:BiarritzOficinaTurismo.JPG|Tourist Office. File:BiarritzHotelduPalais1.JPG|Hotel du Palais or Eugenie Palace. File:Grande Plage de Biarritz.jpg''La Grande Plage'', the town's largest beach. File:SunsetinBiarritz.JPG|Sunset in Biarritz. File:Biarritz. Museo del Mar.JPG|Sea Museum.

See also

  • Communes of the PyrĂ©nĂ©es-Atlantiques department

References

Notes

External links

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