Bayonne, France

Bayonne, France

Bayonne, France (cc)

Photo: Manuel González Olaechea y Franco

Bayonne Travel Guide

Introduction

Bayonne, capital of the French Basque Country and Gascony, is an attractive city and the center of France's chocolate production. It is also the most unlikely south-of-France city you'll ever come across, for in sharp contrast to the sandy, stonewashed buildings with burnt-orange rooftops commonly found in other towns, cities and villages of the region, Bayonne's Basque architecture features tall, starched-white buildings, many of them row houses, with exposed dark timbers and colorful wooden shutters in ox-blood red and dark green – the traditional Basque colors. And with these half-timbered gems lined up along the banks of the rivers Adour and Nive, the effect is nothing short of striking. The city's old town, Petit Bayonne, is particularly rich in these buildings and lends itself to walking around, with its small, narrow streets dotted with cafés and chocolate and marzipan shops, and with the quarter deeply imbued with Basque culture. It's interesting, too, to hear Euskara and Gascon spoken here at least as much as French, with street signage in all three languages as well; and it's only natural to wonder which of the three has had the greatest influence on Bayonne – oops, that's Baiona in Basque and Gascon!

Location

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Neighborhoods

How to Get Around

Where to Stay

Where to Eat

Where to Party

Chocolate Shops in Bayonne

Essential Information

Nearby Destinations

How to Get There

Sightseeing

Main Neighborhoods

Petit Bayonne -

Quartier Saint-Esprit -

Grand Bayonne -

How to Get Around

Where to Party

Where to Eat

Where to Stay

Chocolate Shops in Bayonne

Bayonne has a rich tradition of chocolate making, going back nearly 500 years, with literally scores of chocolate shops in the city, particularly in the old quarter of Petit Bayonne. Among the best choices, however, are the following: Atelier du Chocolat de Bayonne at 1 Rue des Carnes and 33 Boulevard Alsace-Lorraine; Patisserie Mauriac at 23 Rue Port-Neuf; and Confiserie Pariès or Chocolats Cazenave at 19 Rue Port-Neuf.

Trivia

Bayonne's most famous son is René Cassin, jurist, law professor, judge, human rights activist, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968 for his work in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. Bayonne is also believed to be the birthplace of both the condiment mayonnaise and the bright green/yellow liqueur Izarra. Plus, this is where the bayonet was invented, taking its name from the town.

Know Before You Go