Biarritz Travel Guide

Biarritz is one of France’s most beautiful and stylish cities, located a mere stone’s throw away from Spain and yet proudly independent from France as a Basque city! The capital of the French Cote Basque seaside region, visitors always fall head over heels and succumb to the city’s elegant allure within hours of arriving. They are drawn to the stunning beaches, the surf, the golf, the nightlife, and the excellent cuisine. Add into the mix a warm, benign summer climate and some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe, and it’s not hard to see why tourists regard Biarritz as a cut above.

What we know today as a vibrant city and seaside resort began life as a small fishing village. This settlement existed almost solely due to its favorable Atlantic coast position. The settlement, founded by the local Basque inhabitants, was conquered by the Romans in the 1st Century. Quickly sensing the region’s potential, the Romans baptized the South West of France as Aquitania or Aquitaine. The area remained under Roman control for centuries, prospering as a fishing village and small trading port.

However, as the Roman Empire began to crumble in the 5th Century, they lost control of the region. In 418, Rome gave the provinces of Aquitania to the Visigoths, tribes from Northern Europe. A period of conflict followed, with several tribes fighting to control this desirable part of France. In the Middle Ages, the village became known as a whaling base – the Visigoths eventually lost to the Francs.

The Francs would struggle to hold on to their prize, as the Vikings also had their eyes set on conquering Biarritz. The Vikings traveled up the French River Garonne, finally conquering Biarritz in 840 during their invasion of Gascony. Interestingly, the settlement’s name would change several times, from Bearriz in 1170 to Bearids sixteen years after. Finally, its rulers settled on the title Biarritz in 1249. The Vikings established a lucrative whaling trade, and ships would depart daily from Biarritz. The village grew into a prosperous town, although somewhat unfortunately on the back of whale hunting.

The Viking rule over Biarritz endured until 982 when the Basque Duke William II Sanchez of Gascony overcame them. He drove out the Scandinavian invaders and reintroduced Christianity to the region; monasteries soon sprung over all over this part of the Basque country. However, Biarritz was only briefly under the Duke’s control; despite his best efforts, the territory of Gascony had split into different feudal kingdoms. Biarritz suffered from a lack of unified control and faded into obscurity for a time despite its importance as a fishing and trading port.

By the Middle Ages, Biarritz had fallen indirectly into English control after Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England, giving him possession of the French territories of Aquitaine and Gascony. In the 13th Century, Biarritz was ruled by Simon de Montfort, whom Henry III appointed as Governor of Gascony. His short and often capricious rule was highly unpopular with the city’s inhabitants; in August 1252, Henry III formally relieved him of his command. A period of unrest and turbulence would follow; during the 100-year war, the French King Philip IV would battle Edward I for control of the region. Philip kept control until the Treaty of Paris in 1303; after that, it was part of the English throne.

Although Biarritz was formerly part of Edward’s first Kingdom, a strong degree of cultural independence and, at times, solidarity with England rather than France developed over the centuries. Unlike the French, the Basque inhabitants showed a favorable attitude towards Protestantism. The printing of books in Basque, mostly on Protestant Christian themes, was introduced in the 16th Century by Bayonne’s Basque-speaking residents. However, Roman Catholics in France persecuted the residents of cities like Biarritz for their beliefs. The future French King Henry IV was drawn from the Basque country, converting to Roman Catholicism in the 16th Century.

Basque Provinces and cities like Biarritz enjoyed a great deal of self-government despite being formerly under French control until the French Revolution in the 18th Century. Biarritz had prospered under a reasonable level of self-determination. Still, the French Revolution and subsequent abolition of the monarchy centralized the government and abolished the local privileges granted by the so-called ancient regime. However, during the French Revolution, the region was one of the few tranquil areas during these turbulent times and largely escaped the fighting and conflict.

The city’s golden age and renown as a desirable resort for Europe’s elite came in the mid-19th Century. Biarritz was placed firmly on the map when Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, built a summer palace on the beach in Biarritz. Today, the palace forms the beautiful Hotel du Palais, which attracts visitors far and wide in search of glamour. Biarritz became the preferred vacation spot of European royalty, such as Queen Victoria and Alfonso XIII of Spain.

The city greeted the 20th Century with jubilation; in 1901, Biarritz’s now-famous casino opened. Its clean, unspoiled coastal scenery and beaches turned the city into a tourist magnet for wealthy Europeans and a sizeable majority of Americans. It became a prime destination for surfers worldwide, with a corresponding development in nightlife and infrastructure. Times had never been so good for Biarritz.

Sadly, the advent of the Two World Wars would bring hardship to its citizens; many young French men would never return home during the 1st World War. Although Biarritz escaped the direct conflict of World War Two, the region came under Nazi control, and the entire Atlantic coastline was declared a military zone, placing it off-limits to French civilians (except for local inhabitants, who required a special pass). After the war ended, the city became famous for becoming a U.S. Army university base. Under General Samuel L. McCroskey, Biarritz’s hotels and casinos were converted into quarters, labs, and class spaces for U.S. service personnel. The University opened on the 10th of August 1945, and approximately 10,000 students attended an 8-week term. This campus was set up to provide a transition between army life and subsequent attendance at a university in the USA, a unique project in Europe.

Biarritz recovered from the war years to emerge as France’s premier seaside resort, a position it has maintained into the 21st Century. It is easily accessible from Paris via the TGV, and as a result, the city is buzzing and packed with visitors through the summer. Much of its appeal lies in the Basques, who have maintained their language and culture over the decade. Add to that the legendary Basque talent for gastronomy, a vibrant nightlife, and stunning scenery courtesy of the French Pyrenees, and it’s not hard to see why the same faces return every year. Welcome to Biarritz, the pearl of the Basque coast! And while here, you can hop across the border to visit San Sebastian, Hondarribia, and Getaria– all beautiful foodie towns.