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48 hours in Bayonne

Nouvelle-Aquitaine/2022

Don't reduce Bayonne to its festivities and postcard-perfect facades.
48 hours in Bayonne
Between two waters, at the confluence of the Adour and Nive rivers, between freshwater and ocean, between the Basque country and the Landes, Bayonne sometimes gives the impression of being constantly in between. Looking as much towards the Pyrenees on one side as towards Gascony on the other. In fact, Gascon was the official language for a long time. As a result of this tug-of-war, the town has grown accustomed to living in the shadow of its seaside neighbors, Biarritz to the south and Hossegor to the north. To the point where, out of spite, it was content to be a garrison town (the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment took up residence here in 1960), a somewhat staid sub-prefecture where, no doubt, people got a little bored. But that was before! Bayonne has come out of its lethargy and no longer relies solely on its festivals to attract the limelight. Now perfectly clean, the red, green and blue half-timbered facades of the quays, narrow streets and hidden squares, and the large 1930s neo-Basque houses of the Arènes district, are a sight to behold for neo-urbanites in search of a new equilibrium. The proof? Property prices, already overheating on the Basque and Landes coasts, have risen by between 11 and 18% in one year, depending on the district. Bayonne is moulting, ripening, pushing back - in short, gentrifying. It's still in its infancy, but it's undeniable. In addition to the charming Musée Basque et de l'Histoire de Bayonne and the Musée Bonnat-Helleu, currently closed for restoration, the Petit Bayonne district (between the Adour and Nive rivers), which once had a sulphurous reputation, is now home to third-party venues, designer workshops and cool boutiques. In the historic heart of Grand Bayonne, you can wander up and down rue du Marché, rue d'Espagne and rue de Pilori, visiting the cathedral, its cloister, Place Montaut and the ramparts (designed by Vauban, of course)... You'll find one young eatery after another, as well as good craftsmen and bookshops (the town boasts a number of bookshops per capita, one for every 5,000 inhabitants, well above the national average). As in all medium-sized French towns, the Dames de France have given way to the Galeries Lafayette, and the charm is gone. But what remains, of course, is a comparative tour of the chocolatiers on rue du Port-Neuf. It was via Bayonne that chocolate arrived in France, in the luggage of Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. Today, it's Cazenave, Pariès and Daranatz who (more or less) delight. But the charm of these sometimes slightly outdated stores has remained! All the more so if we add the more contemporary version with Monsieur Txokola... Bayonne has everything it takes to be a playground for imaginative and curious designers. Some have invented bicycles, others composite materials and robotics, while others are reinventing chocolate! Of course, for five days at the end of July, you can still go on a binge, and for some, drink more than their fair share of red and white wine; celebrate ham on Easter weekend for the past 560 years; enjoy bullfighting in the undeniably charming pocket arenas; and sing the Pena Baiona anthem in unison for rugby fans.... For some, all this may sound a little old-fashioned, overdone or even overplayed. But that would be to misunderstand the generous, playful, laughing soul of a crossroads town where you can buy fish along the Allées Marines at the end of a boat, have a drink at Lekua (in Anglet, in fact), opposite the cranes in the port (which ranks as France's 9th-largest commercial port), or try a kebask (Basque kebab) at Basa, housed in a former courthouse...
OKKO Hôtels Bayonne Centre
Open
Prestige Hotel

OKKO Hôtels Bayonne Centre

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Services On-site catering, Pets allowed, Spa
Le Cheval Blanc
Open
13/20
Chef's Restaurant

Le Cheval Blanc

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Chef Jean-Claude Tellechea
Cooking French | Local
Budget 29€ à 74€
Belharra
Open
Brewer

Belharra

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Services Delivery service | Online shop
Patxamama
Open
11.5/20
Gourmet Restaurant

Patxamama

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Cooking French | specialty
Budget 24€
Pâtisserie Bamas
Open
Pastry

Pâtisserie Bamas

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Activités Chocolate factory | Confectionery
Services Delivery service | On order | Online shop
La Table | Sébastien Gravé
Open
12.5/20
Gourmet Restaurant

La Table | Sébastien Gravé

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Chef Sébastien Gravé
Cooking French | Modern
Budget 23€ à 55€
Lionel Raux
Open
Pastry

Lionel Raux

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Activités Chocolate factory
Services Delivery service | On order
Pariès
Open
Pastry

Pariès

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Services Delivery service | On order | Online shop
Chocolat Pascal
Open
Chocolate factory

Chocolat Pascal

Address 64200 BIARRITZ
Monsieur Txokola
Open
Chocolate factory

Monsieur Txokola

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Chocolat Cazenave
Open
Chocolate factory

Chocolat Cazenave

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Services Click&Collect | Delivery service | Online shop
Aubard
Open
Delicatessen

Aubard

Address 64100 BAYONNE
Activités Carryout
Services Delivery service | On order | Online shop
Kafe Beltza
Open
Roaster

Kafe Beltza

Address 64100 BAYONNE

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