48 hours in Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Saint-Jean de Luz, one of the pearls of the Basque rosary: Louis XIV made no mistake, and married there. In those days, given the difficulties of travel, it was better to share the expenses. As he was about to marry the Infanta MariaTheresa of Austria, daughter of the King of Spain and also his cousin, his mother Anne must have said to him: "We'll each do a bit of the road, it'll be fairer". So here we are, in June 1660 , in Saint-Jean-de-Luz for a fiesta of the devil, bringing together the courts of Europe's two most powerful kingdoms, already brought together a few months earlier by Mazarin's Treaty of the Pyrenees .

Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a hub for tourism in the Basque country and an ideal base for exploring: close to Spain and the Pyrenees, a quarter of an hour from Biarritz and Bayonne, next to Ciboure, a pretty village with typical narrow streets, and on the edge of the ocean. All year round, you'll find entertainment and beautiful views. Don't miss the adorable little port of Socoa, which can be reached in thirty minutes on foot, crossing Ciboure and following the coastline .

For gourmets and surfersalike,Saint-Jean-de-Luz is the place to be! Fishing keeps traditions alive: chipirons with garlic or ink, koskera hake , cod with chorizo or in croquettes, kokotxas (cheeks or rather chins of hake, a traditional dish of the region 's fish ) . t chins, an exquisite morsel much appreciated by connoisseurs), not forgetting Basque farmhouse recipes , piperade omelette or veal axoa.

There's no shortage of renowned artisans: Maison Adam, who invented the Basque macaroon for the royal wedding, Pariès for its chocolates and Basque cake, and Bargeton for its ice creams, which have been renowned for over a decade. The main attraction, every morning of the year, is of course Les Halles, with its fish auction, seasonal produce, Basque charcuterie and Pyrenean ewe's milk cheeses .

Impossible to miss: on the threshold of the main boulevard Victor-Hugo, which crosses the town, an avant-garde real estate project was launched two years ago: Bizipoz (joie de vivre in Basque) is a large white building housing a hotel and apartments, a sort of food court with six brands. The place is full of character, with a touch of Art Deco in the architecture and quality boutiques .

This gourmet stroll is also enhanced by cultural discoveries: right in the center and overlooking the town, the Saint-Jean Baptiste church where the famous wedding was celebrated, the large and beautiful Maison Louis XIV on the port square and, a little further on, the Maison de l'Infante. The historic center, with its old Basque houses, is a charming place between the port and the ocean, with many joggers running along the promenade overlooking the Grande Plage. To breathe in the chlorophyll, climb up to Parc Ducontenia, five minutes from the halles.