Biarritz is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiquesdepartment in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the border with Spain. It is a luxurious seaside tourist destination known for the Hôtel du Palais (originally built for the Empress Eugénie circa 1855), its casinos in front of the sea and its surfing culture.

Culture and Sights

Sights in Biarritz include:

• The Asiatica Museum houses a significant collection of Asian art primarily from India, Nepal, Tibet, and China.
• Museum of the Sea has 24 aquariums containing sharks and seals.
• Museum of the Ocean and Surf
• The Historical Museum of Biarritz, housed in the deconsecrated Anglican Church, St Andrew’s.
• The annual Biarritz Surf Festival, founded in 1993 at the Côte des Basques, is one of the premier surf events in Europe and longboarding events in the world.
• St-Martin’s Church, constructed in the 12th century, restored in the mid-16th century.
• The Russian Orthodox Church, built in the 19th century for visiting Russian aristocrats, has a famous blue dome.
• The Chapelle Imperiale built for Empress Eugenie has an intricately decorated roof interior and elegant wall tiling. She also built a palace on the beach which is now the Hôtel du Palais.
• The Museum of Chocolate explains the history and manufacture of chocolate.
• Two large casinos, the Barrière and the Bellevue, sit on the waterfront near the Grande Plage.

Cliffs and lookouts lie to the west of the main beach.

Languages

As in the cases of Anglet and Bayonne, also located in the approximate cultural border between Gascony and the Basque Country, it is uncertain if the historic language of Biarritz was Basque or Gascon.

According to the book Atlas Linguistique de Gascogne, Biarritz is considered a Gascon town. But in 1863, Luis Luciano Bonaparte located the northern frontier of Basque in Biarritz, and in some neighborhoods it was without any doubt the most used language. However, over the course of the 20th century, French became the main language. Beginning in the 1990s, the municipal government of Biarritz has promoted the Basque language and culture. At the same time, Gascon has been promoted by various private institutions, for instance the group of Gascon culture Ací Gasconha.

Museums

• Sea Museum. Constructed in 1993 in the rock of Atalaia, it is an Art Déco building. It has a huge collection of sea animals and birds.
• Museum of Chocolate
• Asiatica, museum of the Eastern art. Art from India, Tibet, Nepal and China can be found
• Museum of the History of Biarritz. Located in the Angelican Church of Saint Andrew in the 1980 decade
• Cité de l’Ocean et du Surf, opened in 2011.

Music and dance

The city has the Ballet of Biarritz, which is the choreography location of France. Furthermore, it has the cultural centre Atabal and the chorus Oldarra, created in 1946.

Theatre

The emperors Napoleon III and Eugene of Montijo brought the sea-theater on the Old Port neighborhood into fashion. Nowadays, the light works made by Pierre Bideau can be seen at night in the clift.

Cinema

Two film festivals of cinema are celebrated in Biarritz:

• Festival of Latinoamerican Cinema of Biarritz.
• International Festival of Audio-Visual Programs (FIPA)

Civil buildings

• Hôtel du Palais or Eugénie House
• Building of the Hotel of England, built in 1870 by Louis Moussempés
• Natasha House
• Sacchino or Castel Biarritz, house of Natalia of Serbia
• Plaza Hotel
• Casino of Biarritz, of “Art déco” style
• Lighthouse, built in 1834 in San Martin cape
• Villa Black or Black House. Built by Alphonse Bertrand between 1880 and 1895
• Goëland House, which from 2003 on is a hotel
• Françon Castle
• Boulard Castle
• Pavilion of England
• Fishermen House, in the port
• The formerly health resort in the Old Port
• Miremont sweet shop

Religious buildings

• Imperial Chapel
• Saint Martin church
• Saint Eugene church, built between 1898 and 1903
• San Alexandro Nevski [fr] and God’s Mother Protection Church
• Synagogue of Biarritz

Rocks

• The Rocks of Biarritz are an important part of the city’s attractions. Every year they erode by an estimated 70 centimeters.

Beaches

• Biarritz has six beaches: Miramar, Big, Old Port, Coast of the Basque, Marbella and Milady

Gardens and Parks

• Biarritz has 120 hectares of parks and two recreational lakes (Marion and Muriskot)
• In the city centre there are three gardens: the Pierre Forsans public garden (across from the Gare du Midi performance centre) and two others nearby (Lahouze Garden and Parc Mazon). The center of town also includes a number of open-air sports fields.