The Basque coast invites you to discover its secrets and culture ! Once famous for whaling, Biarritz was transformed into a coveted seaside resort with the 19th century sea bathing fashion. It must be said that she did not welcome just anyone! When Empress Eugenie made it her favourite place to stay, she was followed by many personalities of the European nobility. The presence of these remarkable visitors has not only considerably increased tourist activity but has also left its mark on the architecture of biarrot sites.

In 1864, the Empress commissioned the Imperial Chapel, an architectural jewel combining Romanesque-Byzantine and Hispano-Moorish styles. Of incomparable beauty, it was classified a historical monument in 1981. Thirty years later, the Russian imperial family came to Biarritz for the inauguration of the Orthodox church in 1892. Majestic, this construction testifies to the attraction that Biarritz had at the continental level at that time.

The Historical Museum, located in the old Anglican church, traces the history of the city through a vast collection. However, it is far from being the only museum in Biarritz and certainly not the most unusual. For a mouth-watering visit, it is at Planète Musée du Chocolat that you will have to go. After a welcome tasting, this gourmet tour invites you to discover the history of chocolate through a projection and a collection of objects. Once at the end, a hot chocolate prepared the old fashioned way awaits you to finish in beauty. A real cultural trip is proposed to you at the Asiatica Art Museum. More than a thousand works from several periods are presented in order to penetrate the world of Indian, Chinese, Nepalese or Tibetan artists.

But Biarritz never forgot his link with the sea. It is on its beaches that a sport, now widely popularized, made its debut in France : surfing! During the shooting of one of his films in 1956, the American screenwriter Peter Viertel fell under the spell of the biarrotic waves and took advantage of his stay to practice his favourite sport, still unknown on the French coast at that time. Since then, many surf schools have established themselves in the Basque city which has already hosted several editions of the French championships.

Do not miss

Planet Chocolate Museum

Visit, tasting, activities... Come and discover the love story between chocolate and the Basque Country.

Basque and History Museum of Bayonne - 8 km

The visit is a must for anyone who wants to know the history and customs of the Basque Country.

Saint Jean de Luz - 18 km

Set up on board the tourist train, discover the old town and its history.