The pays Basque
From the soaring summits of the western Pyrénées to the beaches washed by the Atlantic Ocean, the Pays Basque is a land of contrasts. Its history began in the deepest part of the Haute-Soule canyons, where the steep slopes of the Kakueta gorges reveal the wild depths of the land. As with the Holtzarte gorges of Ehujarre, the turbulent waters of the mountain streams run down the mountains with perseverance, cutting a path through the lavish vegetation.

Etxea, the evolution of the Basque house
Etxea, the traditional house, is a major element of Basque architectural heritage. The beautiful 17th and 18th century buildings, with their white façade, red or green painted wooden panelling and sloping roofs are in complete harmony with the landscape.
Despite their splendour, the noble châteaux and houses of the Pays Basque have never managed to assume the supremacy of the etxea, which is in reality just a simple farmhouse. However, its architectural balance expresses far more than the simple work of a builder. Due to its form, the Basque house is primarily a reflection of a social and cultural identity that inspires recent constructions even today.

Sports in the center of the social life
Pelota, golf, surfing, rugby, as well as regattas, hiking, sailing, rafting, a demonstration of Basque strength...
The Pays Basque is a land where a variety of sports are played. Pelota does, of course, rule supreme in the Pays Basque. In every town and village, in almost every district and in all the local schools, the obligatory pelota wall, which is sometimes covered, sits imposingly in the centre of the squares and playgrounds. Here, pelota (pilota) is a national sport and children play it with great fervour from a very early age. Their elders also have a passion for this sport, even if they don't play it themselves.
Their passion is so great that to share it as much as possible, the Basques have twenty-one varieties in the sport, from the bare hand game to the "cesta punta" (with a racket). The various specialities all have common origins, thereby facilitating understanding.

At the pace of festivities
All of a sudden, a muffled clamour rises from the jam-packed square. The crowd lets its joy ring out. Brass bands and txarangas, orchestras that play popular music, can now start playing to their hearts' content.
When the keys to the town are thrown from the balcony of the Bayonne town hall, this means that outbursts of elation are fully authorised. The white outfit of festivities, with a red scarf and belt, is the sign of unity at the beginning of the month of August. In a joyful and surprising surge, comprising 350,000 people, the town is taken hold of for five days of jubilation, under the knowing and amused eye of king Léon. This giant and jovially stout debonair governs the festivities from the Town Hall balcony. The Basque spirit for celebrations is revealed with utter sincerity and simply conveys the pleasure of being together among friends and family so as to enjoy strolling from bistros to café terraces, from dance shows to popular balls, processions to parades, bullfights to pelota games and from spontaneous singing to txistu and gaita concerts (traditional instruments). The Bayonne festival marks the high point of summer festivals in the Pays Basque.

Access

By Plane, origin of the direct flights
Paris Orly, 4 to 5 flights per day on Air France
Paris Charles de Gaulle, 3 flights per day on Air France
Lyon, dayly flights on Air France
Londres and Dublin dayly flights on Ryanair
Other direct flights : Strasbourg, Clermont-Ferrand, Geneva, Nice.

By road Paris 789 km, Lyon 735 km, Bordeaux 187 km, Clermont-Ferrand 555 km, Montpellier 534 km, Nantes 512 km, Pau 90 km, Toulouse 350 km, Espagne 25 km