Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located 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.

Geography

Biarritz is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques

in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It is part of the

arrondissement of Bayonne The arrondissement of Bayonne ( eu, Baioniko barrutia) is an arrondissement of France in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. It has 122 communes. Its population is 293,590 (2016), and its area is . Composition ...

. It is adjacent to

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...

and

Anglet Anglet (; , eu, Angelu )ANGELU

Labourd Labourd ( eu, Lapurdi; la, Lapurdum; Gascon: ''Labord'') is a former French province and part of the present-day Pyrénées Atlantiques ''département''. It is one of the traditional Basque provinces, and identified as one of the territorial c ...

in the French Basque Country.

Gallery

File:Édouard_Zier_-_Les_baigneuses_à_Biarritz.jpg, ''Les baigneuses à Biarritz'', by Édouard François Zier File:Biarritz1999.jpg, Biarritz from the Pointe Saint-Martin. File:Grande Plage de Biarritz.jpg, ''La Grande Plage'', the town's largest beach. File:Biarritz Sainte Eugenie Church 001.jpg, Sainte-Eugénie church. File:Pedestrian street in Biarritz.jpg, Outdoor cafés. File:Notre Dame du Rocher.jpg, Notre Dame du Rocher. File:Plage_Miramar_Hotel_du_Palais.jpg, Plage Miramar File:Affiche_PO_Midi_Biarritz.jpg, Railway poster

Climate

Biarritz has a temperate

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification. It is one of the wettest cities in Metropolitan France.

Etymology

In Basque, its name is Biarritz or Miarritze. Its current Gascon name is Biàrrits. The name for an inhabitant is Biarrot in French and Biarriztar or Miarriztar in Basque. The suffix ''-itz'', as in Isturitz, is a Basque

locative In grammar, the locative case (abbreviated ) is a grammatical case which indicates a location. It corresponds vaguely to the English prepositions "in", "on", "at", and "by". The locative case belongs to the general local cases, together with the ...

. The name appears as ''Bearriz'' in 1170, ''Bearids'' in 1186 and ''Bearritz'' in 1249. Biarritz appears as ''Bearids'' and ''Bearriz'' in 1150, ''Beiarridz'' in 1165, ''Bearriz'' and ''Beariz'' in 1170, ''Bearidz'' (1186), ''Bearriz'' and ''Beariz'' (12th century), ''lo port de Beiarriz'' and ''Bearridz'' in 1261 (cartulaire de Bayonne). Other forms include Beiarid (1199), Bearritz (1249), Beiarriz and Beiarrids (1261), Bearridz (1281), Bearrits (1338), (rôles gascons), Bearritz (1498, chapitre de Bayonne38), Sanctus Martinus de Biarriz (1689, collations du diocèse de Bayonne, mearritcen (1712), Biarrits (1863, Dictionnaire topographique Béarn-Pays basque) and Biarritze and Miarritze.

History

Prehistory

Analysis of stones from the

Middle Paleolithic The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleoli ...

show that the Biarritz area was inhabited at that time.

Middle Ages

The oldest mention of the city appears in a cartulary, ''Bayonne's Golden book'', from 1186, where it is named Bearids; some years later the name used was Beiarrids. The first urban development was to the south, at the top and at the interior. Today this is near the location of the church of San Martin, the oldest church in Biarritz. In 1152, Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England, who became

suzerain Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is calle ...

of the Duchy of Aquitaine. Prince Edward, oldest son of Henry III of England, was invested with the duchy, and betrothed to

Eleanor of Castile Eleanor of Castile (1241 – 28 November 1290) was Queen of England as the first wife of Edward I, whom she married as part of a political deal to affirm English sovereignty over Gascony. The marriage was known to be particularly close, and ...

, who brought him rights over

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part o ...

. Two population centers are attested in the Middle Ages. On the one hand, the église Saint-Martin was active in the neighborhoods in the territory's interior, which were: On the other hand, the château of Belay (first mentioned in 1342), also called château de Ferragus, protected the coast and the current Port-Vieux (old port), while religious life and community assemblies took place at Notre-Dame-de-Pitié (a chapel mentioned in 1498), dominating the Port-des-Pêcheurs, or fishing port. A document dated May 26, 1342 attested to this fishing activity, authorising les Biarrots to "(…) remit to

all the fresh fish that we and succeeding inhabitants of Biarritz can fish from the salt sea". Construction of the château de Ferragus was decided by the English, on the foundations of a Roman work, at the summit of the promontory overlooking the sea, named Atalaye, used as a whale-observation post. This château had a double crenulated wall two meters thick, a drawbridge and four towers. Mentions of this château occur as late as 1603, in the letters patent of Henry IV. One tower remained as of 1739, when a daymark was established there, called ''de la Haille'', then ''de la Humade''. The tower disappeared in 1856.

Whaling

Most of the documents, records and official agreements gathered in the archives from Biarritz mention whaling. This was the principal local industry. Consequently, the town's coat of arms features the image of a whale below a rowing boat manned by five sailors wearing berets, one of whom is preparing to throw a harpoon. This inscription is written on it: ''Aura, sidus, mare, adjuvant me'' (The air, the stars and the seas are helping me). Biarritz has long made its living from the sea: from the 12th century onwards, it was a whaling town. In the 18th century, doctors claimed that the ocean at Biarritz had therapeutic properties, inspiring patients to make pilgrimages to the beach for alleged cures for their ailments. After the 7th century, Biarritz had many confrontations with Bayonne, with the Kingdom of England – Lapurdi was under its control – and with the Bishop of Bayonne. Almost all of the disputes were about whale hunting. In 1284, the town's right to hunt whales was reinstated by the authorities of Lapurdi and the Duchy of Aquitaine. From the Middle Ages and Early modern period a watchtower has looked down over the sea at Biarritz, from "La Humade", waiting for the sight of a whale. Whenever those keeping watch saw a whale, they would burn wet straw, to create a large amount of smoke and thus communicate the news to their fellow countrymen. Eventually, however, the tower disappeared. In the 16th century, as a consequence of the attacks suffered in this area, or for other reasons, the whales migrated to other places. Whale hunters from Lapurdi, therefore, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in pursuit of them, and they spent over a century in the Labrador Peninsula and on

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

. Later, instead of hunting whales, they started cod fishing in Newfoundland. A century later, due to the ban on fishing off the coasts of North America and the steely competence of English and Dutch fishermen, the number of fishing boats from Biarritz diminished and nowadays, the Biarritz fishing industry in these areas has come to an end. Even though the population from Biarritz was originally Basque, it is hard to assert whether the main language of the village was Basque or

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

. The first lighthouse of the village was built in 1650.

18th century

Biarritz was an independent municipality, until 1784, a clergyman, four sworn and the city was governed by twelve deputies. Deputies were democratically chosen: there were four neighbourhoods (Portua, Bustingorri, Hurlaga and Alto), and three deputies had to be chosen from each of them. However, deputies were chosen by the abbot and sworn. Since they had no Town House, they gathered in a ward near the church. As they did not have a place for all the attending people, they made their meetings in the cemetery. That time, Biarritz was composed of around 1,700 citizens. In the mid-18th century, the city began to change into a worldwide known bath-city.

19th century

From 1784 onwards, after the French Revolution, taking a bath at the sea was no longer a behaviour of those who were fools; sea-baths were fashionable. In 1808,

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

himself broke prejudices and took a bath on the Basque Country's coastal water. In 1840, the Town House or Municipality of Biarritz started to organize an initiative in order to promote and attract those who loved most the sea. From the 11th century, Biarritz was a village dedicated to whale hunting, until

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

, found it in 1843. This writer made to Biarritz the following compliments on his book "Alpeak eta Pirinioak" : « I have not met in the world any place more pleasant and perfect than Biarritz. I have never seen the old Neptune throwing joy and glory with such a force in the old Cybele. All this coast is full of humming. Gascony's sea grinds, scratches, and stretches on the reefs its never-ending whisper. Friendly population and white cheerful houses, large dunes, fine sand, great caves and proud sea, Biarritz is amazing. My only fear is Biarritz becoming fashionable. Whether this happens, the wild village, rural and still honest Biarritz, will be money-hungry. Biarritz will put poplars in the hills, railings in the dunes, kiosks in the rocks, seats in the caves, trousers worn on tourists. » Either for good or for bad, Victor Hugo's prophecy was fulfilled. Biarritz planted poplars, tamarinds,

hydrangeas ''Hydrangea'', () commonly named the hortensia, is a genus of over 75 species of flowering plants native plant, native to Asia and the Americas. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are ...

, roses and pittosporums on the slopes and the hills, set railings on the dunes, covered moats with elegant stairs... and polluted with the speculation of the land and the money-hunger. Humble and proud tourists praise Biarritz's coast, from the beach at the limit of Bidarte (Plage des Basques), to the cape of San Martin. There it can be found a white lighthouse tall, built in 1834 replacing the one Louis XIV ordered to build. Various hotels were made, as well as a municipal casino, the club Belleuve and the casino were opened in 1857, the thalassotherapy house, and wonderful luxury houses. Luxurious store shops from London and Paris were also set up in Biarritz, and 36 small newspapers were published in the village. Hôtel du Palais

Biarritz became more renowned in 1854 when

Empress Eugenie An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( e ...

(the wife of Napoleon III) built a palace on the beach (now the '' Hôtel du Palais''). European royalty, including British monarchs Queen Victoria and King Edward VII (who caused a minor scandal when he called

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

to kiss hands at Biarritz in 1908 rather than return to London for the purpose), and the Spanish king Alfonso XIII, were frequent visitors. Biarritz's casino (opened 10 August 1901) and beaches make the town a notable tourist centre for Europeans and East Coast North Americans. The city has also become a prime destination for surfers from around the world, developing a nightlife and surf-based culture. Originally, there were two settlement sites: the neighborhood that was around the church of San Martin, and the fishing-port defended by château of Belay (also known as château of Ferragus). The coat of arms was a whaler, which was a symbol of the town. Opened in June 1893, Biarritz's salt baths were designed and built by the architect Lagarde. From the gatzagas of Beskoitz and after passing through a pipe, water ten times saltier than the sea was used. The baths were closed in 1953 and demolished in 1968. The presence of

French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

's authorities and the fact of having launched the Paris-Henday train led Biarritz to become one of the most outstanding tourist areas all over Europe. The queen of the beaches became the beach of the kings: Oscar II of Sweden,

Leopold of Belgium This is a list of Belgian monarchs from 1831 when the first Belgian king, Leopold I, ascended the throne, after Belgium seceded from the Kingdom of the Netherlands during the Belgian Revolution of 1830. Under the Belgian Constitution, the Belg ...

, tireless traveller, empress of Russia Maria Feodorovna, mother of Nicholas II of Russia, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Natalie of Serbia and her son Alexander I of Serbia, George V from Britain, Edward VII and Britain's Queen Victoria,

Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...

, aristocrats, rich people, actors, from Europe and South America... In the summer-time, high-status people gathered in Biarritz. Therefore, the number of population remarkably increased, from 5,000 to 18,000. At the end of the 19th century, 50,000 vacationers were gathering in Biarritz.

''Belle Époque''

During the

Belle Époque The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque (; French for "Beautiful Epoch") is a period of French and European history, usually considered to begin around 1871–1880 and to end with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era ...

of European peace and prosperity, the department store called ''Biarritz Bonheur'', created in 1894, enlarged twice (in 1911 and 1926), and still operating, became the temple of luxury and fashion. At the start of the 20th century, most of its workers spoke in English.

After World War II

At the end of World War II in Europe, the U.S. Army's Information and Educational Branch was ordered to establish an overseas university campus for demobilized American service men and women in the French resort town of Biarritz. Under General Samuel L. McCroskey, the hotels and casinos of Biarritz were converted into quarters, labs, and class spaces for U.S. service personnel. The University opened 10 August 1945 and about 10,000 students attended an eight-week term. This campus was set up to provide a transition between army life and subsequent attendance at a university in the US, so students attended for just one term. After three successful terms, the G.I. University closed in March 1946 (see G. I. American Universities).

The arrival of surfing in Europe

In 1957, the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

Peter Viertel was in Biarritz with his British actress wife

Deborah Kerr Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress. During her international film career, Kerr won a G ...

working on the film '' The Sun Also Rises''. One of his Californian friends came for a visit, and his use of a

surfboard A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as ''papa he'e ...

off Biarritz is recognized as the first time

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

was practised in Europe. Biarritz eventually became one of the most popular European surfing spots.

Main sights

Sights in Biarritz include: * The Asiatica Museum houses a significant collection of Asian art primarily from India, Nepal, Tibet, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. * 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.

Politics

Mayors

Demography

Economy

Although Biarritz's economy was based on fishing before, nowadays it has a modern economy due to the metropolitan location of Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz. Together with Bayonne and Anglet, Biarritz takes part in the management of the BAB Airport. The most important economic activities are: *Spa tourism *Sport (golf, surf and rugby) *Thalassotherapy *Industry. The most important industries are the following: **Séguier, French publishing house **Dassault Aviation, manufacturer of fuselage for Falcon planes.

Culture

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. 9

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 * 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.

Infrastructures

Sport

Surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

in Biarritz is of a world-class standard and first appeared in 1957. The town has a strong surfing culture, and is known worldwide for its surfing scene and the competitions it hosts yearly, including the Quiksilver/Roxy Jam tournament. In July 2011, Biarritz also hosted the Roxy Pro event, a tournament part of the ASP Women's World Tour. The town is home to a prominent rugby union club, Biarritz Olympique. Basque pelota is a very popular sport of the Basque country. Several local and international competitions take place in Biarritz. The golf course near the lighthouse (Le Phare) was created in 1888 by British residents. In addition, the town has a large circular golf range area on the border with illbaritz.

Education

Schools

The city has two public schools (Villa Fal and Jean Rostand) and one private (Immaculée-Conception).

High schools

Malraux High Schools is the only one in Biarritz. There is also a tourism high school in the border of the Western neighborhood of La Négresse.

Transport

Biarritz station is easily accessible from Paris by France's

high-speed train High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...

, the

TGV The TGV (french: Train à Grande Vitesse, "high-speed train"; previously french: TurboTrain à Grande Vitesse, label=none) is France's intercity high-speed rail service, operated by SNCF. SNCF worked on a high-speed rail network from 1966 to 19 ...

, and more regionally from Bordeaux, by TGV or

TER Ter or TER may refer to: Places * River Ter, in Essex, England * Ter (river), in Catalonia * Ter (department), a region in France * Torre (river), (Slovene: ''Ter''), a river in Italy * Ter, Ljubno, a settlement in the Municipality of Ljubno ob S ...

. Trains are also available to travel east towards Toulouse. Night trains regularly depart from Irun, south of Biarritz and pass through the city before heading to Paris during an overnight trip. Many tourists and regulars to the city have begun using the night train to take weekend trips to Biarritz and saving travel time by traveling at night. The

Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport Biarritz Pays Basque Airport , also known as Biarritz Airport or Biarritz-Parme Airport, is an airport serving Biarritz, French Basque Country. It is located southeast of Biarritz, near Bayonne and Anglet. In 2020, the Basque airport was shaken ...

is located about from the city. It is near N10 road towards

Anglet Anglet (; , eu, Angelu )ANGELU

Biarritz was the birthplace of: * Yannick Bellon (1924–2019), film director *

Jacques Bergerac Jacques Bergerac (26 May 1927 – 15 June 2014) was a French actor and businessman. Life and career Jacques Bergerac was born in 1927 in Biarritz, France, the son of Alice (Romatet) and Charles Bergerac. Bergerac was a law student when he met a ...

(1927–2014), actor * Jean Borotra (1898–1994), tennis player * Léopold Eyharts (born 1957), astronaut *

Ernest Fourneau Ernest Fourneau (4 October 1872 – 5 August 1949) was a French pharmacist graduated in Pharmacy 1898 for the Paris university specialist in medicinal chemical and pharmacology who played a major role in the discovery of synthetic local anesthetic ...

(1872–1949), chemist * Maurice Hankey, 1st Baron Hankey (1877–1963), British civil servant *

Maurice Journeau Maurice Journeau (17 November 1898 – 9 June 1999) was a French composer born in Biarritz. He composed from 1921 to 1984. He died in Versailles. Works *Works for piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings a ...

(1898–1999), composer * Arnaud Massy (1877–1950), professional golfer *

Margaux Okou-Zouzouo Margaux Okou-Zouzouo (born February 18, 1991 in Biarritz, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories i ...

(born 1991), basketball player Other notable people associated with Biarritz: *

Aaron Bank Aaron Bank (November 23, 1902 – April 1, 2004) was a United States Army colonel who founded the US Army Special Forces, commonly known as the "Green Berets". He is also known for his exploits as an OSS officer during World War II, when h ...

(1902–2004), World War II

Office of Strategic Services The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the intelligence agency of the United States during World War II. The OSS was formed as an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to coordinate espionage activities behind enemy lines for all branc ...

(OSS) agent and co-founder of the U.S. Army's Special Forces Group (later, Green Berets), a lifeguard and medical (physical) therapist's aide at Biarritz before he enlisted in the army in the late 1930s * John Deacon (b. 1951), bass player for the band Queen. Deacon and his wife Veronica loved spending their holidays in Biarritz, and bought a holiday apartment there at the end of the 1980s, where they especially spent many months living in 1990. * Louis Dewis (1872–1946), born Louis DeWachter, Belgian Post-Impressionist who, after fleeing Paris at the beginning of World War II, settled here in 1940, living at Villa Pat in Bellefontaine until his death * Aimée de Heeren, born Soto-Maior de Sá< (1903–2006) WW2 Secret Service agent for President Getúlio Vargas, owned many jewels of Eugenie de Montijo and the villa La Roseraie, 12 rue Martias, where she spent summers for half a century, receiving kings, heads of state, and many famous guests *

Eugénie de Montijo ''Doña'' María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 19th Countess of Teba, 16th Marchioness of Ardales (5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo (), was Empress of the French from her marriage to Emperor Napo ...

(1826–1920), the wife of

Napoléon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

, who built the

villa Eugénie A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became sm ...

, today the Hôtel du Palais *

Pablo de Sarasate Pablo Martín Melitón de Sarasate y Navascués (; 10 March 1844 – 20 September 1908), commonly known as Pablo de Sarasate, was a Spanish (Navarrese) violin virtuoso, composer and conductor of the Romantic period. His best known works include ...

(10 March 1844 – 20 September 1908), a well known Romantic Era Spanish composer born in Pamplona, Spain, who died in this city

Twin towns – sister cities

Biarritz is twinned with: * Augusta, United States (1992) *

Cascais Cascais () is a town and municipality in the Lisbon District of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The municipality has a total of 214,158 inhabitants in an area of 97.40 km2. Cascais is an important tourism in Portugal, tourist de ...

, Portugal (1986) * Ixelles, Belgium (1958) * Jerez de la Frontera, Spain (1997) * Zaragoza, Spain (1986)

Festivities

The major festivities are celebrated on November 11, for Saint Martin. That day, the new gentleman of the Confrérie de l'Operne de Biarritz are proclaimed. Barnacle is their logotype and people who work in favor of ecology are chosen. Since Biarritz is a city based in tourism, there are acts during the whole summer, such as pelota festivity, equestrian competition, concerts and recitals, folklore festivals, water acrobatic ski, sea trips, performances, rugby competitions, bullfights and night parties. Since summer 2018, Biarritz hosts the festival of pop music "Biarritz en été" whose second edition took place on July 19, 20 and 21, 2019.

References

External links

Official website

Tourist Information Office Biarritz

Biarritz Real Estate
{{Authority control Communes of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Labourd Populated coastal places in France Seaside resorts in France Surfing locations in France Cities in Nouvelle-Aquitaine