Bayonne, what to see and do.

Bayonne, one of the most beautiful and striking urban centers of Iparralde (French Basque Country).

Bayonne, capital of Lapurdi(French Basque Country), is one of the most beautiful and striking urban centers of the so-called “Pays Basque”. Although we have always known this city as Baiona, its name in Basque, in this article we will refer to it as Bayonne to differentiate it from the Galician municipality located in the province of Pontevedra.Although most of the attractions of the city of Bayonne are in the neighborhood of Grand Bayonne, we must point out that there are 3 main neighborhoods: Grand Bayonne, Petit Bayonne and Saint Esprit. These neighborhoods are located between the rivers Adur and Nive creating a striking network of streets that make us fall in love with its colorful beams, wooden shutters and its popular Basque architecture. Do you want to know what to see in Bayonne with us?

Although Bayonne is a city, it is not very large, which makes it easy to get around on foot. But it is not the only one of its benefits, and thanks to its size and pedestrian spaces, you can stroll through its streets without the stress and bustle of the usual cities.

Neighborhoods of Bayonne.

As we have already mentioned, there are 3 main neighborhoods, Grand Bayonne, Petit Bayonne and Saint Esprit. Our recommendation is that you visit all 3. And although many people only visit the historic center located in the Grand Bayonne neighborhood, it is worth visiting them all. All of them have really impressive spaces. We leave you an image in which you can see the location of each of them. In the section on what to see in Bayonne we indicate in which neighborhood is located each of the tourist attractions we mentioned. We hope you find it helpful.

What to see in Bayonne.

Bayonne is one of those urban centers that you will fall in love with just by walking through its streets. Its buildings, decorated with beams and colored shutters, are the result of a fusion between Basque and French culture. These buildings, together with the cathedral, the market or the castles make us want to return to this urban center of Iparralde.

Saint Mary’s CathedralLocated in the Grand Bayonne district, in the heart of the historic center, this Gothic cathedral was built between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries on the site of an ancient Roman temple. Annexed to it we find the cloister of the year 1240 that we recommend you to visit. In 1998 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Château-VieuxLocated in the Grand Bayonne district, near the cathedral, we find the so-called old castle of Bayonne. This building built in the 12th century by the Viscounts of Lapurdi was the official residence of the governors of the city. Unfortunately, today, the castle is part of the French army installations, so it is not open to visitors.

City Hall of BayonneThe City Hall is located in the Grand Bayonne district, at the point where the Nive and Adour rivers merge. This building also known as “La Mairie” or “L’Hôtel de Ville” was built in 1843 to house the customs office.

The Halles MarketBuilt in 1994 on the banks of the river Nive, in the Grand Bayonne district, this market offers some of the best products of Bayonne. Even more so on Saturday mornings, when the surrounding esplanade is filled with small stalls selling products from the French Basque Country.

Botanical gardenLocated in the Grand Bayonne district, next to the ramparts surrounding the cathedral, this garden encourages us to stroll while contemplating the different species of flora surrounding the ponds. Undoubtedly, one of the most peaceful places in Bayonne. Remember that the botanical garden of Bayonne is not open all year round.

Basque Museum of BayonneLocated in the Dagourette house, a 16th century mansion on the banks of the river Nive, this museum offers one of the most complete collections of the history and culture of the Basque Country. The museum was inaugurated in 1924 under the motto “Hemen sartzen dena bere etxean da”, which in Basque means, “He who enters here is at home”. The museum also has a special area dedicated to the history of Bayonne.

Château-NeufThe so-called new castle is located in the district of Petit Bayonne, next to the church of Saint André. This structure built in the 15th century by order of Charles IV is now part of the university facilities. That is why it can not be visited at present. As you can see, both the old castle and the new castle of Bayonne are closed to the public.

Saint Esprit districtThis is undoubtedly the most unknown district of Bayonne. To know it we must cross the Adour by the Saint Esprit bridge. We are not going to lie to you. It doesn’t house spaces as important as Grand Bayonne. But if you have time, it is worth it. Especially for the train station, the chocolate workshop L’Atelier du Chocolat or the citadel. This neighborhood has been during the last years the canvas of many artists who have left their mark on the different walls that make up the streets and squares of this neighborhood.

Vauban FortressThe Vauban fortress, also known as the citadel, was designed in 1670 by the military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre, better known as Vauban. Its location north of the Adour River, on a high point, is, along with its design, one of its most striking features. This military structure is closed to the public. It is not possible to visit it.

Nive RiverThe river Nive, Errobi in Basque, separates the Grand Bayonne and Petit Bayonne neighborhoods, giving backbone to the old part of the city and creating a beautiful environment where the terraces are piled up. Undoubtedly a good place to enjoy the atmosphere of Bayonne.

Rue d’EspagneThis street, located in the Grand Bayonne district, is the oldest street in the city. Today it connects the Porte d’Espagne, one of the access gates of the old walled city, with the Cathedral of Santa Maria. It is a commercial street with a great atmosphere.

Saint-André ChurchThis neo-gothic style church located in the Petit Bayonne district, next to the new castle, was built in the 19th century. Its facade, simple but imposing, attracts the attention of everyone who walks by it. Inside we find an incredible organ that together with the voice of different Basque choirs make us enjoy an amazing experience.

Port d’EspagneThis gate, together with the gate of La Poterne, is the only two accesses to the interior of the Grand Bayonne district. Formerly, this was the access used by people coming from Spain to cross the walls of Bayonne. Hence its name.

Vieille-Boucherie TowerThis ancient tower is located next to the ramparts and the cathedral, in the Grand Bayonne district. A structure of Roman origin, it was part of the defenses of the city.

The PoterneLa Poterne : Although we have said so far that the Poterne was one of the 2 access gates to the old walled city of Bayonne, this passageway actually replaced the old Château-Vieux gate.

MuralsEvery October, the Points de Vue festival is held to promote urban art. For more than 3 years, this festival attracts artists of international level to leave a sample of their talent on the walls of Bayonne.

Moulis HouseAlthough we can observe the popular Basque architecture along each and every one of the streets and squares of Bayonne, the best example is found in the Moulis House. A building located next to the market and the river Nive, in the corner of the streets Rue Port Bertaco and Quai Amiral Jaureguiberry, which shows us in a masterful way that wooden structure so typical of the houses of this area. Its name is due to a pharmacist who owned the building from 1815.

Getting lost in the streetsGetting lost in the streets of a city is practically a catch phrase. A sort of catch-all that can be applied to any town / city in the world. But on this occasion, in Bayonne, this phrase takes on a great interest. And is that walking through its streets is a real joy. For any of them. By the way, a recommendation, although it is true that in the main district, in Grand Bayonne, we find a greater number of charming streets, the other neighborhoods are just as impressive and are usually less crowded. Petit Bayonne is a great option.

Although these are some of the most emblematic spaces in Bayonne, they are not the only ones. There are many others. In this sense, if you want to discover each and every one of the spaces of this urban center, we recommend you to visit places like the Bonnat Museum, the Léon Bonnat Gardens, the Place de la Liberté, the Makilas factory or the Rue des Basques.

Video of Bayona.

As usual in all our articles, we have decided to publish a video about what to see in Bayonne on our YouTube channel. If you like this kind of videos we encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to discover all the experiences and places we recommend in the Basque Country, we are waiting for you!

What to see near Bayonne.

Bayonne is a great destination to enjoy the French Basque Country, but it is not the only one. We recommend that you value the possibility of enjoying some of the places we mention in this section. And is that magical places like Biarritz, Bidarte, Gethary or San Juan de Luz are less than 30 minutes drive from Bayonne. We hope you like them.

Bayonne products.

If you want to taste or buy a typical product of Bayonne, we recommend the chocolate and the ham. Undoubtedly, the 2 most emblematic and international products of Bayonne.

Where to park in Bayonne.

Parking in Bayonne is a rather complicated issue. And you should know that practically the entire city has a parking regulation service that makes us have to pay for parking. But don’t worry, there are very attractive options just outside the old city walls. An example of this can be found in the parking lot of the Port d’Espagne, where we only have to pay 1€ for parking. Of course, it is not for unlimited time, it is a parking lot that has different rates depending on the parking time. We recommend that you carefully read the different information panels that we find at the entrance of this parking lot.

Experiences in the Basque Country.

Although today we are talking about Iparralde, we encourage you to take advantage of this trip to enjoy the whole of Euskal Herria. In this aspect, we must make special emphasis on the different experiences that we can enjoy in Euskadi. You can see a list of all of them in our reservation center. We leave you some of the most demanded in case you want to enjoy them.

As you have been able to see Bayonne offers us a good number of spaces and experiences to see and enjoy. In case you have any questions about what to see in Bayonne, we encourage you to use the comment system that you will find below these lines to let us know. We will try to respond as soon as possible. Ondo pasa!