The Northern Basque Country: landscapes, culture, tradition, cuisine…all Basque

This article was translated by John R. Bopp

Jennifer Dombrowski, a travel writer, is one of the two authors of the blog Luxe Adventure Traveler, which, at the beginning of the summer, published an article about spending 36 hours in the heart of the Northern Basque Country, with a stop in Bayonne.

To start with, she explains how many of the secrets of this part of our country are well hidden inland, just a few miles away from the Bay of Biscay, which is the best-known part of our country, from Bilbao to Bayonne, passing through San Sebastián, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and Biarritz.

Our readers will already know our fondness for the land north of the Pyrenees, and we’ve shared some of that in our “Viewpoints” section with trips there, interestingly, always to the inland part.

It’s clear that she loved the cuisine and the landscapes, a lot.  We encourage her to come back again, especially to discover, know, and understand what it is that makes this tiny corner of the world on both sides of the Pyrenees so special: because it’s the Land of the Basques.

Luxe Adventure Traveler – 9/6/2018 – USA

36 Hours in French Basque Country

Just 15 miles inland from the glitz of Biarritz and the seaside charm of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the Pays Basque hinterland feels a world away. It’s here that the steep coastal cliffs give way to the craggy foothills of the Pyrenees. The houses and villages have a distinct architectural style that, if not for the car we’re zipping round the narrow country roads in, would convince me we’ve been teleported back in time. And there’s a deep-routed passion and pride in being French-Basque, evident in the friendly conversations you’re bound to have with the locals, like the Espelette pepper producer you’re buying some piment from or the proprietor at the family-run inn that’s been in his family for three generations.

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Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country