Bayonne's waterfront

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Bayonne

Stretching along the banks of the Rivers Adour and Nive, the waterside city of Bayonne is one of the prettiest in southwest France, and the capital of the French Basque Country. It's been a strategic stronghold since medieval times, and the old ramparts are still visible around the outskirts of the old town, but it's Bayonne's pretty half-timbered buildings, riverside restaurants and shady cobbled streets that make it worthy of exploration.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Cathédrale Ste-Marie

    Cathédrale Ste-Marie

    Bayonne

    The twin towers of Bayonne's Gothic cathedral soar above the city. Construction began in the 13th century, and was completed in 1451. Above the north…

  • Rue des Faures

    Rue des Faures

    Bayonne

    This pretty street was once home to the city's bayonet-making blacksmiths, but it's now reinvented itself as the artisan quarter. It's a lovely place to…

  • L’Atelier du Chocolat

    L’Atelier du Chocolat

    Bayonne

    Visit this chocolate factory to sample and buy its chocolates (which are also available at a shop on rue Pont Neuf in central Bayonne). While here,…

  • Ramparts

    Ramparts

    Bayonne

    Once the defensive barrier that kept the city safe from attack, Bayonne's 17th-century fortifications are now covered in grass and enveloped in pretty…

  • Musée Bonnat-Helleu

    Musée Bonnat-Helleu

    Bayonne

    Bayonne's venerable fine-arts museum is undergoing an extensive expansion, which will give it more spacious, modern galleries – veritably doubling its…

  • Cloister

    Cloister

    Bayonne

    Monks and pilgrims would once have perambulated around the cathedral's peaceful 13th-century cloister. The entrance is on place Louis Pasteur.

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