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* ], World War II ] (OSS) agent and co-founder of the U.S. Army's Special Forces Group (later, Green Berets), was a lifeguard and medical (physical) therapist's aide at Biarritz, before he enlisted in the Army in his late 1930s. * ], World War II ] (OSS) agent and co-founder of the U.S. Army's Special Forces Group (later, Green Berets), was a lifeguard and medical (physical) therapist's aide at Biarritz, before he enlisted in the Army in his late 1930s.
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==International relations== ==International relations==

Revision as of 16:07, 9 November 2009

For other uses, see Biarritz (disambiguation). Place in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Biarritz

Beach and casino in Biarritz
Location of Biarritz

Beach and casino in Biarritz
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentPyrénées-Atlantiques
ArrondissementBayonne
IntercommunalityBayonne-Anglet-Biarritz
Government
 • Mayor (2001–2008) Didier Borotra
Area11.66 km (4.50 sq mi)
Population27,398
 • Density2,300/km (6,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code64122 /64200
Elevation0–85 m (0–279 ft)
French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Biarritz (Template:IPA-fr; Gascon Occitan: Biàrritz; Template:Lang-eu) is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers.

The town lies in Basque territory, and Basque flags and symbols are prevalent throughout Biarritz.

Geography

Biarritz is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Aquitaine region. It is adjacent to Bayonne and Anglet and 11 miles (18 kilometres) from the border with Spain. It is in the traditional province of Labourd in the French Basque Country.

History

Vikings who invaded Gascony in 840 settled in Biarritz, which later participated in the whaling trade. Biarritz is a Basque name with locative suffix -itz (cp. Isturitz) attested Bearriz in 1170, Bearids in 1186, Bearritz in 1249. The Scandinavians settled in the area above the Gardague Beach. It has been suggested (disputedly) that the remaining Vikings became "Agots," a social group in Gascony not allowed to mix with the population at large. Segregation among these communities—there were many in Gascony and Navarra— disappeared only in the early 20th century.

Biarritz has long made its fortune from the sea: as a whaling settlement from the twelfth century onwards, in the 18th century doctors recommended that the ocean at Biarritz had therapeutic properties, inspiring patients to make pilgrimages to the beach for alleged cures for their ailments.

Biarritz became more renowned in 1854 when Empress Eugenie (the wife of Napoleon III) built a palace on the beach (now the Hôtel du Palais). The British royal family regularly took vacations in Biarritz: European royalty such as Queen Victoria, Edward VII, and Alfonso XIII of Spain were frequent visitors.

Biarritz's casino (opened 10 August 1901) and beaches make the town a notable tourist centre for Europeans.

Main sights

Biarritz from the Pointe Saint-Martin.

Biarritz features:

  • the Asiatica Museum, which houses a significant collection of Asian art primarily from India, Nepal, Tibet, and China.
  • The Museum of the Sea, which has 24 aquariums containing sharks and seals
  • 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, and restored in the middle of the 16th century.
  • The Russian Orthodox Church in Biarritz, constructed in the 19th century for visiting Russian aristocrats, with its famous blue dome.
  • The Chapelle Imperiale built for Empress Eugenie, which has an intricately decorated roof interior, and elegant wall tiling.
  • A Museum of Chocolate, which explains its history and manufacture.
  • Two large Casinos, the Barriere and the Bellevue, on the waterfront by the Grande Plage.

Spectacular cliffs and lookouts lie to the west of the main beach.

Sport

Surfing at Biarritz is of a world-class standard and first appeared in 1957, and the town has a strong surfing culture.

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 or international competitions take place in Biarritz.

The golf course, near the lighthouse (Le Phare), was created in 1888 by British residents. In addition to this the town has a large circular golf range area on the border with illbaritz.

Transport

Biarritz is easily accessible from Paris by France's high-speed train, the TGV, which departs from Gare Montparnasse. Furthermore, as of April 2008 a 'discothèque' night train runs this route.

Biarritz has an airport Aéroport de Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne located about 4 kilometres away from the city in the inland. It's very near at N10 road towards Anglet, it is joined airport with Anglet and Bayonneblahhhhh.

Notable people

Biarritz was the birthplace of:

Other:

  • Aaron Bank, World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS) agent and co-founder of the U.S. Army's Special Forces Group (later, Green Berets), was a lifeguard and medical (physical) therapist's aide at Biarritz, before he enlisted in the Army in his late 1930s.

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International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

Biarritz is twinned with:

Gallery

  • The Sea and the Mountains at Biarritz, ca. 1943, by Louis Dewis The Sea and the Mountains at Biarritz, ca. 1943, by Louis Dewis
  • Tourist Office. Tourist Office.
  • Hotel du Palais or Eugenie Palace. Hotel du Palais or Eugenie Palace.
  • Sunset in Biarritz. Sunset in Biarritz.
  • Sea Museum. Sea Museum.

See also

References

  1. Encyclopaedia of Surfing
  2. Last Updated: 5:28PM BST 13 Aug 2007 (2007-08-13). "Biarritz: summer nights - Telegraph". Telegraph<!. Retrieved 2009-05-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. "News from Biarritz - France". Biarritz.fr. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  4. Twin towns, Biarritz Official Site

External links

Municipalities in Labourd (Lapurdi)
Coat of arms of Lapurdi
Official name in French (native name in Basque and sometimes in Occitan, if different, in parentheses)
Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
Categories: