Bayonne has a secret charm of a fortified city. The picturesque and lively old Bayonne has a reputation for its particularly remarkable heritage, with the pretty tall houses with colourful shutters, huddled close together, are typical of the local architecture.
Still in the old Bayonne, you can stroll through the city fortifications, and head to the botanical gardens, designed in a Japanese style, located within the ramparts and not far from Château-Vieux. The Château also known as the Old Castle of Bayonne, is a castle built in the late 11th century by the Viscounts of Labourd.
Still in the town centre, you can visit the Museum of the Basque Country and the History of Bayonne, it features more than 2,000 objects and works of art on display, spread across twenty themed rooms. This museum is a must for those wishing to discover the Basque culture.
A few blocks away, you can also visit the Bonnat-Helleu Museum, devoted to Fine Arts, whose collection includes works by Léon Bonnat, Paul Helleu, Peter Paul Rubens, Francisco Goya and Edgar Degas.
How to get around Bayonne?
You can get around the city easily by foot and explore its streets and town surroundings. You can easily get from place to place by foot as most tourist sites are located in the city centre.
But Bayonne's tourist office lends out bikes for free (not overnight); you must leave ID as a deposit.
It also offers a free ferry shuttles across the River Adour between Boufflers and Bergeret. And if that doesn’t get you moving, there are also three free shuttle buses in the heart of the town.
Travel
The Basque Coast’s success as a destination makes it easy to get to by plane. The Biarritz- Pays Basque Airport, located at 15 mn of Bayonne, has several daily flights to and from Paris, other French cities, and abroad.
Several airlines fly there, including some low-cost airlines that fly non-stop to other cities in Europe.
Events
Bayonne’s Feria : Typical to this beautiful culture and region where identities start to blur, and Spanish and Basque traditional culture.
Each year, the festival lasts 5 days and always starts the Wednesday before the first Sunday of August. It is the largest festival in France.
The festivals include musical and street performances, traditional dances, parades, and fireworks.