The inland Basque Country

Espelette

Espelette is a village at the foot of the mountains that has over time managed to preserve its authenticity and traditions with its beautiful Basque houses, its castle and church ...

 

The village is best known for its famous spice : the Piment d'Espelette AOC (Espelette chills), that benefits from a favoured microclimate.

The chilly pepper mix is delicious and absolutely a must try !!!

 

L'atelier du Pimentd'Espelette offers a playful discovery of the Espelette famous mix, all in an educational and family atmosphere.

 

- Chocolaterie Antton : visit the workshop and taste for free fine chocolates. The best quality for a good value for money. Also try the unusual flavour of the chocolate ganache with Espelette chillies ... to appreciate with a glass of Champagne !!!



Cambo-Les-Bains

Cambo-Les-Bains is a climatic health station known for its thermal hot water springs that cure respiratory, digestive and skin diseases.

 

 A quaint and elegant Basque village with many wonderful gardens

 

Cambo-Les-Bains was also marked by the passage of the poet Edmond Rostand - the author of Cyrano de Bergerac - who lived there in his beautiful and eccentricVilla Arnagaa masterpiece of the neo-Basque architecture and now classified as an Historic Monument

 



Sare

Ranked among "the Most Beautiful Villages of France", Sare is surrounded by mountains, one well known being La Rhune a mythical peak of the Basque Country, which rises to 905m above sea level.

 

Access La Rhune directly from the village.

You could ramble on the GR10 hiking path (around 2 hours 1/2 with 700m of positive ascent) or take "Le petit train de la Rhune", a nice rack-railway train and cross the stunning Pyrenean landscapes.

 

Sare is also known for its beautiful prehistoric caves, there are guided visits with sound and lighting effects available.

 

And make the most of your stay in Sare and discover the Museum of Basque Museum of the Basque Cake. Find out the secrets of Basque cakes with a pastry workshop and more about Basque traditions.

 

Benta Urtxola : Very good home made Basque cuisine and a lovely traditional restaurant away from the village near the frontier.



Ainhoa

Ainhoa, located between the Nive valley and the Spanish border, is another Basque village ranked among "the Most Beautiful Villages of France".

 

Originally built to accommodate the pilgrims on the way to Santiago-de-Compostella, Ainhoa has stunning traditional architecture and lovely cottages lined up in the main street with a uniform of Basque colours.

 

In the village centre, stands a pediment - this is a playing court for the game of pelota.

  

 

-Pain d'épices d'Ainhoa :

The gingerbreads of Ainhoa are traditionally made with 50% of honey and offer spicy flavours : natural, candied ginger, prune/walnuts/Armagnac, bergamot tea or candied orange peel. 

- The Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church



Itxassou

Beautiful village on the banks of the Nive River surrounded by mountains, Itxassou is the place for black cherries.

Towards the end of March, the cherry trees are in blossom and the delicious fruits ripen all depending on the season mind in early june when Itxassou organize the famous "Black Cherry Festival".

 

This village offers beautiful walks, hikes and an unmissable visit to the ''Pas de Roland''.This  is a parade of steep gorges which leads to the Nive River which trickles around the mountains.

 

- Krakada Tel 05 59 29 32 74 : Stop at this tea-rom / workshop on the village square to buy high quality Basque specialities from the local production : black cherry jam, honey, sheep's cheese, Basque cakes ... 



La Bastide Clairence

La Bastide Clairence is ranked among
"the Most Beautiful Villages of France"
.

 

Its regular streets ans half timbered houses, dominating the village square, give an excellent idea of the "Bastide" style.

 

Architecturally, you find two house styles in La Bastide Clairence :

- Labourdin style characterized by red or green timbered wood.

- Navarre style with the presence of stone around openings and corners of the walls.

 

In the village centre, you'll find some traditional Arches. Under these Arches, there was formerly fairs and markets and now there is a range of craft workshops, shops and local services. There is a real scene of  traditional craftsmanship in La Bastide Clairence.