A postcard from French Basque Country (part 2)

A short guide of what to do, see and eat.

Bonjour !

I want to start by thanking all of you for following along as I’ve been sharing stories and photos from our summer trip to Basque Country. When I launched this Substack newsletter in June, I was excited to start sharing more personal stories and offer a glimpse into our life in France. As someone who isn’t naturally extroverted, opening up in my writing is a bit of a challenge—but I’m slowly getting there! I hope you enjoy this recount of our vacation and that it sparks your curiosity to explore this beautiful French region yourself one day.

This is part 2 of “A postcard from French Basque Country”, which includes a day in Bayonne and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. I realized I had so many photos and tips to share from our trip that I had to divide it into 3 parts. Make sure to read Part 1 first, which I shared last week. Part 3 will be shared next week !

Feel free to comment on this post to let me know what you think. And if you enjoy this post, feel free to restack it or share it with your friends. Bonne lecture (happy reading)!

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Day 2

BAYONNE

(time needed: half a day to one day)

We kicked off our second day in Bayonne, the charming capital of French Basque Country. If Biarritz is all about glitz and glamour, Bayonne is definitely more rustic and laid back, with an old centre that’ll make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.  

We loved its half-timbered façades, its shaded cobbled stone streets and riverfront patios where you can easily spend an afternoon, and just the overall vibe that felt more authentic than Biarritz.

Old Bayonne street

We visited the Basque Museum, which is an absolute must if you want to know more about Basque culture. The region has an incomparable history that I think everyone should take the time to learn more about when visiting. The museum isn’t huge (1-2 hours is enough) but boasts a great amount of Basque history and art.