Things To Do in St-Jean-de-Luz

In the town’s principal church, the 13th-century Eglise St-Jean-Baptiste, at the corner of rue Gambetta and rue Garat (tel. 05-59-26-08-81), Louis XIV and the Spanish Infanta, Marie-Thérèse, were married in 1660. The interior is stunning: Look out for the altar with its statue-studded gilded retable (altarpiece). The interior is open to visitors daily from 8:30am to 6:30pm.

Two houses are associated with the couple. La Maison Louis XIV, place Louis XIV (www.maison-louis-xiv.fr; tel. 05-59-26-27-58), was the scene of the royal wedding night. Built of chiseled gray stone between 1644 and 1648 beside the port, it is richly furnished with antiques and mementos. It’s open daily for guided tours in July and August from 10:30am to 12:30 and 2:30 to 6:30pm; and generally from April to June and September to October from 11:30am to 3pm and 4pm to 5pm. Entrance is 7€. La Maison de l’Infante, 1 rue de l’Infante (tel. 05-59-26-36-82), is where the Infanta lived at the time of her marriage. It was designed and built by wealthy weapons merchant Johannot de Haraneder. It used to be open to the public but is now privately owned.

Exploring Basque Villages

The entire Basque region is dotted with atmospheric, beautifully-preserved villages. From Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the most easily reached is Guéthary, 3km (pictured above, 1.9 miles) away either on the main N10 road to Biarritz, or along the pretty coastal backroads. A traditional fishing village which has become something of a gourmet center and artistic refuge, the old town is laid out around the lovely church and fishing port, and a walk takes you along the headland, past some dramatic coves. Heading the other way from Saint-Jean-de-Luz, along the D932 up into the hills of the Pyrénées, both Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Espelette are unmissable. They epitomize the traditional Basque village—classic half-timbered houses in red, white, and green, shops offering local cheeses and hams, Irouléguy wines, and other specialties, all with the mountains rising dramatically behind. Espelette is known for its tiny red peppers, often seen strung outside the houses around the main square like cheerful garlands, while Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port has a 17th century citadel along banks of the pretty river Nive.