Pyrenees-Atlantiques: Basque and Bearnais Identity
Pyrenees-Atlantiques combines two distinct cultural regions: the Basque Country in the west and Bearn in the east. Pau, the prefecture, sits on a ridge overlooking the Pyrenees and was the birthplace of Henri IV in 1553. Bayonne, the largest city in the French Basque Country, is known for its ham, its chocolate tradition (introduced by Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain), and the annual Fetes de Bayonne, the largest festival in France.
Biarritz became a fashionable resort after Empress Eugenie built a seaside palace in the 1850s. It now attracts surfers from across Europe. Saint-Jean-de-Luz was the site of Louis XIV's marriage. Oloron-Sainte-Marie produces berets. The department has about 699,000 residents and a strong regional identity on both the Basque and Bearnais sides.
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Pyrenees-Atlantiques combines two distinct cultural regions: the Basque Country in the west and Bearn in the east. Pau, the prefecture, sits on a ridge overlooking the Pyrenees and was the birthplace of Henri IV in 1553. Bayonne, the largest city in the French Basque Country, is known for its ham, its chocolate tradition (introduced by Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain), and the annual Fetes de Bayonne, the largest festival in France.
Biarritz became a fashionable resort after Empress Eugenie built a seaside palace in the 1850s. It now attracts surfers from across Europe. Saint-Jean-de-Luz was the site of Louis XIV's marriage. Oloron-Sainte-Marie produces berets. The department has about 699,000 residents and a strong regional identity on both the Basque and Bearnais sides.
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