Dating in Bayonne, at the gates of the Basque Country

Petit and Grand Bayonne

The old town of Bayonne is split either side of the Nive. On the left bank, Grand Bayonne gathers the Gothic Sainte-Marie cathedral, its peaceful cloister and Rue Port-Neuf, the chocolatiers’ street. On the right bank, Petit Bayonne lines up its timber-framed houses with red, green and blue beams along Rue Pannecau. A walk together across Marengo bridge, then under the arcades of a square, and conversation gains colour.

Ham, chocolate and market halls

Bayonne is the city of ham: each spring, the Ham Fair has animated the quays for more than five centuries. The covered market halls, built in 1900, bring together charcuterie makers, Adour fishermen and Pyrenees sheep producers: perfect for building a picnic for two. The chocolatiers Cazenave, Daranatz and Pariès carry on a tradition brought by Portuguese Jews in the 17th century. A frothy hot chocolate, and the date softens.

Ramparts and Bayonne Festival

Around the old town, Vauban’s ramparts, turned into a promenade, offer a lookout over the Adour and the russet roofs. Each summer, the Fêtes de Bayonne, born in 1932, flood the city with red and white for five days: more than a million visitors come to sing and dance. On Lyad, the people of Bayonne share their favourite tables; it is up to you to find someone to raise a glass of Irouléguy with.