Basque Country
The Pays Basque is a beautiful small region located in the corner of south west France which shares a border with the Spanish Basque country on the other side of the Pyrénées. The Basques not only share a frontier, they share an ancient language and a culture which goes back to the the Celtic period when they arrived from Central Europe.
Basque Culture - May Queen at Espelette
The climate is warm and relatively damp with a high annual rainfall (120 inches/3000 mm) in the mountains although this results in beautifully verdant valleys. On the coast there are some splendid resorts especially along the rocky coastline and beautiful beaches such as the Grand Plage at Biarritz and the fascinating fishing port and resort of St-Jean-de-Luz
A little inland on the River Adour stands Bayonne the Capital of the Pays Basque dominated by the twin spires of its Cathedral. Famous for Pelota, Ham and Chocolate the City is on the Route to Compostella which if you follow will take you to the fascinating old town of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port leading to the Roncevalles Pass over the Pyrénées.