A city of southwest France on the Bay of Biscay near the Spanish border. It is a fashionable resort. Population: 31,000.
|
Results for Biarritz
|
On this page:
|
A city of southwest France on the Bay of Biscay near the Spanish border. It is a fashionable resort. Population: 31,000.
For more information on Biarritz, visit Britannica.com.
The country code is: 33
The city code is: 559
|
Commune of Biarritz |
||
| Location | ||
|
||
| Coordinates | ||
| Administration | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country | France | |
| Region | Aquitaine | |
| Department | Pyrénées-Atlantiques |
|
| Arrondissement | Bayonne | |
| Canton | Chief town of 2 cantons | |
| Intercommunality | Communauté d'agglomération de Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz |
|
| Mayor | Didier Borotra (2001-2008) |
|
| Statistics | ||
| Altitude | 0 m–85 m (avg. m) |
|
| Land area¹ | 11.66 km² | |
| Population² (1999) |
30,055 | |
| - Density | 2577/km² (1999) | |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| INSEE/Postal code | 64 122/ 64200 | |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | ||
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel). | ||
Biarritz (French: Biarritz, pronounced /bjaʀits/; Gascon Occitan: Biàrritz; Basque: Biarritz or Miarritze) is a town and commune which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in southwestern France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers. Biarritz also boasts some of the best beaches in Europe and has won multiple awards for their top class standards.
Biarritz is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, in the Aquitaine région. It is adjacent to Bayonne and Anglet and 11 miles (18 kilometres) from the border with Spain. It is in the traditional province of the French Basque Country, Labourd.
Vikings who invaded Gascony in 840 settled in Biarritz, which was a good whaling location. Biarritz is a Basque name with locative suffix -itz (cp. Isturitz) attested Bearriz in 1170, Bearids in 1186, Bearritz in 1249. The Scandinavians settled in the area above the Gardague Beach. After the defeat of their chief in 982, the descendants remained here and continued hunting whales. They were called "Agots" and were not allowed to mix with the others. The segregation among these communities—there were many in Gascony and Navarra—finally disappeared at the beginning of the 20th century.
Biarritz has long made its fortune from the sea: originally a whaling village, in the 18th century doctors recommended that the ocean at Biarritz had therapeutic properties, inspiring patients to make pilgrimages to the beach for alleged cures for their ailments.
Biarritz's became more renowned in 1854 when Empress
Eugenie (the wife of Napoleon III) built a palace on the beach (now the
Hôtel du Palais). The British royal family regularly took vacations in
Biarritz: European
Biarritz is now home to:
Spectacular cliffs and lookouts lie to the west of the main beach.
Surfing at Biarritz is of a world-class standard, and the town has a strong surfing culture.
The town is home to a prominent rugby union club, Biarritz Olympique.
Basque pelota is a very popular sport of the Basque country. Several local or international competitions take place in Biarritz.
The golf course, near the lighthouse (Le Phare), was created in 1888 by British residents.
Biarritz is easily accessible from Paris by France's high-speed train, the TGV. Biarritz has an airport Aéroport de Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne its about 4 kilometers away from the city in the inland. Its very near at N10 road towards Anglet, it is joined airport with Anglet and Bayonne. It has flights to destinations across France as well as Europe.
"Biarritz blue," inspired by the color of the ocean off Biarritz, is a color available for some BMW motorcycles.
The town lies in Basque territory, and Basque flags and symbols are prevalent throughout Biarritz.
Biarritz's casino (opened August 10, 1901) and beaches make the town a notable tourist centre for Europeans.
Philippines' greatest hero, Jose Rizal, met one of the many women in his life, Nelly Boustead, in Biarritz.
Biarritz was the birthplace of:
Source: Twin towns, Biarritz Official Site
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Ahetze | Ainhoa | Anglet (Angelu) | Arbonne (Arbona)| Arcangues (Arrangoitze)| Ascain (Azkaine) | Bardos (Bardoze) | Bassussarry (Basusarri) | Bayonne (Baiona) | Biarritz (Miarritze) | Bidart (Bidarte) | Biriatou (Biriatu) | Bonloc (Lekuine) | Boucau (Bokale) | Briscous (Beskoitze) | Cambo-les-Bains (Kanbo) | Ciboure (Ziburu) | Espelette (Ezpeleta) | Guéthary (Getaria) | Guiche (Gixune) | Halsou (Haltsu) | Hasparren (Hazparne) | Hendaye (Hendaia) | Itxassou (Itsasu) | Jatxou (Jatsu) | Lahonce (Lehuntze) | Larressore (Larresoro) | Louhossoa (Luhuso) | Macaye (Makea) | Mendionde (Lekorne) | Mouguerre (Mugerre) | Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Donibane Lohizune) | Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle (Senpere) | Saint-Pierre-d'Irube (Hiriburu) | Sare (Sara) | Souraïde (Zuraide) | Urcuit (Urketa) | Urrugne (Urruña) | Urt (Ahurti) | Ustaritz (Uztaritze) | Villefranque (Milafranga) | |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Join the WikiAnswers Q&A community. Post a question or answer questions about "Biarritz" at WikiAnswers.
Copyrights:
![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more | |
![]() | Dialing Code. © 1999-2008 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Biarritz". Read more |
Mentioned In: