Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

sunset), peppered with tamarisk trees, and crisscrossed by a network of pebbled pathways. Pro-tip: arrive early to beat the lines.

       i Admission €2.50; no wheelchair accessibility

       PORT DES PÊCHEURS

      Allée Port des Pêcheurs; open daily 24hr

      Biarritz’s Port des Pêcheurs dates back to its humble fishing-village days. The port was rebuilt in the nineteenth century but it still has its original crampottes, the picturesque fisherman houses outfitted with wooden doors and colorful shutters. At low-tide, the port completely drains out, leaving a huge stretch of tide pools kids flock to with nets to catch crabs. To the right of the port is a small beach that provides a great alternative to the crowded Grande Plage, as well as a selection of delicious seafood restaurants. Before you leave, make sure to check out Crampotte 30, a tapas and wine bar housed in one of the original crampottes.

       i Free; limited wheelchair accessibility

       ROCHER DE LA VIERGE

      Allée Port des Pêcheurs; 05 59 22 37 10; open daily 9:30am-7pm

      The Virgin Rock is the emblematic symbol of and largest tourist attraction in Biarritz. It’s no Eiffel Tower, but the metal footbridge was designed by the landmark’s namesake, which is close enough. Located between Port-Vieux and Port des Pêcheurs on the promontory of Atalaye, the bridge joining the rock formation to the mainland was originally wooden, built on the orders of Napoleon III, who decided to drill a tunnel through the formation and use it as an anchor point for the sea wall of the Port du Refuge. Despite enduring centuries of damage by the Atlantic, the monument, consecrated in 1865, still stands strong today. Walk across and behold the beauty of the ocean before you, statue above you, and city behind you.

       i Free; no wheelchair accessibility

SAINT-JEAN-DE-LUZ

       Just a 15-minute train ride from Biarritz, the small fishing port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz is more relaxed, humble, and charming than its northern counterpart.

      This is an exclusive holiday destination, but the wealth is so nearly as in-your-face. Buildings are beautiful, but not luxurious, and streets are busy but not overflowing with tourists. It has a certain… douceur de vivre, with its picturesque port, golden-sand beach, narrow pedestrian streets, traditional baserris (farmhouses) and glorious history. Saint-Jean-de-Luz was founded as a fishing and whaling port, but rose up to the level of aristocracy after King Louis XIV and wife Maria Theresa wed here in 1660. Only 10km from the Spanish border, this small beach town has a Basque vibe. It shares a bus and train station (Gare St. Jean de Luz-Ciboure) with the city of Ciboure. The center of Saint-Jean-de-Luz is found between the fisherman’s port to the southwest and La Baie de St. Jean de Luz et Ciboure around the northwest bend, and is pressed up against Le Grande Plage. Place Louis XIV is the main square and Rue Léon Gambetta, running parallel to the beach and lined with specialty stores, is the town’s main pedestrian thoroughfare. During your visit, walk down Promenade Jacques, which starts at the lighthouse and continues down to a sprawling beach.

      GETTING THERE

      The town shares a train station with Ciboure and receives local trains from surrounding towns, including Biarritz and Bayonne, and is included on the SNCF Bordeaux-Irun and high-speed TGV Paris-Madrid train lines. Buses run frequently between Saint-Jean-de-Luz and neighboring Bayonne, Biarritz, and Hendaye. Ouibus, TCRB, and Basque Bondissant are the major bus companies. Saint-Jean-de-Luz is only a 20min. drive from Biarritz and a 30min. drive from San Sebastian. It is located off highway A-63.

      GETTING AROUND

      You can walk from one side of Saint-Jean-de-Luz to the other in less than 20min., so your feet are all you need! If you want to check out the neighboring town of Ciboure, however, a shuttle bus named Itzulia runs between the two towns year-round (tickets €1). There is also a free shuttle that arrives every 30min. during the summer months connecting the Chantaco and Parc des Sports parking lots in the outskirts of the port to the town center.

       Swing by…

       MAISON LOUIS XIV

      6 Pl. Louis XIV; 05 59 26 27 58; www.maison-louis-xiv.fr; open July- Aug daily 10:30am-12:30pm and 2:30pm-6:30pm; daily visits Sept-Oct, Apr-June at 11am, 3pm, 4pm, and 5pm

      Designed by ship-builder Joannis Lohobiague and originally known as Lohobiague-Enea, the house changed its name after the king visited in 1660. Here, Louis signed the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 to end the ongoing conflict with Spain, and also married the Spanish Infanta Maria Teresa. If only we could solve all of our twenty-first-century problems by joining together warring nations through marriage. Take a 40-minute guided tour to see the seventeenth-century furniture, splendid painted beams, and poodle-haired family portraits. In the bedroom, notice the table with human-like legs as well as the ridiculously short bed. Apparently, Louis XIV used to sleep half-sitting out of fear of suffocating to death while lying under his sheets!

       i Admission €6, students €3.80; guided visits only; tours every 40min. July-Aug, last tour 30min. before close, arrive 5min. before tour; no wheelchair accessibility

       Check out…

      L’ÉGLISE SAINT JEAN BAPTISTE

      Rue Léon Gambetta; 05 59 26 08 81; open Apr-Sept M-Sa 8:30am-6:30pm, Su 8am-7:30pm; Oct-Mar M-Sa 8:30am-6pm, Su 8am-7:30pm

      Just off the commercial pedestrian street Rue Gambetta, you’ll find the historic church where Louis XIV and Maria Theresa tied the royal knot. Although the outside isn’t that special, the interior is definitely fit for an imperial marriage. As soon as you enter, your eyes will be drawn to the front of the church, where the central nave is decorated with intricate floral patterns, ornate carvings, and golden statues. Look up at the red and gold ceilings, stained-glass skylight, and fleur-de-lis-adorned side chapels. In stark contrast to the front of the church, the back has a clear traditional Basque influence. There, you’ll find three-tiered balconies of dark wood and a giant sailboat hanging from the ceiling.

       i Free; limited wheelchair accessibility

       Grab a bite at…

       LA TAVERNE BASQUE

      5 Rue de la République; 05 59 26 01 26; open Tu-Sa noon-2pm and 7pm-10pm, Su noon-2pm

      Rue de la République, the little street between Place Louis XIV and La Grande Plage, is the place to go for traditional Basque food, and of the many restaurants that line it, La Taverne Basque is the obvious choice. Enjoy a bowl of toro soup, split a Serrano ham charcuterie board, and savor a grilled duck with honey-balsamic glaze, and wash it all down with a pitcher of sangria. The portions are large and the food is relatively inexpensive, but, if you find yourself craving more, stop in one of the street’s many pastry shops to try a gâteau Basque, an almond-based cake filled with vanilla, rum, or cherry-flavored cream.

       i Three-course meal €19.90; vegetarian options available; limited wheelchair accessibility

       Don’t miss…

       LA GRANDE PLAGE

      Promenade Jacques Thibaut

      While Saint-Jean-de-Luz’s port and pedestrian streets are admittedly adorable, it is the town’s sandy shore that attracts thousands every summer. Unlike Biarritz, where you have a plethora of fantastic beaches to choose from, this is the beach to visit in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and, accordingly, it