Biarritz

For other uses, see Biarritz (disambiguation).
Biarritz

Beach and casino

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Biarritz

Coordinates: 43°29′N 1°34′W / 43.48°N 1.56°W / 43.48; -1.56Coordinates: 43°29′N 1°34′W / 43.48°N 1.56°W / 43.48; -1.56
Country France
Region Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Arrondissement Bayonne
Intercommunality Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz
Government
 • Mayor (since 2014) Michel Veunac
Area1 11.66 km2 (4.50 sq mi)
Population (2009)2 25,397
 • Density 2,200/km2 (5,600/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 64122 / 64200
Elevation 0–85 m (0–279 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Biarritz (French pronunciation: ​[bjaʁits]; Basque: Biarritz [biarits̻] or Miarritze [miarits̻e]; Gascon Occitan: Biàrritz [ˈbjarits]) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in southwestern France, 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the border with Spain. It is a luxurious seaside tourist destination known for the Hôtel du Palais, originally built for the Empress Eugénie around 1855, its casinos, and its surfing culture.

Geography

Biarritz is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Aquitaine region. It is adjacent to Bayonne and Anglet and 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the border with Spain. It is in the traditional province of Labourd in the French Basque Country.

History

Biarritz is a Basque name with locative suffix -itz (cp. Isturitz) attested Bearriz in 1170, Bearids in 1186, Bearritz in 1249.

Biarritz has long made its fortune from the sea, as a whaling settlement from the 12th century onwards. 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 became more renowned in 1854 when Empress Eugenie (the wife of Napoleon III) built a palace on the beach (now the Hôtel du Palais). European royalty, including British monarchs Queen Victoria and King Edward VII (who caused a minor scandal when he called H. H. Asquith to kiss hands at Biarritz in 1908 rather than return to London for the purpose),[1] and the Spanish king Alfonso XIII, were frequent visitors.

Biarritz's casino (opened 10 August 1901) and beaches make the town a notable tourist centre for Europeans and East Coast North Americans. The city has also become a prime destination for surfers from around the world, developing a nightlife and surf-based culture.

At the end of World War II in Europe, the U.S. Army's Information and Educational Branch was ordered to establish an overseas university campus for demobilized American service men and women in the French resort town of Biarritz. Under General Samuel L. McCroskey, the hotels and casinos of Biarritz were converted into quarters, labs, and class spaces for U.S. service personnel. The University opened 10 August 1945 and about 10,000 students attended an eight-week term. This campus was set up to provide a transition between army life and subsequent attendance at a university in the USA, so students attended for just one term. After three successful terms, the G.I. University closed in March 1946 (see G. I. American Universities).[2]

Sights

Biarritz features:

Cliffs and lookouts lie to the west of the main beach.

Climate

Biarritz has a temperate oceanic climate, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification.

Climate data for Biarritz-Anglet (altitude 69m, 1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 23.4
(74.1)		 28.9
(84)		 29.7
(85.5)		 32.1
(89.8)		 34.8
(94.6)		 39.2
(102.6)		 39.8
(103.6)		 40.6
(105.1)		 37.0
(98.6)		 32.2
(90)		 27.8
(82)		 25.1
(77.2)		 40.6
(105.1)
Average high °C (°F) 12.0
(53.6)		 12.8
(55)		 15.0
(59)		 16.2
(61.2)		 19.6
(67.3)		 22.1
(71.8)		 24.1
(75.4)		 24.7
(76.5)		 23.2
(73.8)		 20.0
(68)		 15.1
(59.2)		 12.5
(54.5)		 18.1
(64.6)
Average low °C (°F) 4.8
(40.6)		 5.0
(41)		 7.0
(44.6)		 8.5
(47.3)		 11.6
(52.9)		 14.6
(58.3)		 16.7
(62.1)		 17.0
(62.6)		 14.5
(58.1)		 11.9
(53.4)		 7.7
(45.9)		 5.5
(41.9)		 10.4
(50.7)
Record low °C (°F) −12.7
(9.1)		 −11.5
(11.3)		 −7.2
(19)		 −1.3
(29.7)		 3.3
(37.9)		 5.3
(41.5)		 9.2
(48.6)		 8.6
(47.5)		 5.3
(41.5)		 −0.6
(30.9)		 −5.7
(21.7)		 −8.9
(16)		 −12.7
(9.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 128.8
(5.071)		 111.5
(4.39)		 103.5
(4.075)		 129.7
(5.106)		 113.9
(4.484)		 87.8
(3.457)		 69.3
(2.728)		 98.4
(3.874)		 119.6
(4.709)		 152.1
(5.988)		 185.9
(7.319)		 150.4
(5.921)		 1,450.9
(57.122)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 13.4 12.0 11.9 13.6 12.9 10.4 8.8 9.6 9.7 12.5 13.0 12.6 140.5
Average snowy days 0.8 1.0 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.5 3.0
Average relative humidity (%) 77 75 73 77 78 81 80 81 80 78 79 78 78.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 100.2 114.1 164.4 169.4 193.7 203.3 209.0 206.8 192.8 141.7 103.8 88.3 1,887.3
Source #1: Météo France[4][5]
Source #2: Infoclimat.fr (humidity and snowy days, 1961–1990)[6]

Sport

Surfing in Biarritz is of a world-class standard and first appeared in 1957.[7] The town has a strong surfing culture,[8] and is known worldwide for its surfing scene and the competitions it hosts yearly, including the Quiksilver/Roxy Jam tournament. In July 2011, Biarritz also hosted the Roxy Pro event, a tournament part of the ASP Women's World Tour.

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 and international competitions take place in Biarritz.

The golf course near the lighthouse (Le Phare) was created in 1888 by British residents. In addition, the town has a large circular golf range area on the border with illbaritz.

Transport

Biarritz is easily accessible from Paris by France's high-speed train, the TGV, and more regionally from Bordeaux, by TGV or TER. Trains are also available to travel east towards Nice. Night trains regularly depart from Irun, south of Biarritz and pass through the city before heading to Paris during an overnight trip. Many tourists and regulars to the city have begun using the night train to take weekend trips to Biarritz and saving travel time by traveling at night. The Biarritz – Anglet – Bayonne Airport is located about four kilometres from the city. It is near N10 road towards Anglet and is served by airlines from France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland and Germany.

Notable people and popular culture

Fishing port, beach, and lighthouse

Biarritz was the birthplace of:

Other:

International relations

Twin towns/sister cities

Biarritz is twinned with:[10]

References

  1. ↑ Lee, Sidney (1927). King Edward VII: A Biography. London: Macmillan. pp. 581–582.
  2. ↑ George P. Schmidt and J. G. Umstattd. "The American Army University at Biarritz, France." Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors. Vol. 32, No. 2 (Summer, 1946): 303-316.
  3. ↑ Encyclopaedia of Surfing. Books.google.com.au. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  4. ↑ "Données climatiques de la station de Biarritz" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Climat Aquitaine" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Normes et records 1961-1990: Biarritz-Anglet (64) - altitude 69m" (in French). Infoclimat. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  7. ↑ Last Updated: 5:28PM BST 13 Aug 2007 (2007-08-13). "Biarritz: summer nights – Telegraph". Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  8. ↑ "News from Biarritz – France". Biarritz.fr. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  9. ↑ Aimee de Heeren.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Twin towns, Biarritz official website". Biarritz.fr. Retrieved 2013-05-11.

External links

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