Labourd · Iparralde

Bayonne

Baiona

The historic capital of Labourd, Bayonne combines a Gothic cathedral, half-timbered façades, a chocolate-making tradition more than four centuries old and PGI ham. Every summer brings five days of festivities in white and red. A city of about 54,000 people, often overshadowed by its seaside neighbour.

Bayonne in 30 seconds

About 54,300 inhabitants (2023 figure from INSEE, the French national statistics institute). At the confluence of the Adour and the Nive. Historic capital of Labourd (Lapurdi); a sub-prefecture (sous-préfecture) of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department; a Town of Art and History (Ville d’art et d’histoire) since 2011.

Close to Biarritz and Anglet, it is served by train (TGV high-speed services and connections to Spain), Biarritz airport (BIQ) and the A63 motorway.

A little history

A Roman castrum, Lapurdum, is recorded here in the 4th century; ancient towers can still be seen in Grand Bayonne. The city became the capital of Labourd in 1023. It came under English rule in 1152 with the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry Plantagenet, and remained so until 1451, when it was taken by the French crown at the end of the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula settled in the Saint-Esprit district. They introduced chocolate-making to Bayonne; the word appears in the city’s archives in 1670.

1680: the city presented sixteen pounds (livres) of chocolate to Marshal Vauban, who fortified Bayonne in the 17th century.

1725: an ordinance banned Jews from making and selling chocolate in the city; in 1761, Christian chocolate makers formed a guild to keep the trade for themselves; the Parlement of Bordeaux dissolved it in 1767.

6 July 1808: the Constitution of Bayonne was promulgated; it made Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother, King of Spain as Joseph I.

1932: the first Fêtes de Bayonne, inspired by the San Fermín festival in Pamplona (Iruñea). They drew more than 1.3 million people in 2023.

Bayonne’s three hearts

Grand Bayonne

The medieval, Gothic part of town. Narrow streets: Rue d’Espagne, Rue Port-Neuf, Rue Argenterie. The cathedral, the cloister, the Château-Vieux.

Petit Bayonne

On the other bank of the Nive. More intimate and more festive, with bars that buzz on summer evenings. The Château-Neuf, the Basque Museum (Musée Basque), the Musée Bonnat-Helleu.

Saint-Esprit

On the right bank of the Adour, historically the district of the Portuguese Jewish community. The station district, with the Church of the Holy Spirit (église Saint-Esprit) and the synagogue.

Must-sees

Sainte-Marie Cathedral

Bayonne’s cathédrale Sainte-Marie was begun in the 1240s in the Rayonnant Gothic style. Its two 85-metre spires were completed in the 19th century. A stained-glass window from 1531 adorns St Jerome’s Chapel. The 14th-century cloister is among the largest in France and hosts cultural events; it is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux (the French national monuments agency) and admission is free. Since 1998 the cathedral has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

The ramparts

Vauban’s fortifications (17th century) still leave a strong mark on the city’s landscape.

The Basque Museum

The Musée Basque et de l’histoire de Bayonne (Basque Museum and Museum of the History of Bayonne), in Petit Bayonne. Costumes, everyday objects, musical instruments, pelota, pastoralism.

The Musée Bonnat-Helleu

The city’s fine arts museum, which grew out of the collection bequeathed by the Bayonne painter Léon Bonnat. Nearly 7,000 works, from Antiquity to the 20th century: Rubens, Van Dyck, El Greco, Goya, Ingres, Degas… and a prints and drawings department with more than 3,500 drawings (Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt). Reopened on 27 November 2025 after fourteen years of work led by the architects Brochet, Lajus and Pueyo, who doubled the exhibition space by incorporating a former school next door. Closed on Tuesdays.

Other museums

The Natural History Museum (Muséum d’histoire naturelle) and the Suzanne and Marcel Suarès Museum of Bayonne Judaism (musée du Judaïsme bayonnais Suzanne et Marcel Suarès) round out what’s on offer. To understand the city’s architecture, the CIAP Lapurdum (architecture and heritage interpretation centre) is the place to start.

The Château-Vieux

The ‘Old Castle’, whose origins go back to the 12th century.

Les Halles de Bayonne

The covered market on the banks of the Nive, with Basque produce and a real market atmosphere. On Saturday mornings, around sixty producers set up around Les Halles, on both banks of the Nive.

Other markets

  • Marché Sainte-Croix (Place des Gascons): Wednesdays 08:00–13:00, the city’s largest (nearly 120 traders).
  • Marché du Marquisat and Polo Beyris market: Fridays 08:00–13:00.
  • Pêcherie des Allées Marines (fish market): every day except Sunday, until 13:00 at the latest, depending on the catch and the tides.

Bayonne chocolate

According to the Académie du chocolat de Bayonne (Bayonne Chocolate Academy), the city had as many as 32 chocolate makers in 1854. Several historic firms keep the tradition alive, including Cazenave (1854), Daranatz (1890) and Pariès (1895).

Bayonne ham (PGI)

Bayonne ham has had European PGI status (IGP) since 1998. It is dry-salted with salt from the salt works of the Adour basin — Salies-de-Béarn salt — and it is produced in the Adour basin (Pyrénées-Atlantiques and neighbouring cantons of the Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Landes). Genuine hams bear the seal of the Consortium du Jambon de Bayonne, a lauburu (Basque cross) branded on the rind.

Ham Fair (Foire au jambon): every spring (traditionally around Easter); in 2026, 23–26 April.

The Fêtes de Bayonne

Five days, Wednesday to Sunday, in July: 15–19 July in 2026, 14–18 July in 2027. Since 2018, non-residents have had to pay for entry (wristband). The dress code is white, with a red neckerchief and sash. The festival opens with the throwing of the keys from the town hall balcony, in the presence of King Léon (roi Léon), the festival mascot. The Fêtes are included in France’s Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

How many people? More than 1.3 million visitors in 2023. Book your accommodation very early.

On the programme: giants, bullfights (a controversial subject), Basque pelota, music and dancing, a parade of floats (corso), fireworks and toros de fuego (fire bulls), and the encierro ttiki (little bull run) for children.

Getting there

  • Train: Bayonne station, with connections to Paris and Spain
  • Plane: Biarritz airport (BIQ)
  • Car: A63 motorway
  • City bus: Txik Txak network

Ideal one-day itinerary in Bayonne

  • Morning: Les Halles, then the cathedral and cloister
  • Lunch: in Petit Bayonne
  • Afternoon: Basque Museum or Musée Bonnat-Helleu, then the ramparts
  • Late afternoon: hot chocolate in Grand Bayonne
  • Evening: drinks on the Nive quays

Frequently asked questions

Bayonne or Biarritz — which should I visit?

Both. They are neighbours and complement each other. Biarritz = the seaside. Bayonne = culture, food and history.

Can you visit Bayonne in half a day?

Yes, if you keep up the pace. The bare minimum: Les Halles, the cathedral, Grand Bayonne (chocolate), the Basque Museum.

Can you go to the Fêtes de Bayonne with children?

Yes, especially during the day (giants, encierro ttiki). In the evening it gets more crowded and more alcohol-fuelled.

Where can I find genuine Bayonne ham?

Look for the PGI label and the seal of the Consortium du Jambon de Bayonne: a lauburu (Basque cross) branded on the rind.

Aviron Bayonnais

The multi-sports club was founded in 1904; its rugby section, created in 1906, plays in sky blue and white at the Stade Jean-Dauger (14,370 seats). It was French champion in 1913, 1934 and 1943, won the Challenge Yves-du-Manoir in 1936 and 1980, and the Pro D2 in 2019 and 2022; it has played in the Top 14 since the 2022–2023 season. It has a historic rivalry with neighbouring Biarritz Olympique. It was also at Aviron Bayonnais that Didier Deschamps started playing football, aged eleven.

Famous people linked to Bayonne

  • Léon Bonnat (died 1922) — painter and portraitist, a native of Bayonne, buried in Saint-Étienne cemetery. His collection is the origin of the Musée Bonnat-Helleu.
  • Didier Deschamps — footballer born in Bayonne and trained at Aviron Bayonnais; captain of the France team that won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000, then manager of Les Bleus from 2012, winning the World Cup in 2018. In January 2025 he announced that he would step down after the 2026 World Cup.
  • Roland Pétrissans — rugby player born in Bayonne, flanker and captain of Aviron Bayonnais, winner of the Challenge Yves-du-Manoir in 1980 and runner-up in the French championship in 1982; he played for the French Barbarians against New Zealand in Bayonne. He later taught physical education at the Collège Marracq (secondary school).
  • René Cassin (1887–1976) — jurist born in Bayonne, winner of the 1968 Nobel Peace Prize and a major contributor to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
  • Jean Duvergier de Hauranne (1581–1643) — Abbot of Saint-Cyran, a native of Bayonne, who introduced Jansenism into France.
  • Katia and Marielle Labèque (born in Bayonne in 1950 and 1952) — internationally renowned piano duo; their recording of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (1980) went gold. They founded their own label, KML Recording, in 2007.
  • Michel Portal — musician born in Bayonne (clarinet, saxophone, bandoneon), a leading figure in jazz and contemporary music, three-time winner of the César for Best Music (1983, 1985, 1988).
  • Jean Grenet — born and died in Bayonne, mayor of the city from 1995 to 2014, member of the National Assembly (député) from 2002 to 2012 and president of the Côte Basque-Adour urban community (2008–2014).
  • Bénédicte Delmas (born in Bayonne in 1972) — actress, Dr Laure Olivier in the TV series Sous le soleil, who later became a director (Plus belle la vie, Section de recherches).
  • Sylvain Luc — jazz guitarist born in Bayonne.

What’s on

My favourite photo

The Nive quays at sunset, when the half-timbered façades are reflected in the water.

Sources

Ongi etorri Baionara — Welcome to Bayonne.

← All towns and villages in Labourd