A Saturday Stroll through the Streets of Bayonne, France

Have you ever been to a place and thought, “Bugger, I wish I could spend more time here?”

I said and thought exactly that at Bayonne in south-eastern France. It really is a hidden gem, slightly off the normal tourist trail.

Let me tell you about it…

Bayonne (pronounced Bay-On-A) is located at the confluence of two rivers – the Adour and the Nive. This meant, in the olden days, it was an important port for transferring goods such as the agricultural produce from the surrounding region. The city is located a hop, skip and jump from the glitzy resort area of Biarritz and I suspect that Bayonne is slightly over-shadowed by its more glamourous neighbour.

Bayonne wouldn’t normally have been on our radar except that it is a major transit point for the town of Saint Jean Pied de Port. Saint Jean Pied de Port is famous as the starting place of the incredibly popular Camino Frances trail and the end point for the lesser-known Chemin de St Jacques, aka Camino via Podiensis. We had briefly passed through Bayonne way back in 2013 on our way to Saint Jean Pied de Port to start out on our Camino Frances adventure. This time we were returning, in a slightly less bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed state, after finishing our 30day stroll on the Chemin de St Jacques.

You meet all sorts of people when you walk a camino and the Chemin de St Jacques was no different. In one remote village we met an American woman who was raving about Bayonne, its wonderful architecture, history and its chocolate. You had me at chocolate (! 😊) and we decided that, instead of trying to find a bed in the frantically busy St Jean Pied de Port when we finished our walk, we would have a couple of wind down days in Bayonne. A great plan we thought, but due to it being a long weekend when we arrived, all the connecting trains were booked out and we could only manage one night in this amazing city. Bugger!

But, back to Bayonne itself…

With our very limited time, we knew we could only scratch the surface of this fascinating place. In fact, our visit was limited to an early morning stroll through the old city and their weekend farmers markets. We chose to stay at the Ibis hotel on the northern side of the river Adour. It was a great location – only minutes from the train station – and close to the bridge which connects to the old city. The layout of the ville, with all its waterways, certainly intrigued and whetted the appetite.

It was grey, blustery and cool as we set out on our stroll. We had to get going early if we were going to see any of the city as we were booked on an early train. At least we had the streets mostly to ourselves, although the grey skies were not ideal for photography and I know my photos will not do the place justice.

As we walked, we quickly understood how the rivers have shaped the city – both how people lived and did business. The tall, colourful buildings hugged the river’s edge, so close it looked like they were all but toppling into the water.

The Saturday Farmers Market was just starting to crank up as we arrived. We joined the steady stream of locals, baskets in hand, to browse the stalls and admire the fresh produce. Food shopping in France is a serious business. Despite all the healthy goods, my eyes were searching for more decadent produce.

Yes, chocolate! Apparently, in 1492 the Spanish expelled its Jewish population, including its chocolate makers. Many of these artisans settled in Bayonne and the city became known as a centre for chocolate production, to the point that they now have a dedicated chocolate museum. Yes, another sweet reason to return!

Away from the river, the cobbled streets twisted and turned to reveal hidden squares, quirky shops and of course, endless delicious boulangeries and patisseries. Over the entire heart of the old city, the Cathédrale Sainte-Marie de Bayonne dominated. Unfortunately for us, the Cathédrale was locked up tight at this early stage of the morning and we had to make do with peering through the gates for a sneak peek of the cloisters.

Bayonne struck me as a very young and cosmopolitan city. The streets were starting to come to life as people from all nations were making their way to work or going about their Saturday morning business. The previous night we had enjoyed a Thai dinner and our waiter was a French speaking Pakistani man! He was desperate to talk about cricket with the Husband and he was a bit frustrated that his job kept interrupting the conversation about the merits of various cricket teams. According to this young man, Bayonne is a great place to live AND there is an active and passionate Pakistani cricket team playing in the area. It’s all about your priorities! 😉

Unfortunately, time was up and we had a train to catch. We had to scurry back over the bridge to the hotel to grab our bags and head straight to the train station. We both looked longingly back over the river and commented that it was a place we would definitely return to one day. A true hidden gem.

Where did you discover a hidden gem?

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