Bayonne, France: Where Basque Culture, History, and Food Collide

Bayonne, France is a really awesome ancient city full of beautiful architecture and basque culture. There is an additional reason why traveling here was so important to me. I am from Bayonne NJ in the United States and always wanted to visit our sister city in France. I am so glad I made the trip because I was blown away by what I experienced.

It’s a 2000 year old Roman strong hold with old castles and a star fort up on a hill that’s occupied by the military. Many Bastion towers are still intact and in use and there is a giant cathedral in the center of the town. This city is at the foothills of the Pyrenees mountain range and very close to the Atlantic Ocean.

The first night I arrived, it was raining but the hotel was close enough that I was able to walk from the train station. I took a 4 hour train ride from Paris with a changeover in Bordeaux.

The roads of Grande Bayonne are narrow and cobblestoned. The town is full of boutique shops and cafes.

Checked into the Hotel Des Basses which is a really nice hotel and the entrance is one of these old Bastion towers. So kewl to be staying in a 2000 year old historic building! I dropped my stuff into my room and checked out the town. My room had an amazing view of the cathedral!

It was about 5:30 when I wanted to eat dinner but most places don’t open for dinner until 6:30. I walked around the town square a bit and crossed the Nive river into petite Bayonne. The Nive river is the smaller of the two rivers in Bayonne and there are a few small bridges that cross it. The stonework that lines the river is centuries old with a lower walkways that is completely covered during high tide.

My first meal was really good at a local restaurant along the Nive. I was the only person in the restaurant because I showed up exactly when they opened up on a Wednesday night. I started off with a tomato burrata appetizer with a green “basque” sauce. It was a bright fresh flavor explosion in my mouth. Then my main course was duck confit with fromage and frites. That was also delicious and very filling. The fromage had a dash of jam on it and it paired well with the fattiness of the duck confit. Washed that all down with a french toast and caramel ice cream dessert. I was a happy full boii 🙂

The next day I explored the town more extensively. I discovered there is an ancient wall surrounding the city and most of it is a walkway. Where there used to be a moat is now a bunch of parks that are connected. I walked all around the city in the morning. Had an amazing breakfast at a place called Coffee Muxu. Roamed through the old streets of Bayonne while checking out the different boutique shops. The main cathedral in the city of Bayonne is so impressive and beautiful.

I found a truffle shop that had all sorts of different truffle-related products. I bought a truffle seasoning that is super potent and has been fabulous on eggs. There are chocolate shops and really expensive clothing shops. I bought a pair of underwear and socks for 90 euros. They were made in France and apparently the French make “the greatest products of all time” so you must pay a hefty premium for that! The underwear is comfortable so we shall see if it was worth that exorbitant price tag. ** UPDATE – this French underwear is the best underwear I ever bought, so durable and comfortable! I’m never taking them off!! NEVER!!!!!

I really enjoyed my time in Bayonne and I need to go back to explore more of the basque region. There is Biarritz and San Sebastian not too far away that I would love to check out. Traveling on the trains in Europe was really such a dream. I wish we could travel like this in America but our rail system isn’t as advanced as it used to be….