Bayonne (fr. Bayonne) is a city in the Atlantic Pyrenees (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), in the south-west of France. The city location is between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees massive foothills, at the confluence the Niv (la Nive) and Adur (l’Adour) rivers. The city has over 50,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Pau department.
The city is a major regional center; it combines the Anglet and Biarritz cities, the largest cities in the south of Aquitaine. Bayonne is located on the border between the Basque Country and Gascony, just a few dozen kilometers from Spain.
Bayonne is a city of art with a rich cultural heritage and gastronomic traditions. People know it best for its ham and chocolate.
It’s located on the border between Gascony and the Basque Country; these two cultures have always influenced Bayonne, they complement and not oppose each other. The city location ensured its prosperity and gave it the status of a leading commercial center over the centuries. The city is still a major educational and economic, which houses the ninth largest port in France.
The city consists of three main areas: Grand Bayonne, Petit Bayonne and Saint-Esprit, each of which has its own personality, which is reflected in the architecture and the “mood”, which significantly differs sometimes.
Bayonne is partly located on the outskirts of the Silver Coast (a long stretch of the straight line with a sandy coastline stretching for almost 250 kilometers; the nearest beaches are only ten kilometers from the city center (in the suburban towns of Biarritz and Anglet). This is a favorite place for surfers who come here to “ride the waves.” The Bayonne landscapes are very diverse: there are green hills, emerald pastures, forests, swamps, and the first foothills of the Pyrenees, of course, with a very modest height: 905 meters in La Rhune and 543 meters in Jaizkibel.
The Chiberta Forest (la forêt de Chiberta) is not far from Bayonne, which is called the “green lungs” of the region – it grows pines, stone and cork oaks. It adjoins the vast Landes de Gascogne forest.
No comments:
Post a Comment