French Courses in Biarritz
Overview
Biarritz is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques area of the French Basque Country. It is located in southwestern France, 35 km from the border with Spain. Once a small fishing village, Biarritz was made fashionable after 1854 by Napoleon III and his Spanish empress, Eugénie. The British are largely responsible for its growth as a winter residence. Visited by Queen Victoria, Edward VII, and Alfonso XIII of Spain, Biarritz began to call itself “the queen of resorts and the resort of kings.”
Why study French in Biarritz?
The region’s mild climate, the variety of beaches and scenery, and the town’s luxurious tourist accommodations continue to draw international visitors. The city offers many attractions, with the organisation of festivals, conference facilities, and a centre for thalassotherapy. A promenade runs between the sandy beaches of the Grand Plage, facing northwest, and the Côte des Basques. The beaches are split by a rocky promontory, and the town is a popular resort for windsurfers and surfers, who descend on Biarritz in July when it conducts a surfing festival and hosts the European longboard championships. The folklore and traditions of the Basques of the district are an added attraction.
Language Schools and Camps in this Destination
In Biarritz, Marshall Language Services offers intensive, full-immersion French courses for adults and teenagers at the France Langue language school.
Things to Do and See During a Vacation Study
Le Grand Stroll
Biarritz offers one of the most attractive seaside saunters in France, it starts at the lighthouse, passes France’s second-oldest golf course and the Russian Orthodox Church, built for visiting 19th Century nobility, with its glorious blue dome. The famous old promenade along the Grande Plage leads past the Casino Barriere, with a fine art deco ceiling and floor, the peaceful old square Place Ste-Eugenie and the Museum of the Sea, with its handsome facade and shark-feeding sessions. The walk continues to Fishermen’s Port, built by Emperor Napoleon, and the Rock of the Virgin. The statue of Madonna, set up to keep local fishermen safe, is over a bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel, of tower fame.
Grande Plage
One of Biarritz’ largest beaches, the Grande Plage has attracted high-society vacation goers since the Belle Epoque. This beautiful wide sandy beach begins at Bellevue near the Boulevard du Général de Gaulle and extends to the Hôtel du Palais.
Musée de la Mer (Museum of the Sea)
An exceptional sea museum, located opposite the Rocher de la Vierge, it opened in 1935 with a focus on the marine life found in the Bay of Biscay. It features a natural history collection and an impressive saltwater aquarium filled from the nearby ocean. It has a panoramic outdoor terrace with a seal pool, and a touch pool, where visitors can pick up a starfish, tickle a fish, or poke a sea anemone. Other highlights include a special exhibit of sharks.
Phare de Biarritz
This lighthouse was built in 1834 and overlooks the coastline of the Cape Hainsar. It stands at the tip of the Pointe Saint-Martin, which marks a boundary between the sandy beaches of the Landes Coast to the south and the rocky coastline of the Basque country to the north.
Surfing
In 1957, surfing in Europe started in Biarritz and the tradition continues.
Chapelle Impériale
The Imperial Chapel was built in 1864 for the Empress Eugénie, and has an enchanting Byzantine, Moorish interior featuring exquisite gilded mosaics. It dedicated to the Mexican Madonna of Guadalupe.
Shops and Chocolate
In Biarritz, there are specialist cheese shops, grocers and a large selection of chocolate, confectionery and cake shops. Bonbon-making is a tradition. One speciality, the chocolate caramel Kanouga, was devised in 1905 for visiting Russian nobility. The Chocolate Museum is worth a visit.
Espelette Peppers
A cornerstone of Basque cuisine is the Espelette pepper which was brought back from Mexico during the time of Columbus. Today, the autumn ritual is to fill every spare space in the villages around Biarritz with drying peppers. It is sold ground, pureed and pickled, and is the main ingredient in the dish piperade, made with scrambled eggs and ham.
Outside of Biarritz
North of Biarritz for a day trip, there is the old and interesting town of Bayonne, the beaches and huge forest of Les Landes. A few miles south are the attractive Basque towns of Saint Jean de Luz in France, and San Sebastian, just inside Spain. From the summit of La Rhune, the antique mining train Le Petit Train de La Rhune offers the most exciting view of the city. Wild Pottok horses can be seen along the way.
How to Arrive at your Language Course
By Air
Biarritz Pays Basque Airport is located just 5 km southeast of Biarritz city center. It is a minor international airport in France and mostly offers seasonal flights to western European capitals and connections with bigger French airports.
By Train
All trains to Biarritz only stop at La Négresse train station, about 3km south of the town centre. Chronoplus bus A1 runs regularly into the city centre.
By Coach
Buses run frequently between Bayonne and Biarritz. ATCRB travel down the coast to St-Jean de Luz, Urrugne and Hendaye; there’s also an express service that runs three times daily and buses to Spain.