Mercure Bayonne Centre

of course,the bordeaux area...

by fabrice

of course,the bordeaux area has a lot of wineyards,which give the best and the most expensive wines in the world.I also recommend the atlantic coast(gironde,landes,pyrénées-atlantiques)which have the best beaches in france I already lived in bayonne,biarritz,anglet,saint-jean-de-luz,ciboure,urrugne.I was 11 years in this part of france;this map is the french part of pays-basque;I do not want to get shot,so I will say:northern pays-basque

Parc Leon Bonnat

by mikey_e

I don't know that this park is actually called Léon Bonnat, but given that I can't really find a name for it and that it is in fact on Avenue Léon Bonnat, it seemed like this was the best name to give it. It is in a newer part of Grand Bayonne, not far from the Tourist Office and the main Post Office, so I doubt that the park itself is of any historic significance. However, it is a pretty and well-maintained green space near the Adour where you can relax in relative peace and quiet before heading off to do more sightseeing or shopping. There are no spectacular flower dispays or rare flora - this is just a municipal park intended to provide a bit of relaxation. I had lunch here - there are a number of bakeries and sandwich shops nearby - and it seems to be the perfect location for a small picnic on a warm summer's day.

Promenade des Remparts

by mikey_e

By the time that I had arrived in Bayonne from Pau, the pulled muscle or ligament or whatever it was in my leg was really bad and I was always in need of a bit of rest after walking around for 15 or 20 minutes. That's why I stopped into this park, which is conveniently located right beside the Château Vieux and the near the Cathedral. It is built within the ramparts of the city, the old defensive walls that once protected the people of Bayonne from the Moors, the Spanish and the English. Today, given that these groups are either not a threat or welcomed as paying guests, the ramparts can be used for pleasure. Actually, the combination of the trees and the high walls provides a lot of shade within the green space, which is a welcome relief from the heat of the summer, especially if you are there during August. I just strolled through the part of the park near the Château Vieux, which was quite pleasant, but the entire area stretches quite a long way and there is a small trolley that you can take if you don't feel like walking. It is actually run by the municipal transport company and thus can take you to places outside of the park as well, but I still preferred the old fashioned way of getting around this lush green space.

Église Saint-Esprit

by mikey_e

The Église Saint-Esprit is in the autonomous commune of Saint-Esprit, which is located across the Adour from Bayonne. The ironic thing is that this commune is home to the Bayonne train station, and as such will likely be the first place you visit in Bayonne if you arrive by train. The Église Saint-Esprit caught my fancy because the architecture of the building is so bizarre. Not that the architecture in itself is unique, but rather that it appears to be a small Mexican church dropped into the middle of what is, for all intensive purposes, a sleazy neighbourhood of a provincial French city. It has whitewashed walls and a fairly plain interior, and is fairly small. The impression is rather ruined by the shwarma shops across from the church, but it returns when you enter the building and can peacefully examine the structure and its characteristics.

Bayonne, FR

by dromosapien

"dromosapien"

Porte d’Espagne

- gate of Spain

constructed: 1680 on the site of 4th century Roman gate
architect: Sebastien Le Prestre Vauban (1633-1707)
address: Quartier du Grand Bayonne rampart

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* Bayonne
population: 46,000

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"Hotel de Ville"

- city hall, theater, and former customs house

constructed: 1836-43
architect: Nicolas Vionnois
address: Place de la Liberte, Quartier du Grand Bayonne

"Rue Port de Castets"

address: Quartier du Grand Bayonne