Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Travel Guide

 hquittner Says:  St.Jean-Pied-de-Port is in the shadow of the Atlantic-Pyrenees at the edge of the Bearn area. It is increasingly a winter sport center and has become increasingly a place where maize is grown. 

 hquittner Says:  Below the center of town on the river us a weir to control the flow of water past the town. Along the river are several pleasant restaurants. 

 hquittner Says:  At the far end of town after a hill toward toward the South is the Way toward the border only 7 km further. On this end of town there are extensive ramparts which run down to the river 

 hquittner Says:  Further down the hill there are the older buildings. On the right one of the older buildings is called the former almshouse which contains a small museum. Nearby on a wall is a plaque with an inscription indicating the pilgrimage direction. 

 hquittner Says:  On the hill above the Ville Haut on the right near the St. Jacques gateway is the Citadel which is of the 17C with views into the distance. 

 hquittner Says:  The best view of the church is from the South along the Nive. A view frpm the North side gives a view toward the Citadel above the upper Ville. Another view from further down the Nive River shows the Belfry and the Church. The inside of the church is simple. 

 hquittner Says:  The North and Southern sides of the Belfry have statues below the top. The one on the south is the Notre Dame. That on the north is possibly an Archangel. There is nothing on the west and south sides. It gives a nice view of the rue d'-Eglise 

 hquittner Says:  The church of the little old city of St. Jean is in the rue d'Eglise and its west end projects over the bridge edge. It is called the Church of the Assumption or alternately Notre Dame. The western entrance has an arcade of small statues upon it of various types ranging from... 

 mikey_e Says:  The Accueil des Pelerins, or Pilgrims' Welcome, is an oft-visited centre in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. It has information on the route and is a great place to meet up with other pilgrims en route to Santiago, but if you're not on your way to make the pilgrimage, there isn't... 

 mikey_e Says:  The Maison des Evêques is a mediaeval structure that is now open to the public as a museum. This area was frequently engulfed in the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, not least because of its proximity to Navarre, where King Henry I was a Protestant monarch. I... 

 mikey_e Says:  Rue de la Citadelle is the major street that runs through the old town of St. Jean Pied de Port. In fact, now that I think about it, it may be the only street running through the inside of the ramparts, if you exclude that little piece of Rue de France that enters through... 

 mikey_e Says:  Rue d'Espagne is essentially the continuation of the Rue de la Citadelle on the opposite side of the Nive from the Citadelle. It does not have the same charm and old-world character of the town within the walls, and this is largely because it is packed with shops hawking... 

 mikey_e Says:  Donebane Garazi is a fortified town, and its ramparts and various other defensive structures have been incredibly well maintained. It is one of the aspects of the town that is so attractive, especially if you walk up from the train station and enter through the Porte de... 

 mikey_e Says:  I think that Donebane Garazi is far better for seeing and experiencing traditional Basque archtecture than is Bayonne. This is probably because Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a solidly Basque town, whereas Bayonne was mixed Basque-Gascon when it began growing in the Middle Ages,... 

 mikey_e Says:  I couldn't find the official name of this square, but it is pretty easy to find, as it is where the Route d'Uhart (a large street) meets the Rue d'Uhart (a small street branching off from the Rue d'Espagne). It has an interesting monument to a French politician, Charles...