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Biarritz |
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| Beach and casino in Biarritz | |
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Biarritz
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Aquitaine |
| Department | Pyrénées-Atlantiques |
| Arrondissement | Bayonne |
| Intercommunality | Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz |
| Mayor | Didier Borotra (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 0–85 m (0–279 ft) |
| Land area1 | 11.66 km2 (4.50 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 27,398 (2006) |
| - Density | 2,350 /km2 (6,100 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 64122/ 64200 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Biarritz (French pronunciation: [bjaʁits]; Gascon Occitan: Biàrritz; Basque: Biarritz IPA: [biarits̻] or Miarritze) is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers.
The town lies in Basque territory, and Basque flags and symbols are prevalent throughout Biarritz.
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Biarritz is located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Aquitaine region. It is adjacent to Bayonne and Anglet and 11 miles (18 kilometres) from the border with Spain. It is in the traditional province of Labourd in the French Basque Country.
Biarritz is a Basque name with locative suffix -itz (cp. Isturitz) attested Bearriz in 1170, Bearids in 1186, Bearritz in 1249.
Biarritz has long made its fortune from the sea: as a whaling settlement from the twelfth century onwards, in the 18th century doctors recommended that the ocean at Biarritz had therapeutic properties, inspiring patients to make pilgrimages to the beach for alleged cures for their ailments.
Biarritz became more renowned in 1854 when Empress Eugenie (the wife of Napoleon III) built a palace on the beach (now the Hôtel du Palais). The British royal family regularly took vacations in Biarritz: European royalty such as Queen Victoria, Edward VII, and Alfonso XIII of Spain were frequent visitors.
Biarritz's casino (opened 10 August 1901) and beaches make the town a notable tourist centre for Europeans, and East Coast North Americans. The city has also become a prime destination for surfers from around the world, developing a nightlife and surf based culture.
At the end of World War II in Europe, the U.S. Army's Information and Educational Branch was ordered to establish an overseas university campus for demobilized American service men and women in in the French resort town of Biarritz. Under General Samuel L. McCroskey, the hotels and casinos of Biarritz were converted into quarters, labs and class spaces for U.S. service personnel. The University opened 10 August 1945 and approximately 10,000 students attended an 8 week term. This campus was set up to provide a transition between army life and subsequent attendance at a university in the USA, and therefore students attended for just one term. After three successful terms the G.I. University closed in March 1946 (see G. I. American Universities) [1]
Biarritz features:
Cliffs and lookouts lie to the west of the main beach.
| Climate data for Biarritz-Anglet (altitude 69m, 1961-1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 11.6 (52.9) |
12.6 (54.7) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.3 (59.5) |
18.3 (64.9) |
20.9 (69.6) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
19.7 (67.5) |
14.7 (58.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
17.4 (63.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.1 (46.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
10.0 (50.0) |
11.7 (53.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
19.9 (67.8) |
18.6 (65.5) |
15.6 (60.1) |
11.0 (51.8) |
8.5 (47.3) |
13.7 (56.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) |
5.3 (41.5) |
6.1 (43.0) |
8.2 (46.8) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
16.0 (60.8) |
16.1 (61.0) |
14.3 (57.7) |
11.5 (52.7) |
7.3 (45.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
9.9 (49.8) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 143.2 (5.638) |
122.7 (4.831) |
121.7 (4.791) |
132.9 (5.232) |
121.0 (4.764) |
90.9 (3.579) |
65.1 (2.563) |
102.3 (4.028) |
124.6 (4.906) |
135.7 (5.343) |
174.2 (6.858) |
148.7 (5.854) |
1,483 (58.39) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 14.0 | 13.4 | 13.0 | 14.3 | 13.3 | 10.3 | 8.2 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 10.7 | 13.0 | 13.1 | 143 |
| Sunshine hours | 96 | 109 | 159 | 169 | 197 | 212 | 235 | 213 | 192 | 154 | 106 | 92 | 1,934 |
| Source: infoclimat.fr[3] | |||||||||||||
Surfing in Biarritz is of a world-class standard and first appeared in 1957.[4] The town has a strong surfing culture,[5] and is known worldwide for its surfing scene and the competitions it hosts yearly, including the Quicksilver/Roxy Jam tournament. In July 2011, Biarritz also hosted the Roxy Pro event, a tournament part of the ASP Women's World Tour.
The town is home to a prominent rugby union club, Biarritz Olympique.
Basque pelota is a very popular sport of the Basque country. Several local and international competitions take place in Biarritz.
The golf course near the lighthouse (Le Phare) was created in 1888 by British residents. In addition to this the town has a large circular golf range area on the border with illbaritz.
Biarritz is easily accessible from Paris by France's high-speed train, the TGV, and more regionally from Bordeaux, by TGV or TER. Trains are also available to travel east towards Nice. Night trains regularly depart from Irun, south of Biarritz and pass through the city before heading to Paris during an overnight trip. Many tourists and regulars to the city have begun using the night train to take weekend trips to Biarritz and saving travel time by traveling at night. The Biarritz - Anglet - Bayonne Airport is located about four kilometres from the city. It is near N10 road towards Anglet and is served by airlines from France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany.
Biarritz was the birthplace of:
Other:
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