La Bastide-Clairence
La-Bastide-Clairence ('most beautiful villages of France') is in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, to the north-east of Sare and Ainhoa.
Tourist Information and places to visit
La Bastide Clairence is classified as one of the ‘Plus Beaux Villages of France’. This is a bastide with a Basque flavour. The houses are painted white and all have shutters painted in the deep red colour, occasionally green, typical of this region.
The bastide was founded in the XIV century by Louis I of Navarre, the future Louis X of France. Basques and Gascons came to live in the town.
The village is charming and lovely to amble around. Most of the shops in the town are owned by local artisans, happily producing good quality rather than tourist quality goods! If you are looking for some unusual presents this is a good place to head for. In September La Bastide Clairence hosts a pottery fair which welcomes over 50 potters from around Europe.
The church is more ornate on the outside than most in the area. Inside it has the wooden galleries around the edge which are often found in Basque churches and give them a warm, welcoming feel. Next to the church is a Jewish cemetery.
When you’ve had a good wander around go to the little shop at the top of the town on Rue Notre Dame which sells macaroons. These come in lots of flavours including chilli pepper using the famous Espelette piments. Delicious! Take your bag to the little garden behind the tourist office and enjoy.
Nearby
Close to La Bastide Clairence you can visit Abbaye de Belloc whose monks make a famous sheep’s milk cheese.
South-east of the village at Saint Martin d'Arberoue are the caves of Isturitz and Oxocelhaya, the former featuring prehistoric relics and the other with impressive rock formations - stalactites etc
At Hastingues, just off the A64 north-east of La Bastide, is Arthous Abbey - active from the 12th to the 17th centuries, and now restored and open to the public it also houses a museum of heritage targetted at children and the 'Landes region Departmental Centre of Heritage'.
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Tourist Classifications for La Bastide-Clairence
- Most beautiful villages in France
Places to visit near La Bastide-Clairence, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near La Bastide-Clairence.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
30 km: Ainhoa (Most beautiful village) 25 km: Bayonne (Important town) 18 km: Cambo-les-Bains (attractive town and gardens) 31 km: Capbreton (Atlantic seaside resort) 23 km: Espelette (chilli village) 32 km: Hossegor (Atlantic surfing centre and beach) 19 km: Itxassou (pretty village)
See also La Bastide-Clairence (version Francais)
