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La Bastide-Clairence

Visit La Bastide-Clairence (Aquitaine, France)

La-Bastide-Clairence is a picturesque village in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, to the north-east of Sare and Ainhoa. It is listed as one of the most beautiful villages of France. The bastide was founded in the XIV century by Louis I of Navarre, the future Louis X of France, at which time both Basques and Gascons came to live in the town.

Explore La Bastide-Clairence

La Bastide Clairence is a bastide town with a definite Basque flavour. The houses are painted white and all have shutters painted in the deep red colour, or occasionally in green, both colours typical of the shutters in the region.

The village is charming and lovely to amble around. Most of the shops in the town are owned by local artisans, generally producing good quality rather than tourist quality goods. If you are looking for some unusual presents this is a good place to head for.

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.

If you are visiting La Bastide-Clairence in September the village hosts a pottery fair which welcomes over 50 potters from across Europe.

Attractions 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 such as stalactites.

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'.

Photos of La Bastide-Clairence

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Tourist classifications for La Bastide-Clairence

La Bastide-Clairence is classified as a one of the most beautiful village in France (plus beau villages)

Address: Bastide-Clairence, Bayonne, Pyrenees-Atlantiques, Aquitaine, 64240 || GPS: latitude 43.428, longitude -1.255

Map of La Bastide-Clairence & places nearby



 

Highlights close by

More suggestions: Anglet 22km; Ainhoa 24km; Biarritz 25km; Sauveterre-de-Bearn 26km; Salies-de-Bearn 27km; Capbreton 28km; Hossegor 29km; Sare 29km; Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port 29km; Saint Jean de Luz 33km; La Rhune 33km;

See lots more places to visit nearby and a more detailed map at places near La Bastide-Clairence.
See Aquitaine and Pyrenees-Atlantiques (the region and department for La Bastide-Clairence) for more travel ideas...

Suggested tourist attractions to visit near La Bastide-Clairence, France

• Jardins de la villa Arnaga - remarkable garden (14km)
• Bayonne - secteur sauvegarde (19km)
• Bayonne cathédrale St Marie (monuments on French pilgrim routes) - heritage site (19km)
• Sorde l'Abbaye - abbaye St Jean (monuments on French pilgrim routes) - heritage site (20km)
• Anglet - ville fleurie 4* (22km)
• Marais d'Orx - site of natural beauty (22km)
• Ainhoa - most beautiful village (24km)
• Sare - most beautiful village (29km)
• Porte St Jacques - St Jean Pied-de-Port (monuments on French pilgrim routes) - heritage site (29km)
• Parc du Sarrat - remarkable garden (35km)

The French version of this page is at La Bastide-Clairence (Francais)