Discount Hotels Biarritz
Historical interest: Biarritz
    
The town of Biarritz prospered in the 12th century as a whaling centre until
the mammals left the Bay of Biscay, marking a downward spiral in the port's
fortune. Some of Biarritz's most prominent landmarks were erected in this time
of lucrative prosperity; and with these great edifices followed some of France's
highest gentry.
One of these was Comtesse de Montijo, who spent many summers here with her
two daughters. One of the daughters, Eugénie, married Napoleon III in
1853 and convinced him to make the trip out to Biarritz.
The emperor was immediately lured by the beauty of the town and proceeded to
construct the Hôtel du Palais. The hotel remains the town's most enduring
landmark, though it was originally dubbed 'Eugénie's Basque folly'. Edward
VII stayed there in 1906 and again in 1910, only days before his death. Set
in a commanding spot on Grande Plage, the hotel is worth a visit even if you're
not a guest. You can view the palatial trappings of its public rooms.
Before the Russian Revolution of 1917, members of Russian nobility arrived
in great profusion; so many in fact, that they endeavoured to build the Eglise
Orthodoxe Russe. Located adjacent to the Hôtel du Palais, this Byzantine-Russian
landmark was built in 1892 so that wintering Russian aristocrats could worship
in place of divulging in champagne, caviar and Basque prostitutes. The magnificent
gilded dome is the colour of a blue sky on a sunny day.
There has been a massive transformation in the town since the days of the nobility,
although when you walk the streets of the town, an essence of the fragmented
past still remains somewhere in the landscape.
Selection of hotels in this region:
Tulip Inn Biarritz Louisiane | | Crowne Plaza Biarritz | |
Click below for a
full list of hotels and online booking
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