The Pyrénées-Atlantiques takes its name from the two major geographical features that dominate this part of France – the mountains and the ocean. The French Basque towns of Biarritz, Bayonne and Saint-Jean-de-Luz are the best-known names in this area and certainly the Basque influence is very important in this part of the Pyrénées.
The natural beauty and height of the Pyrénées mean they are popular for winter sports – it’s a major skiing area – as well walking and climbing in the summer months. The mountains also offer a chance to see a way of life, especially farming, that has not greatly changed for many centuries.
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