Biarritz (St. Jean de Luz)

This seaside resort in French Basque Country lies only 15 miles from the Spanish border. Long popular with surfers, Biarritz now offers stylish boutiques and sophisticated restaurants to complement its beach bars. Perhaps French fashion designer Coco Chanel foresaw the future when she opened her first shop here in 1915. Visit the city’s most famous landmark, Hotel du Palais, built by Napoleon III as a summer home for his bride, Empress Eugenie. Just 20 minutes from Biarritz, the resort town of St. Jean de Luz features beautiful 17th-century architecture, including the Church of St. John the Baptist, one of the most representative of Basque churches.