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Jewish heritage of the Basque Country and the southern Landes

More than 500 years of history, remarkable figures and unexpected anecdotes.

  • Private tour, by appointment
  • Official guide approved by the ACIBB
  • Part of the usual packages, no extra charge
  • Packages from €130 to €340
Request a tailor-made tour+33 7 50 69 45 48

500yearsof Jewish presenceIn the Basque Country since the 16th century

Another way to discover Bayonne and the Basque Country

It was the Sephardic Jews, who came from the Iberian Peninsula, who brought chocolate to Bayonne, where it has become almost an emblem of the city. Did you also know that Benjamin Gomez helped create the famous Fêtes de Bayonne in 1932? Or that René Cassin, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a leading figure behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was born in Bayonne?

With his brother Louis, Benjamin Gomez also formed one of the most renowned architect duos in the region, whose buildings left their mark on Bayonne, Biarritz and Hossegor.

From great historical figures to forgotten traditions, from synagogues to Sephardic cemeteries, discover an exceptional heritage through surprising stories, places steeped in memory and anecdotes that will make you say:

“Well, I never knew that!”

Your guide

I am Frédéric Myara, a guide recognised by the Association cultuelle israélite de Bayonne et Biarritz (ACIBB) for tours of the Jewish heritage of the Basque Country and the southern Landes, with more than 30 years of experience in international tourism.

Passionate about this unique history, I offer a lively, personalised discovery of the region's Sephardic heritage, its traditions, its figures and its contribution to local history.

ACIBB, Jewish religious association of Bayonne and Biarritz Official guide approved by the ACIBB

Poster for the summer festival of Bayonne, 13 to 17 July 1932: txistu players, Basque dancers, Bayonne giants, cow races and the Navy grand ball
Poster for the Fêtes de Bayonne, July 1932
A bar of dark chocolate dusted with cocoa, surrounded by cocoa beans and cocoa powder
Logo of the Académie du Chocolat de Bayonne Logo of Les Chocolats de Bayonne, artisan chocolate makers

My aim is not simply to show you monuments, but to introduce you to the women, the men and the events that give them their full meaning.

Frédéric Myara, your guide

Tours available in:

  • English
  • Français
  • Español

Places and heritage to discover

Synagogues, a museum, Sephardic cemeteries and a mikveh: discover remarkable places that bear witness to more than five centuries of Jewish history in the Basque Country and the southern Landes.

  • Inside the synagogue of Bayonne: the wooden holy ark beneath a blue vault and a stained-glass window, at the top of steps covered with a red carpet Neoclassical façade of the synagogue of Bayonne, with its columns and red doors Bayonne

    The Great Synagogue of Bayonne

    Built in 1836–1837 in the Saint-Esprit district and listed as a historic monument, the Great Synagogue of Bayonne is one of the jewels of the region's Jewish heritage.

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    Its architecture, its stained-glass windows and its remarkable liturgical furnishings bear witness to several centuries of Sephardic traditions and to the history of a community deeply rooted in the city.

    French Historic Monuments logo Listed historic monument

  • Museum exhibition room: orange display cases with silver Torah crowns, and an old painting of a patriarch holding the Tablets of the Law Bayonne

    The Musée du Judaïsme bayonnais Suzanne et Marcel Suarès

    Housed within the synagogue complex, this museum tells the story of more than five centuries of Jewish presence in Bayonne.

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    Objects, documents and testimonies recount the arrival of Jews from Spain and Portugal, their traditions, their daily life and their contribution to the history of the city.

    Musée du Judaïsme Bayonnais Suzanne et Marcel Suarès (Jewish Museum of Bayonne)

  • The pale façade of the synagogue of Biarritz, with its large rose window, between a palm tree and a turreted villa Biarritz

    The Synagogue of Biarritz

    Inaugurated in 1904 in the heart of the prestigious imperial district, the synagogue of Biarritz bears witness to the arrival of Jewish families from Eastern Europe, notably from Russia, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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    Supported by the Poliakov and Brodsky families, it illustrates another side of the Jewish history of the Basque coast, shaped by the cosmopolitan spirit of the seaside resort.

  • The Jewish cemetery of Bayonne in the sunshine: rows of flat grey stone graves, surrounded by trees Close-up of Sephardic graves in dark stone, covered in lichen, some shaped like roofs Bayonne

    The Jewish Cemetery of Bayonne

    Founded in 1689, this remarkable Sephardic cemetery covers almost two hectares and holds more than 3,000 graves.

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    Listed as a historic monument, it is one of the most important Jewish burial grounds in Europe.

    Its gravestones tell more than three centuries of family, religious and community history.

  • The mikveh of Bayonne: a stone pool and its steps, beneath a wrought-iron railing, in a room with stone and half-timbered walls The mikveh pool seen from above: a deep stone basin and its steps, against a half-timbered wall Bayonne

    The Mikveh of Bayonne

    A little-known treasure of French Jewish heritage.

    Located in an old house in the Saint-Esprit district, this Jewish ritual bath, documented as early as 1752 and listed as a historic monument in 2014, is one of the few historic mikvehs preserved in France, alongside those of Carpentras and Montpellier.

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    No longer in use today, it bears witness to the religious traditions of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish families who settled in Bayonne from the 16th century onwards.

    Access to the interior is exceptional and requires prior authorisation from the City of Bayonne, subject to opening conditions and the availability of municipal services.

  • Wrought-iron gate topped with a Star of David, at the entrance of the Jewish cemetery of La Bastide-Clairence Southern Landes and hinterland

    Cemeteries and traces of Jewish heritage in the southern Landes and the hinterland

    In Peyrehorade, Bidache and La Bastide-Clairence, old cemeteries and historic remains bear witness to the settlement of Jewish communities from the Iberian Peninsula as early as the 16th and 17th centuries.

    Read more

    These sometimes little-known places reveal a fascinating history that reaches far beyond Bayonne and Biarritz.

    Visits there are considered case by case.

Privileged visits, by appointment and in complete security

Some treasures of the Jewish heritage of the Basque Country are rarely revealed to the general public.

Historic synagogues, a museum, Sephardic cemeteries and lesser-known heritage sites: they are discovered on private, personalised tours, by appointment.

These tours are part of the usual packages, with no extra charge for the theme: see the packages and their prices.

Read more

Each visit is carefully prepared with the people in charge of the sites, to offer you a privileged experience that respects their history, their sacred character and the security measures in place.

To ensure the peace of mind of visitors and the security of the sites, visits follow the access procedures, any security checks and the prior authorisations required.

Access to certain places, in particular the mikveh of Bayonne, remains exceptional and subject to the agreement of those who manage them or of the relevant authorities.

Did you know?

Three stories among many others, to discover during the tour.

  • A stone for grinding cocoa and its roller, displayed on an outdoor plinth

    Bayonne chocolate

    How did chocolate, brought to Bayonne by Sephardic Jews from the Iberian Peninsula, become almost an emblem of the city?

  • At the Fêtes de Bayonne, a crowd dressed in white and red holds revellers up at arm's length

    The Fêtes de Bayonne

    What is the link between Benjamin Gomez and the birth of the Fêtes de Bayonne in 1932?

  • Black-and-white portrait of René Cassin at his desk

    René Cassin

    How did a child born in Bayonne become one of the great international figures of human rights?

The answers? I will tell you on site.

Frequently asked questions

Places, access, languages, prices: what to know before your visit.

What will I discover during the tour?

More than five centuries of Jewish history in Bayonne and the Basque Country: the region's Sephardic heritage, its traditions, its figures and its contribution to local history, through places steeped in memory and surprising anecdotes, from Bayonne chocolate to the Fêtes de Bayonne and René Cassin, who was born in Bayonne.

Which places can be visited?

The synagogue of Bayonne, the Musée du Judaïsme Bayonnais Suzanne et Marcel Suarès, the synagogue of Biarritz and the Jewish cemetery of Bayonne. Historic sites in the southern Landes and the Basque hinterland, notably in Peyrehorade, Bidache and La Bastide-Clairence, also bear witness to this history: visits there are considered case by case.

Are all the places open to the public?

Some treasures of the Jewish heritage of the Basque Country and the southern Landes are rarely open to the general public.

Synagogues, a museum, Sephardic cemeteries and the mikveh of Bayonne: they are discovered on private, personalised tours, by appointment.

Each visit is carefully prepared with the people in charge of the sites, to offer you a privileged experience that respects their history, their sacred character and the security measures in place.

To ensure the peace of mind of visitors and the security of the sites, visits follow the access procedures and prior authorisations required.

Access to certain places, in particular the inside of the mikveh of Bayonne, remains exceptional and subject to the agreement of those who manage them or of the relevant authorities.

In which languages is the tour available?

In English, French or Spanish.

How much does the tour cost?

Jewish heritage tours are part of the usual packages, with no extra charge for the theme: The Escapade (2 hours): €130; The Half Day (3 hours): €180; The Full Day (6 hours): €340. Private packages for 1 to 4 people — price per group, not per person. Depending on the package chosen, the tour can focus on the Jewish heritage of Bayonne, that of Biarritz, or combine both towns. Admission fees, transport, meals and personal expenses not included, unless otherwise stated. All prices are in euros, all taxes included.

See the packages and practical information

Five centuries of history. Remarkable places. Astonishing lives.

Let yourself be surprised by an often little-known heritage, at the heart of the history of the Basque Country.

Request a tailor-made tour +33 7 50 69 45 48