Learn French in Biarritz

FROM FISHING VILLAGE TO FASHIONABLE RESORT
In 1843, Victor Hugo visited the then unknown fishing village and prophesied that it would have a splendid future. The town’s rise to fame began a few years later, when Eugenie, the wife of Emperor Napoleon III, discovered Biarritz. She was entranced by the fairty-tale surroundings and built a future summer residence- now the Hotel du Palais. Over the succeeding decades, and especially during the “Belle Epoque”, Biarritz was known above all as a summer resort for Europe’s intellectual and worldly elite. Although the visitors have changed almost beyond recognition, the many aristocratic villas and luxury hotels still bare witness to this age.

SURFERS’ ELDORADO WITH STYLE
Although the city has retained its exquisite charm with its exclusive restaurants and casinos, it also attracts a younger crowd today. There is one primary reason for this: numerous sandy beaches and powerful surf make Biarritz one of the world’s favourite surfing spots. Every year, surfers come here from all over the world and as a result an appropriate infrastructure has been created. Several language schools offer surfing courses and the necessary equipment can be obtained in many shops. Bars and discos ensure a lively nightlife when the sun goes down.