Orthodox Church

You may not know it, but in Biarritz there are a few Russian highlights here and there. The Orthodox church in front of you is a fine example of the Russian aristocracy’s passage through the town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It all began when the princely Oldenburg couple came to visit Napoleon III in 1859. They had come to thank him after the Crimean War peace treaty was signed in Paris. They came accompanied by their court of fifty. Soon, the word began spreading among Russian upper class, who were quick to flock to Biarritz. The arrival of the railway made things much easier. Travelling to Biarritz required just a week, which was not bad for the time! The city’s 11 5-star hotels attracted many artists, the imperial court, the upper middle classes, the military and writers. Some came for medical treatment. This was at the beginning of the climatist movement, which advocated sea bathing and a marine climate to treat the lungs. However, for the growing Russian population, hotel lounges and converted chapels were no longer enough to replace their places of worship. So they financed the construction of this large Orthodox church. That’s why the neighbouring street is called Russian Street. Shortly before World War II, the casinos were up for sale and social life was no longer the order of the day. Then, in the 1950s, mass tourism began. The Russians left and never came back. They did, however, leave behind fond memories of their time in Biarritz. We’re now going to take the Russian Street to the right of the church to head back to the centre. If you want to go all the way to the Biarritz lighthouse, which I highly recommend, continue straight ahead along the Avenue de l’Impératrice for about 1 km. This beautiful white lighthouse, which stands 47 metres high and perches 75 metres above sea level, has been guiding sailors to port since 1834.  A little side note: the Biarritz lighthouse was the venue for the first major G7 dinner in 2019, bringing together the Presidents of France (Emmanuel Macron) and the United States (Donald Trump), the German Chancellor (Angela Merkel), as well as the Prime Ministers of Japan (Shinzo Abe), the United Kingdom (Boris Johnson), Canada (Justin Trudeau) and Italy (Giuseppe Conte). A truly exceptional dinner! Although you won’t be able to eat there, if it’s open during your visit, you can still climb the 248 steps to the top and admire the breathtaking views it offers of the rocky Basque coast and the sandy Landes coast.