Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Towns and Villages in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port: a medieval fortified city in the heart of the Basque Country

Capital of Lower Navarre, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (Donibane Garazi in Basque) owes its name to its geographical location at the foot of the passes or ports of the Pyrenees. The most famous of these is, undoubtedly, the Ibañeta/Roncesvalles pass, made famous by the legendary battle during which the rearguard of Charlemagne's army, commanded by Roland, was defeated by Basque fighters. This highly strategic position has allowed Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to assume the status of a key city of the Kingdom of Navarre.

The richness of its historical and architectural heritage gives it undeniable tourist appeal: a major destination in the Basque Country. Surrounded by walls, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is dominated by a Citadel, a true jewel of military architecture, with its ramparts, ditches and underground passages. Vauban left his mark there both in terms of its architecture and its interior design. It protects the different districts of the city, the country of Garazi and offers an incomparable panorama of the Nive valley and the surrounding mountains.

In Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, each building immerses the visitor in the past. Citadel, walls, Saint-Jacques gate (inscribed by UNESCO on the list of World Heritage of Humanity under the Routes of Saint-Jacques de Compostela in France), Gothic church, Prison of the Bishops, Mansart house are all invitations to discovery. As you wander the cobbled streets of the historic heart, you will be charmed by the architectural heritage and in particular the beautiful houses in the traditional Basque style. The pink sandstone which brightens up the facades, the lintels crowning the entrance doors, the half-timbering on the upper floors are some of the architectural characteristics of the city.
The ranking among “The Most Beautiful Villages of France” testifies to this richness and also rewards all the efforts undertaken to preserve, protect and enhance this heritage.

A region with multiple flavors, the city constitutes a showcase of the territory thanks to its numerous local shops but also to unmissable events, such as the weekly Monday market and the Local Producers and Artisans market. Producers from the villages of the Garazi mountains offer a very diverse range of local products (cheese, Irouléguy wines, cider, pork and cured meats, cold meats, pastries, honey or jams, etc.).
Faithful to its tradition of hospitality, with nearly 60,000 pilgrims per year, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is an essential stopover on the Way of Saint Jacques de Compostela. It is a well-deserved stopover before the formidable and dreaded climb of the Pyrenees towards the Roncesvalles collegiate church.

Ongi etorri!