Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Encyclopedia
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a commune
in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
department in south-western France
.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the province Basque of Labourd and the Basque Eurocity Bayonne - San Sebastian .
Water from the area flows into the town from the Nivelle and its smaller tributaries, the Etxeberri, d' Isaka and Xantako streams. There is also the Basarun, and its smaler tributary the Mendi, which passes directly through Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The river has been made accesible to boats and it joins the sea by the Erromardia beach. A branch of the Uhabia
, an emblematic river in the neighbouring Bidart district, and its smaller Amisola tributary, also pass to the sea through St Jean de Luz.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is known for its royal wedding connection. In 1659, Cardinal Mazarin spent several months in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, from where he would embark on almost daily trips to the island of Bidassoa(near modern-day Hendaye) for Franco-Spanish meetings that resulted in the Treaty of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, one clause of which was the marriage of Louis XIV to Maria-Teresa, the Infanta of Spain. Saint-Jean-de-Luz and its church were chosen to host the royal wedding on 9 June 1660.
The town features a large number of residences built in the 17th and 18th centuries along the Quai de L'Infante, Rue Mazarin, Rue Gambetta and at the Place Louis XIV. In some respects this is testament to the families, shipowners and Basque merchants from this period. One of these, built alongside the Quai de L'Infante around 1640, is called the "Maison Joanoenea," and it is here that the Queen Mother, Anne of Austria, stayed before the royal marriage on 8 May 1660, followed by the Infanta of Spain on 7 June. Locally this house is referred to as the "Maison de l'Infante", and it has become a popular tourist attraction and museum.
, on the right bank of the river Nivelle
(French
for Urdazuri) opposite to Ciboure
. The port lies on the estuary just before the river joins the ocean. The summit of Larrun is situated approximately 8 km (5 mi) to the south-east of the town. The summit can be reached by the Petit train de la Rhune
, which commences from the Col de Saint-Ignace, 10.6 km (6.6 mi) to the east of the town on the D4 road to Sare
. It is in the traditional province of Lapurdi of the Basque Country
.
The boarding of the ship immediately took place. As for the M / S Batory, on June 21 at 7:00 am it was located at the Adour mouth and then began an approach to enter the port of Bayonne without anchor. However, on the recommendation of a British liaison officer, the ship set sail for Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where the soldiers’ units were gathered along with Polish civilian refugees. Maurice Schumann embarked on the M/S Batory. Bad weather and low clouds banished the spectre of a Luftwaffe attack and prevented another disaster along the lines of the one that had happened a few days earlier, on June 17, in Saint-Nazaire, where there were a large number of victims aboard the British liner Lancastria which had embarked with UK soldiers and civilians.
In the 1960’s the town expanded northwards (Avenue de l’Ocean) and also southwards in the direction of (the Urdazuri district). Since the 1970’s St Jean de Luz has been connected to Bordeaux to the north and Spain to the south by the motorway and more recently by the TGV railway. St Jean de Luz boasts extensive and attractive land and scenery, as well as a well preserved coastline which has so far escaped urbanisation. Indeed, some of the Basque coast has seen a degree of development but the area between Socoa and the Abbadia nature reserve and castle remain well protected. Saint-Jean-de-Luz has an excellent location and extensive land reserves that can ensure its further development. A significant portion of its coastline has so far escaped urbanization, which is exceptional, even unique (the rest of the Basque coast is indeed urbanized, apart from the Corniche, between Socoa cliff side and the Abbadia domain).
A monument in the Verdun Square honours the memory of the fallen soldiers from the two World Wars, and there is another monument dedicated to the resistance movement "Orion" which is found on the L’Infante Quai. This second plaque commemorates the importance of the work of French escape networks which helped people evade capture in Occupied France. Finally, there are some bunkers still visible along the coast. These formed part of the infamous German defences against invasion in 1944 called the Atlantic Wall. Some remains are still visible on the Santa-Barbe promenade.
Nowadays, St Jean de Luz depends strongly on tourism with safe clean beaches, notable high quality hotels and a thalassotherapie spa, swimming pools, a casino, golf courses and a new conference centre that is under construction. The town also benefits from regional tourism with many attracted by the pedestrian area full of shops open all year round. It also attracts a large number of visitors from Basque Spain or Guipuzcoa along with many from nearby Bayonne and across the rest of the south west. The city is particularly attractive to retired people, many of whom come to settle there from other areas across France.
Many cultural and sporting events are held throughout the year. There are internships and public concerts of classical music organized by the Académie Ravel, usually in the auditorium of the same name. There is a film festival dedicated to young filmmakers, a surfing film festival and Basque Pelota championships.
Several events originate from working in the fields, The best known of which is "lastoaltxatzea "the lifting of straw bales.” This is done either using a pitchfork or a pulley, and is often organized in tandem with “joko” (cart-lifting), “zakulasterka” (individual relay or sack races), and “untziketariak,” a race involving pitchers of milk. Not forgetting "soka-shot", or tug-of-war, now, which is an internationally recognised discipline celebrated in no less than fourteen countries. During the summer, there are demonstrations of ‘Force Basque,’ organised by the local Xiste organization, often at the main municipal arena in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
Nineteenth Century
Twentieth Century
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
department in south-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is part of the province Basque of Labourd and the Basque Eurocity Bayonne - San Sebastian .
Geography
Saint-Jean-de-Luz bay is situated to the east of the Bay of Biscay. It is the only sheltered bay between Arcachon and Spain. Thanks to its strong sea walls or dykes that protect the town from the full savagery of the Atlantic ocean, it has become a favourite for bathers across the Basque Coast. The seaside resort itself, is, relatively recent, however, the port itself is old.Water from the area flows into the town from the Nivelle and its smaller tributaries, the Etxeberri, d' Isaka and Xantako streams. There is also the Basarun, and its smaler tributary the Mendi, which passes directly through Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The river has been made accesible to boats and it joins the sea by the Erromardia beach. A branch of the Uhabia
Uhabia
The Uhabia or Ouhabia is a coastal river of the French Basque Country, in Aquitaine, Southwest France.- Geography :It rises at Goizbide in the woods above Ustaritz and Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, where it is known as the Apalagako erreka....
, an emblematic river in the neighbouring Bidart district, and its smaller Amisola tributary, also pass to the sea through St Jean de Luz.
How to get there
Saint-Jean-de-Luz stretches to either side of the D810, the old National 10 road. The town can be reached from the A63 motorway, Exit 3 (Saint Jean de Luz Nord) and Exit 2(Saint Jean de Luz Sud). The Saint-Jean-de-Luz-Ciboure railway station is on the French SNCF Bordeaux to Irun route, and it lies between Saint Jean de Luz and Ciboure.History
Located on the Atlantic coast, just a few kilometres from Spain, Saint-Jean-de-Luz's wealth stems from its port and its past, with the town being associated with either fishing or from the capture of vessels by its own Basque corsaires, or pirates. This prosperity reached its height during the 17th Century, which is still considered as the town's "Golden Age." During this period, Saint-Jean-De-Luz became the second largest town in the Labourd region with a population or around 12,000, just behind Bayonne.Saint-Jean-de-Luz is known for its royal wedding connection. In 1659, Cardinal Mazarin spent several months in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, from where he would embark on almost daily trips to the island of Bidassoa(near modern-day Hendaye) for Franco-Spanish meetings that resulted in the Treaty of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, one clause of which was the marriage of Louis XIV to Maria-Teresa, the Infanta of Spain. Saint-Jean-de-Luz and its church were chosen to host the royal wedding on 9 June 1660.
The town features a large number of residences built in the 17th and 18th centuries along the Quai de L'Infante, Rue Mazarin, Rue Gambetta and at the Place Louis XIV. In some respects this is testament to the families, shipowners and Basque merchants from this period. One of these, built alongside the Quai de L'Infante around 1640, is called the "Maison Joanoenea," and it is here that the Queen Mother, Anne of Austria, stayed before the royal marriage on 8 May 1660, followed by the Infanta of Spain on 7 June. Locally this house is referred to as the "Maison de l'Infante", and it has become a popular tourist attraction and museum.
Today
Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a fishing port on the Basque coast and now a famous resort, known for its architecture, sandy bay, the quality of the light and the cuisine. The town is located south of BiarritzBiarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, on the right bank of the river Nivelle
Nivelle river
The Nivelle is a 41 km long river in the Basque Country flowing largely south-east to north-west, with only 7 km of its length being considered navigable...
(French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
for Urdazuri) opposite to Ciboure
Ciboure
Ciboure is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It lies across the river Nivelle from the harbour of Saint-Jean-de-Luz....
. The port lies on the estuary just before the river joins the ocean. The summit of Larrun is situated approximately 8 km (5 mi) to the south-east of the town. The summit can be reached by the Petit train de la Rhune
Petit train de la Rhune
The Petit train de la Rhune is a metre gauge rack railway in France at the western end of the Pyrenees. It links the Col de Saint-Ignace, some to the east of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, to the summit of the La Rhune mountain...
, which commences from the Col de Saint-Ignace, 10.6 km (6.6 mi) to the east of the town on the D4 road to Sare
Sare
Sare is a village in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France....
. It is in the traditional province of Lapurdi of the Basque Country
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
.
Evacuation of the Polish army by sea in June 1940
A few weeks after the invasion of France by Germany, Saint-Jean-de-Luz was the scene of dramatic events. Polish soldiers who were unable to sail for England in Saint-Nazaire flocked onto the beach and the pier in the fishing port where large ships were able to dock. The ship M / S Batory and M / S Sobieski anchored in the harbour. Local fishermen volunteered to carry soldiers back and forth between the coast and each of these two big boats. The sea was rough and the fishing boats had difficulty approaching the side of these ships to enable the men who wanted to leave to board the ship without falling into the water. It is reported that women and children were helped aboard by sailors. Diplomats and officials of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also embarked on these ships and some French who had been inspired by the the call to continue the struggle against the Germans made by General De Gaulle a few days earlier, on June 18th. We know in detail the various movements of ships through the logs that have been preserved. The M / S Sobieski, was at the mouth of the Gironde during the June 20 and it arrived in Saint-Jean-de-Luz harbour on the night of 20 to 21.The boarding of the ship immediately took place. As for the M / S Batory, on June 21 at 7:00 am it was located at the Adour mouth and then began an approach to enter the port of Bayonne without anchor. However, on the recommendation of a British liaison officer, the ship set sail for Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where the soldiers’ units were gathered along with Polish civilian refugees. Maurice Schumann embarked on the M/S Batory. Bad weather and low clouds banished the spectre of a Luftwaffe attack and prevented another disaster along the lines of the one that had happened a few days earlier, on June 17, in Saint-Nazaire, where there were a large number of victims aboard the British liner Lancastria which had embarked with UK soldiers and civilians.
Post War
After 1945, some of the traditional fishing-based industries of the Fargeot district gradually disappeared, mainly as a result of overfishing and competition from elsewhere. This change strengthened the transformation of the town towards more luxury and tourism industries. In Saint-Jean-de-Luz (over 40% of dwellings of the town are second homes).In the 1960’s the town expanded northwards (Avenue de l’Ocean) and also southwards in the direction of (the Urdazuri district). Since the 1970’s St Jean de Luz has been connected to Bordeaux to the north and Spain to the south by the motorway and more recently by the TGV railway. St Jean de Luz boasts extensive and attractive land and scenery, as well as a well preserved coastline which has so far escaped urbanisation. Indeed, some of the Basque coast has seen a degree of development but the area between Socoa and the Abbadia nature reserve and castle remain well protected. Saint-Jean-de-Luz has an excellent location and extensive land reserves that can ensure its further development. A significant portion of its coastline has so far escaped urbanization, which is exceptional, even unique (the rest of the Basque coast is indeed urbanized, apart from the Corniche, between Socoa cliff side and the Abbadia domain).
A monument in the Verdun Square honours the memory of the fallen soldiers from the two World Wars, and there is another monument dedicated to the resistance movement "Orion" which is found on the L’Infante Quai. This second plaque commemorates the importance of the work of French escape networks which helped people evade capture in Occupied France. Finally, there are some bunkers still visible along the coast. These formed part of the infamous German defences against invasion in 1944 called the Atlantic Wall. Some remains are still visible on the Santa-Barbe promenade.
Nowadays, St Jean de Luz depends strongly on tourism with safe clean beaches, notable high quality hotels and a thalassotherapie spa, swimming pools, a casino, golf courses and a new conference centre that is under construction. The town also benefits from regional tourism with many attracted by the pedestrian area full of shops open all year round. It also attracts a large number of visitors from Basque Spain or Guipuzcoa along with many from nearby Bayonne and across the rest of the south west. The city is particularly attractive to retired people, many of whom come to settle there from other areas across France.
Many cultural and sporting events are held throughout the year. There are internships and public concerts of classical music organized by the Académie Ravel, usually in the auditorium of the same name. There is a film festival dedicated to young filmmakers, a surfing film festival and Basque Pelota championships.
The tradition of the Basque ‘Trials of Strength’
The origin of "Basque Trials of Strength’' is found in the daily tasks carried out across the region. For centuries, young Basque farmers pitted themselves against each other in physical challenges. Labouring in the forests of the Basque Country gave rise to the challenge known as "aizkolariak" (based on lumberjacks working with an ax or “arpanariak”), as well as athletic sawing of tree stumps and wood. The construction of buildings, often based on large stones for the cathedrals and monasteries led to the development of the challenge known as "arrijasotzaileak"- literally those who lift stones.Several events originate from working in the fields, The best known of which is "lastoaltxatzea "the lifting of straw bales.” This is done either using a pitchfork or a pulley, and is often organized in tandem with “joko” (cart-lifting), “zakulasterka” (individual relay or sack races), and “untziketariak,” a race involving pitchers of milk. Not forgetting "soka-shot", or tug-of-war, now, which is an internationally recognised discipline celebrated in no less than fourteen countries. During the summer, there are demonstrations of ‘Force Basque,’ organised by the local Xiste organization, often at the main municipal arena in Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
Carnivals, Festivals and Events
- Basque carnival of "Ihauteriak" held in February
- Weekend Andalousian festival of Pentecost
- Patron Saint Jean - of the city of the same name - held end of June
- Tuna Festival held 2 saturday of July along with the Amateur Tuna Festival
- Sardine Night Festival - end of July and into August
- Since 1953, the local Basque Yacht Club organises an international Amateur Tuna Fishing Championship in August
- Classical Music of the Basque Coast Festival in September with concerts and free master classes
- Maurice Ravel International Academy of Music holds classes in first half of September
- Rue de la République Festival organised by local traders, 3rd weekend in September
- Young International Film Directors Festival each October
- International basque Coral Singing Festival Festival around Halloween (1 November)
Well known personalities connected to the town
Eighteenth Century- Joachim LabroucheJoachim LabroucheJoseph-Joachim Labrouche was a French politician.Labrouche played an important role in the Napoleonic Empire and received the Légion d'Honneur on 25 January 1815....
, born 1769 in HendayeHendayeHendaye is the most south-westerly town and commune in France, lying in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and located in the traditional province Lapurdi of the French Basque Country...
died 1853 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, French political figure;
Nineteenth Century
- Ernest William HornungErnest William HornungErnest William Hornung , known as Willie, was an English author, most famous for writing the Raffles series of novels about a gentleman thief in late Victorian London....
, born 1866 in MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
(UK) died in 1921 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a British writer; - Fédor Chaliapine, born 1873 in KazanKazanKazan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. With a population of 1,143,546 , it is the eighth most populous city in Russia. Kazan lies at the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka Rivers in European Russia. In April 2009, the Russian Patent Office granted Kazan the...
in Russia died in Paris in 1938, a famous singer who owned a villa in Sainte-Barbe; - Jesús Fernández Duro, born 1878 in La FelgueraLa FelgueraLa Felguera is the largest parish in the municipality of Langreo, Asturias, in the north of Spain, with 21.000 inhabitants. It is the fifth largest town in Asturias, after Gijón, Oviedo, Avilés and Mieres. It is an 18 minute drive by car to Oviedo, the capital of Asturias...
(SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), died 1906 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, noted flyer, received the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur; - Pierre EtchebasterPierre EtchebasterPierre Etchebaster is widely considered history's greatest player of real tennis , the original racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended.Born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France, a Basque fishing village, he served in the French Army during World War I before...
, born 1893 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz died1980, a former player of an early form of tennis, seven times world champion; - Louis PaulhanLouis PaulhanIsidore Auguste Marie Louis Paulhan, known as Louis Paulhan, was a pioneering French aviator who in 1910 flew "Le Canard", the world's first seaplane, designed by Henri Fabre....
, born 1883 in PézenasPézenasPézenas is a commune in the Hérault département in Languedoc-Roussillon, southern France. At the 1999 census, its population was 7443.-Name:...
died1963 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a French aviation pioneer; - Jean Sébédio, born 1890 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz died 1951 in CarcassonneCarcassonneCarcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
, French rugby player who played for Tarbes and the French national side; - André Pavlovsky, born 1891 in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
died1961 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, was a famous French architect; - Ramiro ArrueRamiro ArrueRamiro Arrue y Valle, generally known as Ramiro Arrue was a Basque painter, illustrator, and ceramist, of Spanish nationality, who devoted his work to the Basque Country....
, born 1892 in BilbaoBilbaoBilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
(SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) died1971 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a painter, illustrator, and ceramic designer whose work celebrated Basque culture;
Twentieth Century
- René LacosteRené LacosteJean René Lacoste was a French tennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" by fans because of his tenacity on the court; he is also known worldwide as the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929.Lacoste was one of The Four Musketeers, French tennis...
, born 1904 in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
died 1996 à Saint-Jean-de-Luz, French tennis champion; - José Antonio AguirreJosé Antonio AguirreJosé Antonio Aguirre y Lecube was a political figure of the Basque Nationalism, the first president of the Basque Autonomous Community, from 1936 to 1960....
, born 1904 in BilbaoBilbaoBilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, died 1960 in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
buried in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, leading Basque politician and political figure; - William Biehn, born MetzMetzMetz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
in 1911 and died in Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 1997 a painter specialising in Orientalist art; - Michel Etcheverry, born 1919 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz died 1999 in Paris, French actor;
- Jean Diharce, born 1920 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a Basque poet with the pseudonym Iratzeder;
- Marie Sabouret, born 1924 in La RochelleLa RochelleLa Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
died 1960 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a French actress; - Franz Duboscq, born 1924 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, French politician;
- Jacques Pavlovsky, born 1931 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a French photographer;
- Charles DucasseCharles DucasseCharles Ducasse, known in Spain as Carlos Ducasse was a French footballer.-External links:...
, born 1932 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a French footballer; - Philippe Ogouz, born 1939 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, French actor and director;
- Miguel Boyer, born 1939 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, economist and Spanish politician;
- Michèle Alliot-MarieMichèle Alliot-MarieMichèle Jeanne Honorine Alliot-Marie, born 10 September 1946 and nicknamed MAM, is a French politician of the Union for a Popular Movement . A member of all but one right-wing governments of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, she was the first woman in France to hold the portfolios of Defense , the...
, born 1946 in Villeneuve-le-RoiVilleneuve-le-RoiVilleneuve-le-Roi is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Paris-Orly Airport is partially located in the commune.-Twin towns:...
, French politician who was Mayor of Saint-Jean-de-Luz from 1995 to 2002 ; - André Darrieussecq, born 1947 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a French rugby player who played for Saint-Jean-de-Luz Olympique Rugby and the French national side;
- Sophie Audouin-Mamikonian, born 1961 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, author of the famouus French book series about heroine « Tara Duncan », followed by French speaking young people and translated into many languages;
- Jean-Marie Ecay, born 1962 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, well known guitarist;
- Laurence Ostolaza, born 1967 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, television journalist;
- Bixente LizarazuBixente LizarazuBixente Lizarazu is a former football left defender who played most notably for Girondins de Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, as well as the French national team.-Football career:...
, born 1969 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, French footballer and a winner of a World Cup with the French national side in 1998; - Anne-Sophie LapixAnne-Sophie LapixAnne-Sophie Lapix is a French journalist and television presenter. She deputises for Claire Chazal, presenting the evening news bulletin from Friday to Sunday as well as the lunchtime bulletin at 1 o'clock at the weekend, when she is away on TF1...
, born 1972 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, journalist and French TV presenter; - Sandrine Mendiburu, born 1973 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, professional golfer;
- Frédéric Aranzueque-Arrieta, born 1975 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, author and essayist writing about Franco-Spanish affairs;
- Yoan Anthian, born 1979 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a rugby player who has represented the Armenian national side;
- Patxi Garat, born 1981 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a French author, writer and performer discovered on the French TV version of Star Academy;
Points of interest
- Jardin botanique littoral Paul JovetJardin botanique littoral Paul JovetThe Jardin botanique littoral Paul Jovet is a nonprofit botanical garden located at 31, avenue Bernoville Gaëtan, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitaine, France...
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste church