Camping Pays Basque

The village of Urt ,”Ahurti” in Basque, was constructed by a community of fishermen in the year 1000 (?) It is situated on the frontier between the Basque country and Gascony and between the departments of Pyrenees-Atlantique (64) and the Landes (40) Its boundary is marked by the river Adour, which is “source” in Gascon.

The source of the Adour is in the Pyrenees (above Bagneres de Bigorre) and flow for 335 kms to Bayonne on the Atlantic coast. This river flows through 4 departments on its journey; the Haute-Pyrenees, the Gers, the Landes and the Pyrenees-Atlantique (Bearn et Basque Country).

It is thanks to the important river highway of the Adour that the town of Bayonne has become so developed with the fishing trade, and in turn Urt has remained of economic importance.

The bridge of Urt, designed by Gustave Eiffel, was built in 1886 to facilitate exchanges between the Basque and the Biscay countries. Furthermore, the existence of the ferry was not sufficient and no longer met the new safety criteria imposed by the marine authority.This territory, half Basque, half Gascon, bears the name of the Charnegou country, whose heritage is of great wealth. East of Urt, you will find the village of Bidache, with the Château de Gramont and the old port, the village of Came, the Abbey of Arthous, and also the villages traversed by the Chemin de Saint-Jacques such as Arancou, Bergouey and Viellenave.

And if you want to take a break, you can enjoy the Lac de Sames or the Lac de Guiche which offer various water activities.

And if you have need of a snack, stop at the Montauzer charcuterie in Guiche. For lovers of literature, Urt is known to have been the holiday destination of Roland Barthes, where he visited his mother and continued his writing work, away from the troubles in Paris. He is buried in the cemetery of Urt.

The Bayonne Festival will take place this year from Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 July 2019. This festival has become, together with that of Dax, Mont-de-Marsan, and Pamplona, quite simply indispensable, with various manifestations such as the parade of the Giants, floats, cow races, fireworks, numerous concerts, not to mention the famous Tour of the Peñas! Le Camping des 4 Chenes welcomes festival goers and offers a shuttle service to and from Bayonne.