In the picturesque Basque fishing port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, near the French – Spanish border, for the annual Festival Ravel.

Maurice Ravel was born in 1875 in Ciboure, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and would often return to the area to spend summers. Now, for over two weeks every year, the festival that bears his name welcomes visitors for classical concerts which attract some of the world’s best-known performers.

Saint-Jean-de-Luz is renowned for its history and its architectural heritage. Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Jean-de-Luz was the site of the marriage, in June 1660, of King Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Spain, which brought about a reconciliation between France and Spain. The church is also notable for its monumental altarpiece in carved gilded wood, installed in 1669.

Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Jean-de-Luz

Altarpiece of Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste