HNAV2, Urdax, Spanish Pyrenees and Catalunya
This delightful rural hotel set on the edge of the village of Urdax right on the Spanish - French border offers the visitor a wealth of contrasts; to the one side the Navarran Pyrenees with fantastic walking and beautifully preserved villages and to the other the gently rolling meadows of the French Pays Basque, each side with its own traditions and with a gastronomic culture among the best in the land. In Urdax and nearby Zugarramurdi there are caves, inhabited by man for thousands of years and famous for their association with witches; nearby on the French side there is the lake at St. Pere with beaches, restaurants, boating etc. and within half an hour's drive one can be on the Atlantic beaches of Hendaye, St Jean de Luz or Biarritz. The hotel itself is a 200 year old "casa torre" which has in its time served as a palace, a prison, and a customs house, but has now been beautifully restored while preserving its original structure. Set among trees, it enjoys lovely views to the hills and the village, and its covered terrace and well kept grounds allow guests to take full advantage of the surrounding tranquility and beauty. Rooms are spacious and nicely decorated in a country style with traditional materials and there is a common sitting room where guests can relax.
12 rooms (double / twin), all ensuite and with TV, music and telephone. 1 superior room available. Free Wi-Fi
Sitting room with fireplace and viewing gallery Large breakfast room and covered terrace Gardens with river running by Free outdoor parking at entrance (limited)
Breakfast only (choice of restaurants within walking distance). Bar service and snacks available.
Almost straddling the French-Spanish border, the town of Urdax, along with it’s neighbouring village of Zugarramurdi, is renowned for it’s history of witchcraft. Here, in 1610, 40 people were tried by the inquisition and 12 of those burned at the stake accused of being witches. Since then these towns and particularly the caves have been associated with the “Akelarre”, the witches meetings reputedly held here. The caves of Zugarramurdi can be visited throughout the year whilst the Ikaburu complex in Urdax is open from Easter to October. Visitors to Urdax can easily combine a walking holiday in the Western Pyrenees with days at the seaside, the French resort of Hendaye with its long strip of golden sand being a mere half hour’s drive away. Also close at hand are the valleys of Baztan-Bidasoa with their beautifully preserved, typically Navarran villages as well as the towns of the French Pays Basque such as Espellete, Sare and St Jean Pied de Port. One highly recommended excursion would be to visit the famous gorge at Kakueta and the vertigo-inducing footbridge at Holtzarte and no visit would be complete without riding the train to the top of La Rhune which, at 900m, offers spectacular views of the Bay of Biscay. There is a bar / restaurant just by the cave and a couple more in the village itself whilst nearby Dantxarinea has a lot of choice as it attracts a lot of French visitors who come to do their duty-free shopping!
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