Ainhoa & the French Basque Country Journal
History, places and traditions in the French Basque Country
Ainhoa & the Basque Country
Villages, heritage, history and ideas for exploring the region.
Food & traditions
Cheese, local producers, traditional know-how and flavours of the Basque Country.
The house
The story of Maison Labatchenia, the old lime kiln and the transformation of Les Hauts d’Ainhoa.
The Old Lime Kiln in Ainhoa | Maison Labatchenia
The old lime kiln at Maison Labatchenia in Ainhoa Just across from Maison Labatchenia, partly absorbed into the landscape, stands an old stone lime kiln. It is easy to pass without giving it much thought. Yet this small structure is an important clue to the history of...
What can you do in the French Basque Country when it rains? 8 ideas
What to do in the French Basque Country when it rains: 8 ideas around Ainhoa Rain is part of the landscape in the French Basque Country. It is one of the reasons the hills around Ainhoa stay so intensely green, ferns cover the mountainsides and the forests are so...
Autumn in Ainhoa
Autumn in the Basque region of France brings forth a breathtaking transformation, painting the landscape with a rich tapestry of colours and an enchanting ambience. Nestled within this natural splendour lies the picturesque village of Ainhoa, renowned for its...
Cycling in the French Basque Country, Routes around Ainhoa
Cycling in the French Basque Country: routes and ideas around Ainhoa The French Basque Country is excellent cycling country — but it is rarely flat. Around Ainhoa, small roads wind between villages, farms and wooded hills, while steeper routes climb towards the...
Basque Ponies
The Pottok: the little pony of the Basque mountains Walk through the mountains of the French Basque Country and you may come across one of the region's most distinctive inhabitants: the Pottok pony. Small, sturdy and remarkably well adapted to life on the hillsides,...