Chocolate Museum

Biarritz is a wonderful introduction to the style and life of Pays Basque. Once a whaling station, it is now recognized as a seaside resort of international renown. Don’t let its size intimidate you—as the residents will tell you, this is still a small town in heart and soul—locals claim not even to lock their cars! Biarritz is captivating and charming and the center of the old town is very easy to explore on foot. Its central stretch of beach is flanked by a promenade and a few casinos. While exploring Biarritz, be sure to visit the Chocolate Museum, whose sculptures are a delicious and interesting testament to the fact that chocolate originated in the Basque Country during the reign of Louis XIV. Basque is intensely proud of its claim of introducing hot chocolate to the world. In South America, Christopher Columbus came upon this strange concoction that was used by the Indians not for barter but as the necessary ingredient for a rich, strong drink. The explorers returned home with the distinctive bean and shared the secret technique for turning cacao into chocolate. The Jews became experts in its production and brought it to the southwest of France when fleeing the Inquisitions. It is said that Bayonne became the first town to taste this delicious new beverage. The church at first disapproved of it, claiming it to be an aphrodisiac! However, the threatened wrath of the church was quickly ignored for something so delicious and chocolate became one of Bayonne’s most famous exports. Don’t leave Basque without sampling some of this “devil’s brew”!