It is a luxurious seaside tourist destination known for the Hôtel du Palais (originally built for the Empress Eugénie c. 1855), its seafront casinos, and its surfing culture.

Prince Edward, the oldest son of Henry III of England, was invested with the duchy and betrothed to Eleanor of Castile, who brought him rights over Gascony.

On the one hand, the église Saint-Martin was active in the neighborhoods in the territory's interior, which were:[11] On the other hand, the château of Belay (first mentioned in 1342), also called château de Ferragus, protected the coast and the current Port-Vieux (old port), while religious life and community assemblies took place at Notre-Dame-de-Pitié (a chapel mentioned in 1498), dominating the Port-des-Pêcheurs, or fishing port.

Construction of the château de Ferragus was initiated by the English, on the foundations of a Roman work, at the summit of the promontory overlooking the sea, named Atalaye, used as a whale-observation post.

Consequently, the town's coat of arms features the image of a whale below a rowing boat manned by five sailors wearing berets, one of whom is preparing to throw a harpoon.

During the Middle Ages and early modern period, a watchtower looked down over the sea at Biarritz, from "La Humade", waiting for the sight of a whale.

Whenever those keeping watch saw a whale, they would burn wet straw to create a large amount of smoke and thus communicate the news to their fellow countrymen.

Whale hunters from Lapurdi, therefore, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in pursuit of them and spent over a century in the Labrador Peninsula and on Newfoundland.

[citation needed] Biarritz was an independent municipality until 1784 with a clergyman and four aldermen, and the city was governed by twelve deputies.

In the 18th century, doctors claimed that the ocean at Biarritz had therapeutic properties, inspiring patients to make pilgrimages to the beach for alleged cures for their ailments.

Friendly population and white cheerful houses, large dunes, fine sand, great caves and proud sea, Biarritz is amazing.

Biarritz will put poplars in the hills, railings in the dunes, kiosks in the rocks, seats in the caves, trousers worn on tourists."

Biarritz planted poplars, tamarinds, hydrangeas, roses and pittosporums on the slopes and the hills, set railings on the dunes, covered moats with elegant stairs and polluted with land speculation and hunger for money.

Tourists have long been drawn to Biarritz's coast, from the beach at the limit of Bidarte (Plage des Basques), to the cape of Saint Martin.

There a 44 metres (144 feet) tall white lighthouse can be found, constructed in 1834 to replace the one Louis XIV had ordered built.

Biarritz gained renown in 1854 when Empress Eugenie (the wife of Napoleon III) built a palace on the beach (now the Hôtel du Palais).

Biarritz's casino (opened 10 August 1901) and beaches make the town a notable tourist centre for Europeans and East Coast North Americans.

The presence of the French Republic's authorities and the launch of the Paris–Hendaye train led Biarritz to become one of the most outstanding tourist areas in Europe.

The queen of the beaches became the beach of the kings and queens: Oscar II of Sweden, Leopold of Belgium, empress of Russia Maria Feodorovna, mother of Nicholas II of Russia, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Natalie of Serbia and her son Alexander I of Serbia, George V from Britain, Edward VII and Britain's Queen Victoria, Alfonso XIII of Spain, as well aristocrats, rich people and actors from Europe and South America.

During the Belle Époque of European peace and prosperity, in 1894, a department store called Biarritz Bonheur was created.

At the end of World War II in Europe, the U.S. Army's Information and Educational Branch was ordered to establish an overseas university campus for demobilized American servicemen and women in the French resort town of Biarritz.

Under General Samuel L. McCroskey, the hotels and casinos of Biarritz were converted into quarters, labs, and class spaces for U.S. service personnel.

Biarritz eventually became one of the most popular European spots for surfers from around the world, developing a nightlife and surfing-based culture.

However, in 1863, Louis Lucien Bonaparte located the northern frontier of Basque in Biarritz, and in some neighborhoods it was without any doubt the most used language.

The town is home to a prominent rugby union club, Biarritz Olympique, who have won five French championships and two European Cups.

Night trains regularly depart from Irun, south of Biarritz, and pass through the city before heading to Paris during an overnight trip.