Biarritz

Research Status: Basic Last Updated: 2025-01-23 Diary Coverage: Up to 1880-10-15

Biarritz is a fashionable seaside resort town on the Atlantic coast of southwestern France, in the Basque Country near the Spanish border.

19th century significance:

• Transformed from fishing village to imperial resort when Empress Eugénie built a palace there (1854)
• Became favorite destination of Napoleon III and Eugénie
• Attracted European aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie
• Known for its beaches, mild climate, and elegant society
• Popular for sea bathing and seaside promenades

In October 1880, Marie's mother writes that she wept so much over not being able to take Marie to Biarritz that she nearly went blind and cannot read. This reveals Biarritz was planned as a destination for Marie and her mother, but the trip was prevented by legal complications (a lawsuit requiring Marie's mother to remain in Russia where she stood as guarantor for a large sum).

The reference shows Biarritz was seen as an appropriate and desirable destination for wealthy families like the Bashkirtseffs during this period.