Living in Basque Country:
The Good Life!
Basque Country
Setting up your business in a new location is no easy decision for you or your staff: that is why it is important for you to find out more about living in Basque Country with its culture, employment, nature, etc. Basque Country is a great place to live! There will be lots for you to learn on arrival, like how life in Basque Country is close to nature. Basque Country, or Euskal Herria, straddles the border between France and Spain, and extends from the River Ebro to the Adour. Today, with almost 3 million inhabitants, this 20,500 km2 region is highly attractive for its diversity, culture, and traditions. Why do so many families decide to move here after visiting? Find out why you too should come and live in Basque Country.
THE TRANQUILLITY OF NATURE
Situated between mountains and sea, Basque Country is renowned for the beauty of its flora and fauna, its famous cultural sites, and its natural landscape. Mountains over 400 m in altitude cover more than half of the region, with the Pyrenees in the middle forming the border between France and Spain. These mountains are home to forests, rivers and, of course, the ocean itself. The fauna and flora vary according to the altitude and climate, resulting in a wonderfully diverse landscape. You will enjoy the region’s lush green countryside all year round. The area is also home to numerous animals (deer, boar, foxes, pottok ponies). Avian life is also very present along the coast with crag martins, European storm petrels, ruddy turnstone, gulls and seagulls, to name a few. Living in Basque Country also means enjoying a temperate climate with generally mild temperatures and sunshine all year round.
A UNIQUE CULTURAL LIFE
The Basque language, or Euskara, is perhaps the most characteristic feature of this region. While many Basques no longer speak their native language, they still fully identify themselves as Basque, participating in its unique culture and traditions. Basque cultural life is very intense and Basques are proud to show off their cultural heritage. Locals actively take part in over 3,000 festivities organised throughout the year such as the Fêtes de Bayonne, which have been celebrated for more than 80 years. This exceptional heritage and variety of artistic exhibitions make this land such an exceptional place to live. Sport is also omnipresent in Basque culture, namely the inescapable Basque pelota, traditional sport like rugby, soccer, golf and boardsports such as surfing.
Anecdotally, surfing first appeared in France in 1956 on the ‘‘Côte des Basques’’ beach of Biarritz which is world renown as the European capital of surfing.