3 Best Sights in The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees, France

The marriage of the Sun King and the Infanta took place in 1660 in the church of St-Jean-Baptiste. The marriage tied the knot, so to speak, on the Pyrénées Treaty signed by French chief minister Mazarin on November 7, 1659, ending Spanish hegemony in Europe. Note the church's unusual wooden galleries lining the walls, creating a theaterlike effect. Fittingly, St-Jean-Baptiste hosts a "Musique en Côte Basque" festival of early and Baroque music during the first two weeks of September.

Take a tour of the twin-tower Maison Louis-XIV. Built as the Château Lohobiague, it housed the French king during his nuptials and is austerely decorated in 17th-century Basque fashion.

Tree-lined Place Louis-XIV, alongside the Hôtel de Ville, with its dainty statue of Louis XIV on horseback, is the hub of the town. In summer, concerts are offered on the square, which also hosts the famous "Toro de Fuego" festival honoring the bull with a parade and a papier-mâché beast.