Cathédrale Ste-Marie

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Lonely Planet review

The twin towers of Bayonne's Gothic Cathédrale Ste-Marie soar above the city. Construction began in the 13th century, when Bayonne was ruled by the Anglo-Normans, and was completed well after France assumed control in 1451. The nave's vaulted ceiling reflects these political changes: up there are both the English coat of arms (three lions) and that most French of emblems, the fleur-de-lys. Above the north aisle are three lovely stained-glass windows, mainly Renaissance with 19th-century neo-Gothic additions. The entrance to the stately 13th-century cloister (h - & - Jun-Sep, to Oct-May) is on place Louis Pasteur.