Summer holiday in Sare, 02 to 09 July 2022
Enrico Alberini, Jean Luc Matte, Christophe Badonnel and the IT managers contributed to this page presenting the trip.
The 2022 summer break will take place from 02 to 09 July at Sare in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. It has been prepared by a small local team: Corinne and Roland Dameron, Serge Capdessus and Philippe Garcia.
The commune is located in the extreme south-west of France in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, on the border with Spain (Navarre).
We will be staying in the VVF holiday village, "Club Intense le Pays Basque".
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You will find the headings below:
- Introduction to the region
- Tours, road and MOUNTAIN BIKE
- Hosting
- Note from the Board of Directors
- Registrations
- Other activities or visits
Introduction to the region :
A town in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in the heart of the Basque Country, Sare backs onto the Pyrenean mountains. Covering an area of some 50 km², the municipality shares a 25 km border with Spain, where it is semi-enclosed. Outside the village, which Napoleon III and Edward VII loved to visit and which novelist Pierre Loti used as a model for his novel "Ramuntcho", it's well worth exploring the mountains that dominate the area. You can start with La Rhune, which rises to 905 m and offers a remarkable panorama of the coastline. It takes at least two hours on foot....But from the Col de Saint-Ignace you can also take the following route the Rhune train (whose carriages date back to the 1920s), a railway museum in its own right, which climbs the mountain in 35 minutes and affords splendid views of the valley, the sea or the wild ponies and vultures... The Col de lizarietta, where the annual meeting of the club des cent cols will take place, is renowned for its wildlife (pigeons) and its oak forest. A little further on, the Col d'Ibardin, the Col des Abeilles, the Col des Veaux, Esteberen Lepoa and many others can be discovered, particularly on the Spanish side. Finally, the Lezeko Gaina site, a haven for many protected species, alternates between ridges and valleys. As for the sea (the Atlantic Ocean), it's only around fifteen kilometres away (Saint-Jean-de-Luz). A member of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France" association, Sare has a population of just over 2,500, and for a long time its economy was linked to pastoral agriculture (cattle rearing on mountain pastures). A mine was also exploited as early as the Middle Ages, due to the geological nature of the subsoil, where caves have been unearthed. More recently, a wool processing plant has been set up. And yet, despite a sometimes tragic past (the deportation of inhabitants during the "French Revolution" on suspicion of having links with the Navarrese frontiers, followed by an enemy breakthrough led by the English during the Spanish War of Independence), Sare is now a popular destination for its natural and built heritage, making it a first-rate tourist destination. In the village, where some of the houses date back to the 15th century, in addition to the many bridges, wash-houses and oratories, the church of Saint-Martin, enlarged and enhanced in the 17th century, boasts a five-storey tower and three storeys of carved oak galleries with turned wooden balusters. The bell tower, destroyed by fire, was recently rebuilt and is open to visitors every Monday at 11am in summer.
On the outskirts of the village, Sainte-Catherine chapel was rebuilt in the 17th century on the foundations of an older building (15th century). It also has wooden storeys. In addition to the pelota court near the church, which has been restored several times and is used for pelota, a visit to the village is also an opportunity to admire the many sculpted lintels on the façades (with the engraved date of construction of the private dwelling or building). A detailed guided tour of the village is also available, including a look at the smuggling trade of yesteryear and a visit to the frescoed farmhouse, decorated in 1936 by refugees fleeing Franco's regime. Other ideas for visits : the Ortillopitz house,
a typical 17th-century Basque dwelling invites you to discover life in the Basque Country in days gone by, with a visit to the cider cellar, the vast kitchen, the shipowner's office and reception room, the bedrooms, the attic, as well as the orchard and old-fashioned vegetable garden.the prehistoric caves, with a sound and light show and an evocation, in the adjoining museum, of human evolution since prehistoric times.in different registers, Etxola wildlife park (buffaloes, dromedaries, llamas... that can be approached by the whole family) and the Basque cake museum (which offers pastry-making workshops and courses) are also of interest.
Last but not least, gourmets and food lovers won't want to miss the farmers' market, which takes place every Friday from 4.30pm to 8.30pm from May to October. Here you can discover sheep's and goat's cheeses, yoghurts, vegetables, cured meats, pork, veal, beef, lamb, Espelette chilli peppers, jams... In summer, local craftspeople also sell their wares.
Circuits :
overview of road routes
Overview of mountain bike routes
The annual international gathering
The traditional annual international meeting will take place on Saturday 09 July 2022 from 11.00 am at the Lizarrieta Pass FR-64-0441. We have negotiated with the VVF to have an "aperitif buffet" served on site. This buffet will not be open only to people registered for full board. All our members will be able to take advantage of it, and all they have to do is register for this off-site meal at a cost of 14 euros (see the registration section).
Hosting
After our stay in Bielle in 2017, we're back in the Pyrénées Atlantiques. We'll be staying at the VVF Le Pays Basque Omordia centre, which is located in the heart of Sare, a small, typically Basque village classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France.
The setting is also worthy of praise: 14 km from the ocean, at the foot of the Rhune massif, at the gateway to Spain! The village is made up of 2 or 3 storey Basque-style buildings, with two people per room. Bed linen and towels are provided. –
VVF – Ormodia – 64310 Sare Tel : +33 (0)5 59 54 20 95. Courriel : accueil.sare@vvfvillages.fr.
https://www.vvf-villages.fr/villages-vacances/vacances-sare-vvf-villages.html
Note from the Board of Directors
If you arrange your accommodation elsewhere than at the holiday village, remember to take out the "organisation costs package":
- To be able to correctly size joint events (information sessions, welcome and farewell parties).
- In order to provide you with the holiday booklet
- For an appropriate distribution of preparation and organisation costs.
Other accommodation
- camping de la petite Rhune - Quartier Lehenbiscay - Maison Esponda - 64310 Sare
https://www.lapetiterhune.com/
- camping Goyenetche - route des Grottes - 64310 Sare
https://campinggoyenetche6.wixsite.com/camping-goyenetche
- camping Tellechea - route de la venta Berrouet - 64310 Sare
https://campingtellechea.wixsite.com/monsite
Registrations
To register, download the PDF registration form from the link below. Please note that the registration form consists of two pages: the registration form itself (make sure you fill in all the sections that apply to you and sign at the bottom of the page), and the special conditions, which you should also sign. If you are planning to be accompanied by your partner, please be sure to register him or her. previously as an associate member with your Territorial or National Delegate and don't forget to put your associate member number in the box provided. The "Organisation Expenses" package must be subscribed to by all members taking part in the trip (whether they choose full board, the 7-dinner package, or whether they choose their own accommodation and meals), with the exception of associate members (decision of the Board of Directors on 26 September 2020). This package is a contribution towards all the benefits and services they receive by taking part in the trip: cost of preparing the trip and tours, publication of the maps displayed and the trombinoscope, welcome drink and end-of-trip drink, trip brochure, organisation of activities for accompanying persons, Club insurance, etc.
For legal reasons, these holidays are only available to Club members, so please make sure you are up to date with contributions before sending your registration form
You can choose from the following packages:
- "Full Board" at €475 to which you must add the "organisation costs" package at €27.50, i.e. a total of €502.50.
- "7-dinner package" at €111 if you are staying on your own but wish to share the dinners with your friends. You must add the "organisation costs" package at €27.50 for a total of €138.50.
- Optional subscription to Gritchen insurance (2.34 % of the amount of benefits with a minimum of €8 per person or €16 for a couple)
- "Organisational costs package" at €27.50 if you are lodging and providing your own lunches.
If, and only if, a participant is not no FFCT licenceIn addition, you will need to take out the compulsory insurance (€7). You can pay the registration fee by cheque or bank transfer to the Club's account. In view of the additional fees charged by the organisation that manages it, we do not accept payment by PayPal. Assigning members payments are made in the order in which the cheque is sent or the transfer is made. For the former, the postmark will be taken as proof, for the latter, please send us a copy of the transfer order. If the holiday is full, a waiting list will be set up, which will operate according to the same priority allocation rules as for direct registrations. Trombinoscope : If you have not yet provided your photo for the directory and would like to be included, please tick the appropriate box and send us a photo in JPG format by e-mail. From further information will be posted later on the website, which you can consult regularly. Each time, the person in charge of the trips will send a short e-mail to the mailing list. If you would like to receive these emails, please send them to subscribe to the mailing listif you haven't already done so. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call the person in charge of the holiday: +33 6 78 87 33 67.
Download the newsletter :
- Newsletter Sare registration form in French
- Booking form Sare in English
- Modulo d'iscrizione Sare in italiano
The deadline for receipt of entries is 02 May 2022.
You can leaf through here the Booklet which will be distributed during your stay and, in addition to welcome messages, contains information about the region and how to get there, safety tips and detailed descriptions of the tours.
Other activities or visits
Discovering our heritage
- Saint-Martin church One of the most beautiful churches in Labourd, situated in the heart of the village. Majestic with its five-storey tower. Inside, three storeys of carved oak galleries with turned wooden balusters. Visit the bell tower every Monday during the summer at 11am.
- Laundries Old wash-houses: There are several old public and private wash-houses in the commune. In recent years, the commune has restored several of them.
- Medieval bridges Granada (Granadako zubia): the best-known of the bridges in the commune of Sare is called Granada (Granadako zubia). It is located in the Istilarte district, 1.5km from the centre of the village, on the road to the caves of Sare.
- Fronton Opposite the town hall and close to the church is the pelota court. Basque pelota is a sport that is still very much a part of Basque culture. Like all Basque villages, Sare has its own pelota court. There have been four, two of which have disappeared. The oldest dates back to 1803, was raised in 1902 and then restored several times between 1919 and 1999. The new pediment dates from 1977 and has two walls for playing rebot (one of the many specialities of pelota).
- Rhune Mountain The mythical mountain of the Basque Country, with a peak at 905m overlooking the French and Spanish coasts as far as the eye can see, offering a magnificent panorama on a clear day. You can climb it by cogwheel train from the Col de Saint Ignace, or on foot from the villages of Sare, Ascain or Urrugne (approx. 2h, 2h30 ascent, 700m ascent).
Places to visit
- lhe prehistoric caves of Sare :Deep in the earth, you can hear the echoes of a human adventure that has lasted for thousands of years! The guided sound and light tour is designed for young and old alike and takes place along a safe, fully equipped path. It lasts 1 hour and covers geology, prehistory, mythology and the origins of the Basque people.
The site museum and the megalithic park are open to the public as a complement to the guided tour. - Guernica fresco On the way from the town hall to the pediment, along the left-hand side, you'll come across a mural of far from insignificant dimensions. It is a reproduction of Picasso's painting "Gernika", although it is slightly smaller than the original (5.43 x 2.24 m compared with 7.77 x 3.49 m).
- Ortillopitz, the Maison Basque in Sare 17th century: Authentic Basque house, built in 1660 in the centre of its estate of several hectares.
- Téoua Factory artist's studio/gallery
- Etxola Animal Park The park invites you to come and discover, get up close to and stroke the many breeds of domestic animals from all over the world.
- Train de la Rhune This authentic vintage cog railway dating from 1924 takes you 905 metres up to the legendary summit of the Basque Country. From here, you can see the French and Spanish coasts and the Pyrenees as far as the eye can see.
- the Basque Cake Museum A pastry chef will take you on a guided tour, including a tasting session.
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