Being open to the ocean, the town's fortune has long been linked to its fishing and its port. Its prosperity was especially great in the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1660, the city had its moment of glory on the occasion of the mariage of Louis XIV and the Infanta Marie-Thérèse.
Since the end of the 19th century, Saint-Jean-de-Luz has become a noteworthy tourist destination. The inhabitants have managed to preserve their heritage while at the same time integrating creations of the 20th century.

At the corner of rue Mazarin and la rue de l'Infante the wax characters of the Musée Grévin recall the significant events of our city.
Right next to it, on May, 8 1660 la maison Joanaenia, received the Queen Mother Anne of Austria. Accompanied by the entire court, she stayed at Saint-Jean-de-Luz so that she could be present at the marriage of her son Louis XIV with Marie-Thérèse, Infanta of Spain and future Queen of France. Marie-Thérèse occupied this house on June 1660, with la maison Joanaenia thus becoming known as "la Maison de l'Infante"..
Following the Pyrenees Treaty signed by Mazarin on 7 November 1659 on the Ile des Faisans, on the Bidassoa, putting an end to the Spanish hegemony in Europe, the marriage of Louis XIV took place in what was then a rich town. The fishing port experienced considerable activity; even now, tuna fishing is still very active. The fine classical residences of the ship owners of the time bear witness to this.

Opposite, the old houses of the port of Ciboure are reflected in the waters of both the Nivelle and the Port of Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
It is in one of these houses whose volute gable is of an unexpected Flemish style of the 17th century that the composer Maurice RAVEL was born on 7 March 1875. Behind this house the church of l'Église Saint-Vincent rises with its un-buttressed walls and octogonal tower with three superimposed roofs, giving it a fortress-like appearance.

In the place Louis XIV stands the "Maison Louis XIV", so-called since the king stayed there from 8 May to 15 June 1660. The square is certainly the liveliest part of the town, with its restaurants and, in the high season, its painters. In summer concerts are staged here and dances followed by the spectacular "toro de fuego".
To the right of the "Maison Louis XIV " is the mairie (or town hall), Herriko Etxea. In past centiries, this was the privileged witness to dramas and splendours that form part of the rich tapestry of our local history. A relic of this royal period when Saint-Jean-de-Luz became the "Petit Paris" ('Little Paris'), a replica of the statue of Louis XIV by Girardon greets you at the bottom of the staircase with its wrought iron railing.

A short walk from the port, "Karrika handi", the great street, leads you to the church of Saint Jean-Baptiste. The oldest part dates from the 15th century.
This is where the marriage of Louis XIV and the Infanta Marie Thérèse was celebrated. The building still retains traces of this event:: the doorway through which the royal couple passed is now walled up.

In the interior, the church is made up of a single nave topped by three floors of magnificent wooden galleries. The most remarkeble room is undoubtedly the large rererdos dating from the 17th century. This is without question the finest and most stiking example in the entire Basque Country. Ten steps lead up to it, enclosed by a balustrade in wrought iron, in black and gold. Above it, rising right up to the vaults, are a profusion of gleaming statues. Under the vault is positioned a commemorative boat bearing the arms of the Empress Eugénie, offered in memory of a narrowly avoided shipwreck in the bay.
The church of Saint Jean-Baptiste has remarkable accoustics and is the setting for concerts and events during which one can admire the excellence of its fine organ case dating from the 17th century.