Château d’Abbadia in Hendaye

A true fairy tale

The Château-Observatoire d’Abbadia is more than a place, it’s an experience. Overlooking the cliffs of Hendaye on the Basque coast, this enchanting château, built between 1860 and 1870 by Viollet-Le-Duc for Antoine d’Abbadie, embodies curiosity and humanism.

Antoine d’Abbadie, of Basque origin, devoted his life to the study of his culture and various disciplines such as ethnology, geography, astronomy and oriental culture. President of the Académie des Sciences in 1892, he left a priceless scientific and cultural legacy at his death in 1897.

A living, eclectic heritage

The neo-Gothic château, with its Orientalist influences, houses an extraordinary bestiary, African memorabilia, an astronomy observatory and a chapel. Antoine d’Abbadie bequeathed his château to the Académie des Sciences, which still owns it today. True to the open spirit of its creator, the château regularly welcomes artists in residence.

Discover this treasure of the Basque coast and be inspired by the history and vision of this illustrious scientist.