Château-Observatoire Abbadia in Hendaye

What it is

The Château-Observatoire Abbadia is the house that Antoine d'Abbadie, explorer, ethnologist, geographer and astronomer, had built on the Hendaye cliff between 1864 and 1884. It was designed by Viollet-le-Duc in neo-Gothic style, with an eclectic decoration that mixes the medieval with souvenirs from its owner's travels in Ethiopia and the East. It is a historic monument and holds the Maisons des Illustres label. The odd thing is that, besides being a home, it was a real astronomical observatory, and the observatory is part of the visit.

What you see

The guided visit, of about 50 minutes, goes round the observatory and the rooms, furnished and decorated as when the house was built: the Ethiopian-themed rooms, the Jerusalem room and the Arab salon, among others. The park around the castle, open to the sea and the Corniche, can be visited separately, with an interpretation area.

There are also special visits, all in French: "Les Abords d'Abbadia", an hour and a half, which starts with the surroundings; the "Visite Prestige", of about two hours and once a month outside summer, which opens the kitchen and Abbadie's bedroom and ends with an Ethiopian coffee; and in July and August the "Première heure", at 9:45, at a reduced price and by online booking only.

Hours

Closed from 5 to 26 January. The rest of the year it changes by season:

• 27 January – 31 March and 1 November – 22 December: Tuesday to Sunday, 14:00 to 18:00. Guided visit at 14:30 and self-guided from 15:30 to 17:00. Closed on Mondays.
• 1 April – 30 June and 1 September – 31 October: every day (except 1 May), Monday to Friday 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:00, and weekends and public holidays only 14:00 to 18:00. Guided only.
• 1 July – 31 August: every day 9:30 to 19:00. Guided visits from 10:00 to 15:20 and self-guided from 16:00 to 18:20.
• Christmas: its own hours, closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January.

There are guided visits in Spanish in summer, at Easter and for much of autumn; confirm when booking. Booking is compulsory except for some self-guided visits.

Prices

The guided visit costs €12.90 for adults, €9.90 for ages 14 to 18, €10.50 for students, €5.90 for ages 6 to 13 and people with a disability; family (two adults and two or three under-13s), €35. The summer self-guided visit, with an audio leaflet, is a bit cheaper: €11.50 for adults and €31 for a family; bring your own headphones. Park and interpretation area only: €2.50, free up to age 13.

Getting there and parking

It is at 27 Route de la Corniche. There are two free car parks about ten minutes' walk away; P1, Ascoubia, has 120 spaces with no shade, and room for motorhomes during the visit. In front of reception there are two spaces for people with disabilities.

Without a car, buses 14, 15 and 26 of the Txik Txak network stop at "Abadia", five minutes from the gate. From Irún or San Sebastián you reach Hendaye on the Topo and there take the 15; from the Les Deux Jumeaux station on the coast train, the 14 or 26. By bike, the castle is on the Vélodyssée and has bike racks.

If you are sleeping in a motorhome, the Hendaye area is nearby.

Rules, accessibility and children

You may not go in with a rucksack, even a small one, or with a pushchair: there is free left-luggage and they lend you a baby carrier. Animals are not admitted, in the park either, and you cannot picnic. The castle has 42 steps and is not wheelchair accessible, although reception and the park are; there is a virtual visit on a tablet, documents in braille and in easy-read, and a hearing loop. It holds the Tourisme & Handicap label.

For small children, the 50-minute guided visit feels long in French: choose one in Spanish or the summer self-guided one.