Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Aquitaine 64500

Right in the heart of the corsair town, facing the port and just twenty metres from the Grande Plage, the Maison de l'Infante, the jewel of the Basque Coast, boasts undeniable architectural beauty. Its double arches of Venetian-style galleries, its beautiful monumental porticoed gateway and its corner towers give this famous and elegant 17th-century building a rigorous classicism and make it one of the most remarkable adornments of the city of privateers. In 1660, Maria Theresa of Austria, Infanta of Spain, stayed here when she married King Louis XIV in the church of Saint Jean Baptiste. The building, whose faades are listed as historic monuments, as well as the monumental fireplace and the 17th-century beams decorated with motifs in the ceremonial hall, has four floors, each measuring around 250 m, arranged around a majestic central staircase and a skylight. The whaler's tower offers a breathtaking 360 view over the historic quarter and the magnificent protected bay of Saint Jean de Luz. Four commercial premises occupy the ground floor. Both the building and its roof are of very sound construction. All that's needed is to refurbish it and bring it up to standard so that it's fit for purpose.