Just a few kilometres from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the village of Saint-Jean-le-Vieux houses one of the last workshops of glassware art of the Basque Country. At 100 meters from the church, the door of the Fenix Workshop opens onto a universe that we can't imagine passing by: the glass in fusion, shaped by hand, before the eyes of the visitor.
The master of the place, Alexandre Vieira, is a third generation glass blower. Twenty years of work already, and know-how passed from father to son in an increasingly rare discipline. At his side, Amaïa, a pearl-sprayer and jewel designer, completes the workshop universe with her delicate and bright creations.
The magic of glass, live
The workshop is not just a shop: it is a real place of production, where you can attend the different stages of hot glass work. In the centre of the device, the melting furnace purns at 1 150°C 24 hours a day, sheltering up to 150 kg of molten colourless glass. At its side, a warmer at 1200°C allows the colours to melt, and two storage arches at 500°C ensure a slow cooling over 24 hours to avoid thermal shocks.
See the orange-red glass come out of the oven, let it blow, stretch, sculpt, transform in a few minutes into a finished object: it is a living demonstration of an ancestral gesture, and one of the most beautiful artisanal shows that can be seen in the Basque Country.
A boutique with a thousand reflections
On the shop side, we discover a surprisingly rich range, fruit of various techniques: blown glass, spun, thermoformed, carved. Jewellery, animals, utility objects, sculptures, luminaires, decorative pieces... each creation is unique, hand-made, in color or transparency. It's the perfect place to find a gift that really comes out of the lot or get a souvenir from the Basque Country that looks like no other.
Visit the workshop
The Fenix Workshop is available in two formats:

Free visit (free of charge, about 45 min): you attend the production of the day and walk through the shop-shop at your own pace.
Demo tour (on reservation, 4 €/person, free for children under 6 years old): Alexandre manufactures before your eyes a blown object and a carved object, commenting on his gestures — a real moment of sharing.

For groups, guided tours are offered by reservation (from 6 to 20 people, bus parking available).
A precious step in Lower Navarre
A stone's throw from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and on the road to Iraty, Atelier Fenix is a detour that is well worth it — for those passionate about craftsmanship, for curious people, for families. A parenthesis out of time when you always go back with something more in your head, and often something precious in your hand.