Birthplace of Henri IV, facing the Pyrenees, Pau is the gateway to two great Béarn valleys, the Ossau and the Aspe, home to vultures, isards and bears.
The map shows the numbered stops in visiting order, with one colour per day. The line follows the roads where available; otherwise it joins the stops as the crow flies. Distances and times are approximate (by car, without traffic).
Pau: the castle where Henri IV was born and the Boulevard des Pyrénées, which offers an exceptional view of the range on clear days.
It was probably before the eleventh century that the first wooden fortification was built, on a rocky spur between the Gave de Pau and one of its tributaries, the Hédas.
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The historic capital of the Béarn and birthplace of Henry IV, famous for the exceptional view of the Pyrenees from its boulevard.
View full page →The Ossau valley: the Falaise aux Vautours in Aste-Béon, the Ayous lakes hike facing the Pic du Midi d'Ossau, then the Col d'Aubisque.
Nestled in the Ossau valley, 30 km from Pau, the village of Aste-Béon lies at the foot of a nature reserve home to the main colony of vultures in France.
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A superb walk that will take you from lake to lake and offer you a unique panorama of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau.
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A mythical Pyrenean pass at 1,709 metres, the scene in 1910 of the first high-mountain stage in the history of the Tour de France.
View full page →The Aspe valley: the Chemin de la Mâture cut into the cliff, the Lescun cirque, then the Borce wildlife park.
The Chemin de la Mâture is a 1,200-metre path cut into the rock of a cliff in the deep valley of the Sescoué stream, in the commune of Urdos in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
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The Lescun cirque is a natural site shaped by glaciers and bounded by limestone peaks with legendary names such as the Table des Trois Rois or the Aiguilles d'Ansabère, the Camplong organ pipes...
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The Borce Animal Park covers 10 ha in the heart of the Pyrenees. From the legendary Pyrenean bear to the little marmot, see protected or simply little-known species: mouflons, izards, red deer, roe deer...
View full page →From June to September for hiking and the passes, which are often closed in winter. Pau can be visited all year round and enjoys a mild climate.
Pau is served by train and plane. A car is essential for the valleys. The Col d'Aubisque is closed from about November to May.