The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Basque Country, Gascony, and Hautes-Pyrenees - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Brèche de Roland
One dramatic sight is 12 km (7 miles) west of the village of Gavarnie. Take D923 up to the Col des Tentes, where you can park and walk five hours up to the Brèche de Roland Glacier (you cross it during the last two hours of the hike). For a taste of mountain life, have lunch high up at the Club Alpin Français's Refuge la Brèche de Roland–Sarradets. This is a serious climb, only feasible from mid-June to mid-September, for which you need (at least) good hiking shoes and sound physical conditioning. Crampons and ice axes can be rented in Gavarnie.
Gavarnie, Occitania, 65188, France -
2. Cirque de Gavarnie
A spectacular natural amphitheater, the Cirque de Gavarnie has been dubbed the "Colosseum of Nature" and inspired many writers, including Victor Hugo. At its foot is the village of Gavarnie, a good base for exploring the region's mountains. Thanks to glacial erosion, the Cirque is a Cinerama wall of peaks and a daunting challenge to mountaineers. Horses and donkeys, rented in the village, are the traditional way to reach the head of the valley (though walking is preferable). When the upper snows melt, numerous streams tumble down from the cliffs to form spectacular waterfalls; the greatest of them, the Grande Cascade, drops nearly 1,400 feet.
Gavarnie, Occitania, 65188, France -
3. Grotte de Massabielle
Lourdes wouldn't even be on the map if it weren't for this deep grotto near the Gave de Pau where 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous first claimed to see visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858. Church authorities initially reacted with skepticism: it took four years for the miracle to be authenticated by Rome and a sanctuary erected over the grotto. In 1864 the first organized procession was held, and now there are six official annual pilgrimages between Easter and All Saints' Day, the most important being on August 15. In fall and winter there are far fewer visitors—a plus for those seeking tranquility.
Lourdes, Occitania, 65100, France -
4. Musée National du Château de Pau
Pau's regal past is commemorated at its Musée National du Château de Pau, begun in the 14th century by Gaston Phoebus, the flamboyant count of Béarn. The building was transformed into a Renaissance palace in the 16th century by Marguerite d'Angoulême, sister of François I. A woman of diverse gifts, she wrote pastorals, many performed in the château's sumptuous gardens. Her bawdy Heptameron—written at age 60—furnishes as much sly merriment today as it did when read by her doting kingly brother. Marguerite's grandson, the future king of France Henri IV, was born in the château in 1553. Exhibits connected to Henri's life and times are displayed regularly, along with portraits of the most significant of his alleged 57 lovers and mistresses. His cradle, a giant turtle shell, is on exhibit in his bedroom, one of the sumptuous, tapestry-lined royal apartments.
Rue du Château, Pau, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 64000, France05–59–82–38–00Sight Details
Rate Includes: €7 -
5. Musée Pyrénéen
The château on the hill above town is reached from the ticket office via escalator or 131 steps. Once a prison, the castle now contains the Musée Pyrénéen, a provincial museum devoted to the popular customs, arts, and history of the Pyrénées. There are splendid views over the rooftops of Lourdes and the sanctuary area.
25 rue du Fort, Lourdes, Occitania, 65100, France05–62–42–37–37Sight Details
Rate Includes: €7.50 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Petit Train de la Rhune
Not much on the Petit Train has changed since its inaugural voyage to the peak of La Rhune on June 30, 1924. Today's passengers are still enthralled by the incredible views of the Bay of Biscay and the grassy Basque farmlands below as they ascend—at the less-than-dizzying speed of 8 kph (5 mph)—in the original varnished cars made of pine and chestnut from Pyrenean forests. This high-climbing cogwheel train (one of only three in France) departs from Col de St-Ignace, 3½ km (2¼ miles) west of Sare.
Sare, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 64320, France05–59–54–20–26Sight Details
Rate Includes: €22
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