Local
Guide:
Garris & St Palais
Garris is a fortified village lying on the pilgrimage Route de St Jacques de Compostelle. Many buildings in the village dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries.
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St Palais is the area's chief market town and a little gem it is too, particularly on market day - Friday. If you happen to be there in August, you must check out the Festival de Force Basque, a kind of Highland Games for the Basque Country! The town has an excellent variety of shops and there are good restaurants too. Horse-riding enthusiasts will be pleased to find an equestrian centre in the town.
The Region
Local Villages
The great attraction of Sauveterre-de-Bearn is its cliff-top setting high
above the Gave d'Oloron from where you can see the famous fortified
medieval bridge, or, rather, half a bridge - the other half having
been destroyed in a feudal war. The village centre is 1km from
the cottage - there's a selection of local shops and restaurants.
Navarrenx dates from the 11th century; it is considered one
of the finest example of a fortified town in the south west,
not least because its Protestant inhabitants resisted every
attempted invasion during the Wars of Religion!
Nearby Salies-de-Béarn is a larger
town and offers more by way of shops and restaurants. Salies
is a genteel spa town which has been a popular watering hole
for those seeking thermal cures and relaxation, for over 100
years. There's also a splendid Moorish-style casino in the town
and a golf course close by. Salies is also a pleasant place
for a stroll, notably along the narrow backstreets with their
steep-gabled houses. And if you fancy a break from walking,
you can take gondola trips along the river in summer.
Countryside & Mountains
This
region is known as the 'Béarn des Gaves', where the mountain
streams from the Ossau and Aspe valleys converge to form the
famous Gave d'Oloron, known for exceptional salmon fishing (the
world championship comes here here every year) and, for thrill-seekers,
rafting and kayaking. The region is also famous for its abundance
of heritage, especially châteaux (eg at nearby Aren and Laas) and bastides (medieval fortified
towns), including Navarrenx.
The Haut-Béarn is a
wonderful landscape that forms a natural boundary between France
and Spain. It is also a haven for outdoor pursuits. Two beautiful
river valleys – d’Ossau and d’Aspe – offer great walking/hiking, mountain biking and, in Spring,
good white-water potential. Parasailing, rock-climbing, horse-riding
and fishing are also popular. Skiing is possible at nearby stations
such as Gourette.
In the Parc National des Pyrénées lives some
of Europe’s most exotic wildlife including chamois, royal eagles
and brown bears, whilst at Laruns there is a 92-hectare reserve
for the griffon vulture. At Lescun you will find one of France’s
most photogenic natural locations, the Needles of Ansabère,
an amphitheatre of jagged limestone peaks rising to the summit of Pic d’Anie.
Also in the Haut-Béarn and a great day out for the kids is
a ride on Le Petit Train d’Artouste. Built for dam workers,
this 10 kms train journey tales passengers along the flanks of the Pic de la Sagette.
Beach lovers
For a day at the beach, surfing, glamour
and seafood are best enjoyed on the Côte Basque at Biarritz or St Jean de Luz. These two authentically
Basque towns are well-worth spending time in for their fine boutique
shops and restaurants, and just to soak up their relaxed ambience.
There are many other beaches to investigate north of Biarritz, Hossegor being a particular favourite.
City Culture
A short drive east is the stylish and compact city of Pau.
Barely known of outside of France, Pau has a variety of attractions.
It sprang to fame in the 19th century when wealthy British and Americans
were drawn to its mild climate and it became a popular winter holiday
destination. To this day Pau retains an ‘upmarket’ feel
about it. There is a thriving café and bar life plus plenty
of opportunity for boutique shopping, notably along the rues des
Cordeliers and Serviez. Pau also has its own château (and
birthplace of King Henri IV) plus one of the south west’s
finest panoramic views - the spectacular array of distant, snow-capped
peaks as seen from the Boulevard des Pyrénées.
A little known fact is that Pau is home to continental Europe’s
first golf course, built in 1856 by a resident Scotsman.
Pau also hosts horse-racing events, a vintage car race and a Formula
3 street race every year.
In the other direction, the Basque capital of Bayonne has a fine, historic centre with a beautiful cathedral, ramparts
plus a range of stylish shops and restaurants. There's also a good
museum - Musée Basque - for learning more about
the Basque people, their culture and history. And, of course, no
visit to this Chocolate City would be complete without sampling
its famous hot chocolate and visiting one of the many chocolatiers.
Other suggestions for day-trips:
• Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Jurançon,
Madiran and Béarn
• Crossing the border into Spain for a visit to Pamplona,
San Sebastian or Bilbao
• A trip to Lourdes to satisfy the religious
or the plain curious
For further information try the links below. Please note we are not responsible for the content of third party sites.
Alternative Aquitaine's tourism guide to the Cote Basque
Alternative Aquitaine's tourism guide to the Pyrenees
Pyrénées-Atlantique
Tourist Office
Pyrenees
National Park
Learn About
the Basque Country
UK Tourist
Office for France
