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Luz-Saint-Sauveur

Visit Luz-Saint-Sauveur (Midi-Pyrenees, France)

The small town of Luz-Saint-Sauveur is situated in the heart of the Pyrenees to the south of Lourdes. As well as having several points of interest in the town itself it is also very well situated for various activities in the surrounding mountains.

Exploring Luz-Saint-Sauveur

The town at Luz-Saint-Sauveur is quite small but has all the facilities you need including cafes, small supermarkets and several hotels.

Luz falls into two separate parts, with the main town centre being the northern part and the quieter section of the town, that developed around the thermal baths that have been here since the 16th century, towards the south.

In this southern part of the town you should also pause on the Pont Napoleon where it crosses the stream called the 'gave de gavarnie' to see the deep canyon carved by the river.

In the northern part of Luz-Saint-Sauveur you can see the principal historic monument in the town, the Church of the Templars.

Very unusually this 12th century church is completely surrounded by high fortified walls - it was in this small area that the inhabitants would seek refuge when necessary, usually from bands of Spanish bandits.

At the church you can see the original roman style entrance, some interesting paintings, and the church treasury can be visited (summer afternoons only)

The surrounding streets also contain various buildings of interest, and are most active on market day (Monday). You can also visit the Maison du Parc in this part of luz-Saint-Sauveur for more information about activities in the Pyrenees and exhibitions by local artists.

On the hill above Luz-Saint-Sauveur you can see the ruins of the 10th century castle.

Activities around Luz-Saint-Sauveur

Of course there are numerous opportunities for outdoor activities in the region around the town, with hikes of every level of difficulty readily available. Principal among the activities popular with visitors are:

• a visit to the cirque of Gavarnie, a magnificent natural spectacle to the south of Luz-Saint-Sauveur
• skiing at the resort of Luz-Ardiden
• following the route of the Col du Tourmalet mountain pass to the east of the town, either by bike or by car - this has been one of the most popular routes through the Pyrenees on the Tour de France since 1910
• visit the Pic du Midi, an observatory reached by cablecar on a high mountain top that is reputed to have the best views in the Pyrenees

Photos of Luz-Saint-Sauveur

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Address: Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Argelès-Gazost, Hautes-Pyrenees, Midi-Pyrenees, 65120 || GPS: latitude 42.8725, longitude -0.000556

Map of Luz-Saint-Sauveur & places nearby



 

Highlights close by

More suggestions: Lourdes 25km; Pyrenees National Parc 27km; Arreau 30km; Laruns 36km; Tarbes 40km;

See lots more places to visit nearby and a more detailed map at places near Luz-Saint-Sauveur.
See Midi-Pyrenees and Hautes-Pyrenees (the region and department for Luz-Saint-Sauveur) for more travel ideas...

Suggested tourist attractions to visit near Luz-Saint-Sauveur, France

• Col du Tourmalet - site of natural beauty (13km)
• Gavarnie église St Jean Baptiste (monuments on French pilgrim routes) - heritage site (16km)
• Cirque d'Estaubés - site of natural beauty (18km)
• Cirque de Troumouse - site of natural beauty (18km)
• Aragnouet chapelle des templiers (monuments on French pilgrim routes) - heritage site (19km)
• Cirque de Gavarnie - grand site of france (20km)
• Ourdis-Cotdoussan église St Jacques (monuments on French pilgrim routes) - heritage site (20km)
• Mont Perdu - heritage site (22km)
• Grottes de Médous - site of natural beauty (23km)
• Grottes de Betharram - site of natural beauty (30km)

Market days in Luz-Saint-Sauveur: Regular market(s) are held in Luz-Saint-Sauveur each Monday. (Markets are held in the morning unless stated.)

The French version of this page is at Luz-Saint-Sauveur (Francais)