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Salies-de-Bearn

Salies de Bearn is a very picturesque town not far from Pau.

The town has the river Saleys running through it, for much of its journey through the town it is in a man-made channel and can be crossed at two points in the town, on the pont d’Andioque and the pont de la Lune. Both bridges offer wonderful view of the town with its whitewashed buildings, painted shutters and wooden balconies.

The town is full of little lanes and is lovely for ambling through and relaxing. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and hotels too if you decide to make this town a base for visiting the surrounding area. The Hotel du Parc is a luxury hotel which was built for wealth visitors to the thermes in the 19^th century. The hotel has an Italian style lounge and has been the backdrop of various films. Part of the hotel building is now a casino.

The Place du Bayaa is the heart of the town and was built like a snail’s shell around the basin from where salt was drawn. This has now been covered over but there is now a salt-water ‘fountain of the sanglier’ in the shape of a boar’s head.

There is also a 16^th century castle, the Chateau Saint-Pe up behind the Town Hall, which used to hold the court of justice for witches!

The town has developed because of salt - legend has it that this was discovered when an injured boar fell into a swamp and was discovered later covered in salt and perfectly preserved. The salt is thought to be essential to the taste of nearby Bayonne hams.

With the discovery of thermal springs whose water is about 50°, thermes have developed and brought wealth to the town and well-being to its visitors. The salts at Salies de Bearn are particularly beneficial for gynaecological, rheumatic and paediatric ailments and the Thermal Baths in the town are housed in an interesting looking building built in a Moorish style. The waters are ten times more salty to the sea.

Visitors can bathe in the waters, though for non-patients the waters are cooler and less salty.

There is a museum dedicated to the salt, The Musee du Sel et des traditions Bearnaises.

As well as the salt museum there is also a museum of arts and traditions in Salies de Bearn.

Salies-de-Bearn: tourist information, map, travel plans and gites

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Places to visit - Salies-de-Bearn

Explore places within about 70 kilometres on a map at Visit Salies-de-Bearn.

Some of the closer places are listed below (distances from Salies-de-Bearn are approximate and direct - as the crow flies. Only places listed on the france this way site are shown!)

• Dax Aquitaine town at 29 km
• Orthez Medieval town and bridge at 17 km
• Sauveterre-de-Bearn town at 8 km

- See also Salies-de-Bearn (version Francais)

 

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