Hautes-Pyrenees, France travel guide
The Hautes-Pyrenees department is found in the Pyreneean mountains along the French border with Spain. The department falls within the Midi-Pyrenees region of France.
It is the mountains and dramatic scenery that hold much of the attraction of the Hautes-Pyrenees, with outdoor sports in the mountain region (from cycling to rafting) being especially popular. Before rushing southwards, there are some towns towards the north that also have certain appeal.
North and central Hautes-Pyrenees
At the far north of the Hautes-Pyrenees department is the market town of Maubourguet.
Head south via Vic-en-Bigorre to a popular stop-off point en-route for the mountains - the town at Tarbes. By now views of the mountains are startig to emerge as a splendid backdrop...
To the south of Tarbes is the town with more hotels than any other city in France except Paris...Lourdes - Lourdes is of course the famous site of miraculous healing powers and very popular pilgrimage destination that attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year.
Even if you are not in need of the healing powers you might find Lourdes to be an 'interesting' place to visit - if you are expecting a quiet Pyreneean town you migh be a bit surprised by what you discover!
South Hautes-Pyrenees
Escaping south from the crowds and commercialisation of Lourdes, you enter the Pyrenees 'proper'. The first great highlight is the Pic du Midi de Bigorre - visible from many places in the region, and at 2877 metres high offering stunning views across the surrounding mountains. You can ascend to the peak (shared with an observatory) by cable car.
Continue south to enjoy the best of the Pyrenees National Park, and even venture to Mont Perdu in the deep Pyrenees on the Spanish border, a listed world heritage site. The Col d'Aspin is just one of several very scenic routes to follow, as is the Aure Valley further east in the department.
The Cirque de Gavarnie, an imposing cliff face south of Luz and Argeles, again on the Spanish border, is a good place for hikers to start exploring the region - and an impressive sight in its own right, as well as being one of a small selection of locations designated as Grand Sites of France'.
Skiing in winter, and walking and cycling in summer, make the Pyrenees very much an outdoors destination. Some of the popular ski stations here include Cauterets, Saint-Lary-Soulan, Tourmalet, Luz-Ardiden and Hautacam.
Hautes-Pyrenees is also a magnet for lovers of spa treatments, particularly at Bagneres-de-Bigorre and Cauterets.
Visit Hautes-Pyrenees - tourist information
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Places to visit in Hautes-Pyrenees, France: a local travel guideUse the map of Hautes-Pyrenees to see the location of selected places and to continue to explore... Place: |
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See a list of all Hautes-Pyrenees communes
See also Hautes-Pyrenees (version Francais)
