Town : Pau

Pau is the capital town of Béarn area and is facing the chain of Pyrenees mountains and its gorgeous valleys.
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Pau is an historical town with its Château where Henri IV famous King of France was born. Pau is also the place of birth of Bernadotte which was King of Sweden.

The Palais des Sports, show room of Zenith (second biggest of France), the famous Horse racing track of the Pont Long and the recent Jaï-alaï (professional basque pelote betting stadium) are the symbols of the sport and cultural dynamism of this town. The Grand Prix de Pau Racing Car competition is one of the greatest events of the region (early June).

Pau hosts a Casino in the beautiful Palais Beaumont close to the town centre and accessible thanks to the beautiful Boulevard des Pyrénées walk.

Quarters of Pau host numerous restaurants to discover local gastronomy and traditions…
Bars and bright terraces will enable visitors enjoy the scenery of the Chain of Pyrenees that stretches along the southern site of the town. Enjoy the traditional “apero” (aperitif) at the end of the afternoon during which most of the population gather and relax.
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Pau is at the cross-roads of Pyrenean Valleys (Aspe, Ossau, Bigorre) that lead to mountain resorts (Gourette, Artouste, la Pierre Saint Martin, Somport) and Spain through the Pourtalet and Somport cols and tunnel. Spain is less than 1.5hour away driving from Pau and buses can transport you up to most of resorts detailed here. The Atlantic Coast is also 1.5 hour drive from there.

From Pau you can easily undertake mountain activities such as walking and mountain biking along the Chemin Henri IV track. You are more than welcome to visit local country side, vineyards (Jurançon, Madiran, Crouseilles), the Sanctuairy and Calvary of Lestelle Betharam and the Rosaire Basilica of Lourdes as famous religious sites (less than an hour away).

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You can reach the destination of Pau by car, also by train from Bordeaux and Toulouse, as well by air as Pau is directly connected to Paris, London, Amsterdam and Lyon (see the air connections’ map of the Transport section).

For those which come from distance consult the flights at the Pau – Pyrenees Airport close to Pau (14km).
To discover or to get to this destination by taxi, the Franck Lamon TAXI from Pau can transport and guide you.