The Best Travel Guide to Pau

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Pau

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Overview

Pau The guide was updated: 2023-10-27

Nestled in the corner of rural south-west France stands Pau, the capital of the Béarn province, a bastion of history and culture. The town occupies a unique geographical position in the foothills of the Pyrenées. With its awe-inspiring views of the mountain range, Pau is only a few hundred kilometres from the major towns of Bordeaux and Toulouse and even closer to Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. A springboard to sunny beaches or snow-capped mountains, Pau’s pretty streets, and excellent gastronomy are enough to ensure leaving will be difficult.

Facts

Population:	75,665
Currency:	Euro (EUR) €1 = 100 cents
Search Accommodation:	Hotels »
Emergency numbers:	Emergency: 112 Police: 17 Ambulance: 15 Fire Brigade: 18
Newspapers:	La Dépêche du Midi La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées Sud Ouest Le Monde Le Figaro Libération
Website:	www.nouvelle-aquitaine-tourisme.com/en/pau-pyrenees
Opening hours:	Most shops are open from approximately 9am-7pm. Smaller places may close for a couple of hours during lunchtime. Shops are open on Sundays at their own discretion.
Tourist information:	Pau Pyrenees Tourist Information Place Royal, Pau +33 559 27 27 08 accueil@tourismepau.fr

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Pau offers many historical attractions like the impressive Château de Pau, and various museums with interesting art and heritage on display. If you would like to go on a longer excursion, you will also find a wide range of splendid cities and villages around Pau. The combination of castles, beautiful architecture, English style gardens and fun activities makes this town well worth exploring.

Pau Château National Museum

Pau Château National Museum

A defining symbol of the town, built in 1370, Pau Château was the birthplace of Henri IV. The castle became a museum in 1926 and here you will find important collections dedicated to Henri IV as well as the royal apartments.

Boulevard Des Pyrénées

Boulevard Des Pyrénées

Kick back at one of the many pavement cafés or restaurants you can find on this famous boulevard. Boulevard Des Pyrénées is great for a relaxing walk and lets you quietly take in one of the best views in the world.

Musée Bernadotte

Musée Bernadotte

Located in an 18th-century house, this museum is dedicated to the French man Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, who rose from the low ranks of the Gallic army to become King of Sweden.

Pau Racecourse

Pau Racecourse

Enjoy a day out at the races, French-style, at the Pau Racecourse. It is also knows as the Hippodrome de Pau and is an age-old, traditional racecourse with a 3,500 capacity stadium. Its high season is during winter.

Musée des Beaux Arts

Musée des Beaux Arts

This fine arts museum is located in a beautiful building from the 1930's. Musée des Beaux Arts houses many masterpieces made by household names like El Greco, Degas and Rubens.

Funiculaire de Pau

Funiculaire de Pau

The Funiculaire de Pau is a small railway running from Boulevard des Pyrenées to the railway station and mainly functions as a service for locals. The ride takes about 3 minutes and is perfect for children who will love this small train going up and down.

Skiing in the Pyrenees

Skiing in the Pyrenees

The Pyrenees ski resorts are easily accessible from Pau if you want to go on a ski holiday. The Pyrenees are more affordable than the Alps when it comes to passes and hire. You can reach the different destinations easily by buses and shuttles. Some of the ski areas in the area are: - Saint-Lary Soulan, with 100km of pistes, plenty of off-piste opportunities, and a kids’ park with its own toboggan run; - Les Angles, a huge ski area with loads of pistes; - La Mongie/Barèges, with a total of 69 pistes and 42 lifts.

Casino de Pau Groupe Tranchant

Casino de Pau Groupe Tranchant

Located in the heart of the city in a renovated building, the Casino de Pau has much to offer if you feel like gambling tonight. Onsite you will find restaurants and bars, and a lot of entertainment opportunities throughout the year.

Canyoning

Canyoning

In the mountains you can find the stunning canyons hidden away from the tourist trails. Canyoning is an exciting sport that will really give you a rush out of the ordinary. There are different activities offers to suit all tastes.

Clos Lapeyre

Clos Lapeyre

Clos Lapeyre is one of the many vineyards you can find in Jurançon, making a detour around Pau to explore the area. This vineyard offers wine tastings (dégustations) and beautiful sceneries.

Circuit Pau Arnos

Circuit Pau Arnos

If you fancy cars and motorbikes you might want to go on a detour to Circuit Pau Arnos. This place is located a bit outside Pau and here you can attend various events and competitions.

Lourdes

Lourdes

Go twenty minutes south on the train and you will find yourself at one of the holiest sites in the whole world. Each year seven million pilgrims visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. You may also want to visit the castle, the Pic du Midi mountain and the Gavarnie Cirque.

Exploring The Béarn Region

Exploring The Béarn Region

To explore some of the picture-postcard villages that surround Pau you can rent a car or just hop on the bus. Two of the most beautiful places to go are Salles-de-Béarn and Sauveterre-de-Béarn, which take from one to two hours to reach.

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