Pau Towns, Villages and Bastides in Pau

Useful information

Province : Pau and its surroundings, the Jurançon and Madiran vineyards

  • English
    • Capital of Béarn and Prefecture of the Pyrénées Atlantiques
      Pau and its agglomeration of nearly 150,000 inhabitants benefit from an exceptional geographical location, between the sea and the mountains. Life is peaceful in this pretty city of Paloise, always with the Pyrenees chain as a grandiose backdrop... This art of living and this atmosphere have inspired many poets and men of letters.
      Pau of yesterday and today:
      While until the 14th century it was only a small town, Pau will first develop under the impetus of Gaston Fébus but will only become the Capital of Béarn (after Lescar, Morlaas and Orthez) under Jean d'Albret and Catherine de Navarre returning from Spain.
      The construction of the castle, first under the impetus of Gaston Fébus, then transformed into a Renaissance residence by Henri II d'Albert, marked a turning point. The castle became a place of artistic and intellectual life of the first order under Jeanne d'Albert who gave birth in these places to her son, Henri III of Navarre, who would become Henri IV of France. Béarn was then a small state.
      After the death of Henri IV, the city will have great difficulty in recovering from the departure of its child, born within its walls and will only become influential again long after, when the revolution will make it the capital of the Basses Pyrénées later renamed Pyrénées Atlantiques .
      But it was in the 19th century that modern Pau began to take shape under the Anglo Saxon impulse. The English troops present in Béarn after the battle of Orthez will discover in Pau a place with an ideal climate, a huge wave of immigration will thus lead to the construction of sumptuous villas and parks, which will model Pau to make it a harmonious and elegant. Let's not forget that the oldest 18-hole golf course in Europe is still today in Pau...
      One of the modern turning points in the history of Pau is undoubtedly the discovery in 1951 of a very large natural gas deposit in Lacq which alone will lead to the economic development of the city, University, Grande Ecole of Commerce, Research Centers, Palais des Sports, Zénith, sports teams in the foreground, Formula 3000 Grand Prix each year... the second city of Aquitaine now has little to envy to its neighboring rivals which are Toulouse and Bayonne-Anglet and Biarritz, especially since the art of living is still cultivated there, it is good to live in Pau in the 21st century, Pau is the European city offering the most Green Spaces per inhabitant and let's not forget that Sea and Mountain are less than an hour's drive from the city center!
      Visit in Pau:
      The Castle of course, a mixture of several influences over the centuries, and its surrounding medieval streets.
      Sully's 17th century residence opposite the castle
      Place de la Monnaie, its tower and its beautiful residences
      Place Royale, a splendid tree-lined square opposite the town hall and the Tourist Office.
      The majestic Boulevard des Pyrénées, for its view of the Pyrenees chain and its orientation table.
      The Palace and Beaumont Park, Restaurant, Brasserie, Gardens and Lounges, a privileged place to start your walking tour of the old town.
      The Museum of Fine Arts, the Bernadotte Museum...
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Ride around

Pau, capitale royale (Balade urbaine)

Pau, capitale royale (Balade urbaine)
Pau, capitale royale (Balade urbaine)

65 m - Pau

Walking

Les incontournables de Pau, capitale royale

Les incontournables de Pau, capitale royale
Les incontournables de Pau, capitale royale

65 m - Pau

Walking

Pau, capitale royale en écomobilité

Pau, capitale royale en écomobilité
Pau, capitale royale en écomobilité

65 m - Pau

Walking

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Pau Castle

Pau Castle
Pau Castle

Birthplace of Henris IV, the Pau Castle stands in the center of the city. It is a national museum which offers ...

386 m - Pau

La Cour

La Cour
La Cour

La Cour, a small (atypical) village in the city to discover in Jurançon A true place of life, exchange, meeting and ...

1,2 km - Jurançon

Jurançon - Gan - Coteaux du Jurançon

Jurançon - Gan - Coteaux du Jurançon
Jurançon - Gan - Coteaux du Jurançon

More than the very large town of Jurançon but without real historical interest, you will visit or rather stroll on ...

1,8 km - Jurançon

Féerie Gourmande - The Museum of Sweet Arts

Féerie Gourmande - The Museum of Sweet Arts
Féerie Gourmande - The Museum of Sweet Arts

Féérie Gourmande: Immerse yourself in the Universe of Sweet Art in Uzos, in the heart of Béarn! Welcome to the ...

3,2 km - Uzos

Exotic Park

Exotic Park
Exotic Park

Exotic Park is a 2-hectare zoological park located opposite Lac des Carolins in Lescar. On the outdoor trail you ...

5,3 km - Lescar

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Pau

Address

64000 PAU

Contacts

Phone : 05 59 27 27 08

GPS coordinates

43° 17'42.35"N, 0° 22'14.88"W

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What to do in Béarn in autumn?

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The top 10 must-see visits in Béarn

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2 days in and around Pau

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Market cuisine, local and seasonal, with British accents… Les Rosbifs Pau, a one-of-a-kind restaurant

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Jurançon - Gan - Coteaux du Jurançon

Jurançon - Gan - Coteaux du Jurançon
Jurançon - Gan - Coteaux du Jurançon

More than the very large town of Jurançon but without real historical interest, you will visit or rather stroll on ...

1,8 km - Jurançon

Lescar

Lescar
Lescar

Former small Roman town and first bishopric of the region whose political influence has long been important, Lescar ...

6,7 km - Lescar

Bastide de Gan

Bastide de Gan
Bastide de Gan

Created in 1335, La Bastide de Gan suffered a terrible fire in the 16th century which destroyed a very large part of ...

7,4 km - Gan

Bastide d'Assat

Bastide d'Assat
Bastide d'Assat

Close to Pau, Assat is a very small, pleasant and dynamic bastide. You will discover a pretty bridge, built in the ...

7,5 km - Assat

Morlaàs

Morlaàs
Morlaàs

A veritable belvedere over the Pyrenees, this historic capital of Béarn from 1080 to 1260 had a brilliant ...

10,4 km - Morlaàs