Pyrenees

Between France and Spain stretch the Pyrenees. Playing with borders, mountains and valleys reveal themselves to visitors who venture there, seeking peace and tranquility. Summer and winter alike, locals, tourists and herds of sheep cross paths and meet here, in remarkable surroundings. The snow giving way to green pastures, each season offers its share of discoveries and wonder in a cross-border region rich in its dual culture

Popular during winter, the Pyrenees mountains draws French athletes but also foreigners, Spaniards, English, Scandinavians, etc. In family ski resorts, everyone tries their hand at board sports  enjoying a sumptuous natural setting. Others, curious to explore the region in great detail, prefer to don snowshoes and meander on paths between France and Spain thus gaining access to exceptional sites with grandiose landscapes.

When the fine weather returns, announcing the triumphal return of spring, the sheep herds leave the villages to rejoin the pure mountain air. Immense green pastures appear as the thick mantle of snow melts, revealing the Pyrenees mountains with a wonderful new backdrop. Tranquility and well-being are once again reunited.  Here, villages and mountains lance a call for recreation, from the many activities on offer to the spas and whirlpools that flourish in the region, everything is intended to be tranquilizing. Incredibly comforting natural hot springs are also available

Further down in the valley, some emblematic towns are also attracting  numerous visitors. This is the case with Lourdes, this famous city constructed around a rocky outcrop, is now the second largest hotel city in France after Paris. Its medieval castle,  situated on a rocky pinnacle, dominates the city and reminds all of its rich historical past. Lourdes is also a hub of Catholic history and tradition. Its mysterious caves are today a place of pilgrimage known around the world and which continue to attract devoted visitors.

Further on, Tarbes, also located at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains, is a  dynamic and charming university town. With its gardens, historical monuments and relaxed rhythm of life, it is as much appreciated by its inhabitants as by those who sojourn for a while.

In Bagnères-de-Bigorre, authentic mountain architecture daringly blends with a more modern thermal atmosphere. The beautiful houses inherited from the aristocratic dwellers of the city during the last century stand alongside thermal baths together with some notably elegant art deco architecture. Oriented towards the arts, the city also has numerous museums, renowned music and performance halls. It is only a few kilometers from the first Pyrenean mountains with their spectacular well- conserved wilderness.