Pau

The Boulevard des Pyrenees runs about a kilometre along the edge of a terrace above the Gave de Pau, laid out between 1893 and 1899 on an idea Napoleon first had in 1808, with the whole range in front of it; plaques name the peaks, and on clear days the wall of mountains is complete from the Pic du Midi d'Ossau eastward. Henri IV was born in the castle in 1553 and, by the story, had his lips rubbed with garlic and Jurancon wine as a newborn; the tortoiseshell said to have served as his cradle is shown in the castle. British residents settled here in the nineteenth century for the climate and left golf, fox hunting and a racecourse behind them.

History

The origin of the name is uncertain, perhaps from the palisade of the first fort or from a pre-Indo-European root for a rock face. There are no traces of a settlement before the 10th century, but the site, overlooking one of only three fords over the Gave de Pau in some 50 km, was ideal for controlling the way down from the Pyrenees, and a small fort with a palisade was built around the year 1000 and strengthened in the 11th century. A hamlet grew around it and became a small administrative district under the lords of Béarn; Gaston Fébus reinforced the strongholds of Béarn, including the castle of Pau, where he settled, and in 1464 Pau replaced Orthez as the capital of Béarn. Early in the 16th century the castle became the residence of the kings of Navarre, and in the 19th century English residents brought the first golf on the continent, fox hunting and racing at Pont-Long (Wikipedia, Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques).

Highlights

• The Boulevard des Pyrenees - a terrace walk facing the whole mountain range.
• The castle - Henri IV's birthplace with tapestries and the tortoiseshell cradle.
• The British legacy - one of the oldest golf courses on the continent.
• The funicular - a short free lift from the station to the boulevard.

When to go

April to June and September to October; the mountain view depends entirely on clear air, and winter days after rain are often the sharpest. Summer haze frequently hides the range.

Good to know

The famous view is absent on hazy or overcast days, which is often. The castle is visited by guided tour. The city is pleasant rather than remarkable outside the terrace.

Nearby

The Ossau valley lies south; Lourdes is southeast.

Key facts