As soon as you arrive in the Vallées des Gaves, you are greeted by world renowned heritage sites: Lourdes, Gavarnie, Pont d’Espagne and Pic du Midi de Bigorre. Despite their renown, they remain very accessible and have preserved the intimacy and natural character which are sometimes lacking at other famous sites. In fact, this may well be their strength.

So prepare yourselves for remarkable, fulfilling and authentic experiences!

A spiritual and cultural journey

Whether or not you are guided by a sense of spirituality, you will enjoy exploring Lourdes, a little Bigorre town built around its rocky peak, quite simply because in Lourdes the religious and the cultural satisfy the same desires for knowledge, exchange and sharing.

A visit to the Cave and the Sanctuaries will lead you to appreciate the Marian town’s warm, cosmopolitan atmosphere and its numerous museums in equal measure.

In Lourdes, your thoughts are lifted in a number of other ways. This is clear when you reach the promontory of Lourdes' remarkable stronghold, or the summit of Pic Jer which affords a magnificent panoramic view over the Pyrenees.

The gateway to Vallées des Gaves, Lourdes makes for a flexible break in an exceptionally diverse environment where you can do anything: meditate, recharge your batteries, get away from it all, celebrate, and more.

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UNESCO World Heritage

Get ready! In Gavarnie, you will be stepping into another dimension! And it is infinitely beautiful and the infinitely vast.

Cirque de Gavarnie and its seventeen peaks of over 3,000m set the stage for the highest waterfall in Europe. At the top of this natural amphitheatre is the easily recognisable Brèche de Roland, an impressive gap which according to legend was cut by a swish of Charlemagne's nephew’s sword.
Nearby, there are two more cirques for you to visit: Troumouse and Estaubé. Equally as imposing as their prestigious neighbour, they are the also the source of the purest mountains streams.

And water turns to snow in the space of a season. You will love the winter sports season because the amazing scenery provides a fabulous backdrop which brings out winter in the sharpest relief. And what can we say about summer! From walking to climbing, as a family or guided by a professional, you will enjoy the living mountains, as pure and simple as the soul of the old village of Gavarnie.
Take a deep breath, take it all in, and take a walk further still, because you are holidaying at the heart of exceptional border country. UNESCO have awarded “Pyrenees - Mont Perdu: Cirques and Canyons” World Heritage status because of the quality of its cultural and natural landscapes.

Gateway to the Pyrenees National Park

Once more it’s all about water... and mountain streams. The section of the Cauterets stream, which rises above the famous thermal springs, from Raillère to Pont d’Espagne, features some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Pyrenees. The famous bridge leads to the untouched natural setting of the Pyrenees National Park. The air is pure and invigorating, the colours and landscapes in perfect harmony, the streams clear and gargling... you are truly at the heart of a magical and authentic mountain setting.

Whatever your ambitions and hiking experience, you can choose which of the invitations you find most enticing: the charming and very accessible Vallée du Marcadau, the sumptuous Lac de Gaube and its varied trails, the majestic Vignemale and its glaciers, and more.

And in winter, you can learn the joys of Alpine skiing in a friendly and accessible resort, or hurtle down the slopes on a sledge with your children. On cross country skis or snowshoes, you will enjoy the spectacular setting with the discreet but never distant presence of the izards, stoats or grouse.

The starship: a one-in-a-million observatory

It will soon be obvious that scaling the heights has never been as beneficial and captivating! Few sites in France boast as many points of interest.

Le Tourmalet (2,115m) is first and foremost a legendary pass, regularly the scene of dramatic and world famous finishes in the Tour de France. For anyone who loves skiing, this prestigious name also symbolises the largest ski resort in the French Pyrenees: 100km of pistes and so many ways of enjoying the mountains! And 1,000 hectares of powder mean that you always carve a fresh trail.
And what if you climbed even higher? At 2,886m in altitude is Pic du Midi: 360° of complete bliss, all year round, day and night. The most perfect vision of earth and space together gives you all the choices you could wish for: to overlook half of the Pyrenees, learn about astronomy, spend an evening at the summit to see the sunset and observe the stars, or spend the night to experience daybreak.

In the meantime, let your fantasies run wild!