Best places to visit in Pau, France
2–minute read
Is Pau France worth visiting?
Yes, it is a lovely, small, and elegant city with a magnificent view and it has been attracting foreign tourists since the 1820s. The current capital of the Béarn (64 – Pyrénées Atlantiques) is home to 78,000 plus inhabitants in the city area. Pau has lovely old villas, many green spaces and a charmed position “between the mountains and the sea” (the Pyrénées and the Basque coast). The term-time population swells with a large population of local and international students attracted to its higher education institutions.
A day trip to the historic quarter is a must see in Pau.
The splendid Boulevard des Pyrénées is an almost two-kilometre-long road that connects the Parc du Château to the Parc Beaumont. With a commanding position overlooking the Gave de Pau (a river), the palm-tree lined boulevard offers visitors a magnificent 180° panorama of the central Pyrénéan peaks and the Jurançon hills, Pau’s local wine growing region.
In summer, the boulevard can be boiling hot and the view of the peaks hazy, but it’s an unmissable location and there are many cafes in which to seek refuge. In winter, on a sunny and bright day, you can sip a hot chocolate from the safety of this urban cocoon and gaze at the twinkling snow-capped peaks shimmering on the horizon.
Facing the mountains from the boulevard, straight ahead is the Pic du Midi d’Ossau, the mini sugar-loaf style mountain which is the emblem of the Bearn (Le Béarn – 64). Look far to the left and you can see the Pic du Midi, the symbol of the Bigorre (La Bigorre – 65). On a bright day you can just about make out the observatory at the top.
The town hall (La Mairie) led by the Mayor (Le Maire) and also Prime minster (Le premier ministre) of France, François Bayrou, has embarked on progressive and transformational urban regeneration projects over recent years. This includes the creation of exciting new urban spaces such as the Halles de Pau and redevelopment of Place du Foirail. New public transport includes a hydrogen bus, the nippy Fébus, which slices through the city, connecting the railway station with the shopping district, uni campus and the hospital. You can park in the park-and-ride at the hospital and be in the centre of town in 10 minutes.
But let’s start with the historic quarter. The old town in Pau around the castle and the boulevard is a lovely and gentle environment in which to explore the city of Pau.
Must see Pau: The Funicular, Boulevard des Pyrénées, Château (Castle), shopping – and restaurants.
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