Right in the heart of the foothills, Pau is THE main Pyrenean town. From the Boulevard des Pyrénées, a palm-tree lined avenue 1,800 metres long, Pau offers an exceptional panorama: you can see over 100 km of the Pyrenees from west to east, dominated by the pic d'Anie and pic du Midi d'Ossau.

Pau castle with its massive brick dungeon constructed by Gaston Fébus		Pau, born in the Middle Ages then fortified by Gaston Fébus, was capital of the Béarn. When it became French in 1620, the town lost its status of capital, but the Béarn people remained self-governing up to the XVIIIth century… In the last century, Pau's mild climate attracted numerous well-to-do English folks. Pau was brightened up by parks, public gardens and beautiful houses. Brought out of isolation by the railway, it soon became a tourist and sports town. Nowadays, this modern, dynamic town is developing the teaching of advanced technologies on its university campus. The gas found at Lacq has brought the town wealth. As it will soon run out, Pau is counting on Spain to boost its economic development…

			Pau is a sports town, remnant of the time when it was capital of high-flying tourism
		Pau is a sports town. The Pau-Orthez basketball team was Champion of Europe. The Pau rugby team is one of the best in France. It is one of the rare French towns to have a racing track for Formula 3000 competitions and has the oldest golfing club in Europe. It is also known for horse racing, a sport imported by the British during the 18th century.

 

Historical highlights

Middle Ages Pau developed at a strategic location, where there was a ford for flocks being driven up to summer pastures yet on a Roman road between Bordeaux and Saragosse. XIIth century: a castle replaced the town's wooden fortifications. 1464 : Pau became a capital town, hosting the lords of Béarn and their sparkling court. 1553: Birth in Pau of Henri de Navarre, future king of France. Renaissance period 1620: Pau was joined to France, but remained quite independent, as guaranteed by the Navarre Parliament . XVIIIth century: The town was redeveloped and new features added by the royal intendants. Modern times XIXth century: Well-to-do Englishmen were behind a rash of beautiful houses, public gardens, a golf course and racing track in Pau.

	Practical tips