Page 157 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

monarchs of Navarre Pau’s tiny old centre
1 Pau and transformed into extends for around 500m
Palm trees might seem a Renaissance château around the Château de
out of place in this moun- in the 16th century. It’s Pau, and boasts many
tainous region, but Pau home to a fine collection attractive medieval and
of Gobelins tapestries and Renaissance buildings.
(rhymes with ‘so’) has
long been famed for its Sevres porcelain.
mild climate. In the 19th
century this elegant town
was a favourite winter- LINK
ing spot for wealthy Brits YOUR
and Americans, who left TRIP
behind many grand villas
and smart promenades. a Atlantic to Med 8 Essential France
Its main sight is the From Foix, head From Foix, it’s FRANCE 11 THE PYRENEES
Château de Pau (%05 59 just over an hour four hours’ drive east to
82 38 00; www.chateau-pau. northeast to Carcassone Aix-en-Provence, where
fr; 2 rue du Château; adult/child and then east for the you can commence the
€7/free; h9.30am-12.15pm balmy Med or west grand tour of France in
& 1.30-5.45pm, gardens open for the slower-paced reverse.
longer hrs), built by the Atlantic coast. # \

# e 0 0 20 miles 40 km
0 ¸ 0 ¸
A64
A61
HAUTE-GARONNE Garonne
Gratens # \
10
Boulogne- F G # \Carbonne
# \ # \ Ariège
sur-Gesse Aurignac # \ Rieux
# \
# \ Cazères
# \
Montesquieu- Artigat
0 ¸ Salat Volvestre # \
A64
# \ Pamiers # \
# \ St-Gaudens
Montréjeau
St-Bertrand de Prat La Bastide
# \ # \
Comminges St-Lizier Lescure de Serou
# \ 0 ¸ # \
Col de Portet # \ D117
d'Aspet # \
(1069m) St-Girons #
# \ #
c 8 Foix
c Montgaillard 0¸
Col de Menté Col de # \ D117
Pic de (1349m) la Core
N20
Bacanère (1395m) / ·
(2193m) Pic de c ARIÈGE m K
# \ #
R Maubermé #
9
R (838m) # \ Ussat-
Bagnères Tarascon-
# \ R Mt Valier les-Bains
de Luchon (2838m) sur-Ariège
c Col du Portillon # \ # \
(1320m) Guzet Vicdessos
Neige
R Pic Rouge
R Pica de Bassiès
Mt Rouch D'Estates (2676m) 155
(2858m) (3143m) R
# \