Page 159 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

scenic drive. You’ll cover about des Pyrénées (%05 62 has clung on to much of
52km, but allow yourself at 97 91 07; www.parc-animalier- its fin-de-siècle charac-
least 1½ hours. Once you reach pyrenees.com; adult/child ter, with a stately spa
Argelès-Gazost, head further €18/13; h9.30am-6pm or and grand 19th-century
south for 4km along the D101 to
St-Savin. 7pm Apr-Oct) does all the residences.
hard work for you. It’s To see the scenery at its
home to a menagerie of best, drive through town
4 St-Savin endangered Pyrenean along the D920 (signed
After the hair-raising drive animals including to the ‘Pont d’Espagne’).
wolves, marmots, lynxes,
The road is known locally
over the Col d’Aubisque, giant ravens, vultures, as the Chemins des Cas-
St-Savin makes a welcome racoons, beavers and cades after the waterfalls
refuge. It’s a classic even a few brown bears that crash down the
Pyrenean village, with (the European cousin of mountainside; it’s 6.5km
cobbled lanes, quiet cafes the grizzly bear). of nonstop hairpins, so
and timbered houses set take it steady. FRANCE 11 THE PYRENEES
around a fountain- filled The Drive » Take the D921 At the top, you’ll reach
main square. south of Argelès-Gazost for 6km the giant car park at
It’s also home to to Pierrefitte-Nestalas. Here,
one of the Pyrenees’ the road forks; the southwest Pont d’Espagne (cable cars
adult/child €13/10.50). From
branch (the D920) climbs up a
most respected hotel- lush, forested valley for another here, a combination
restaurants, Le Viscos 11km to Cauterets. télécabine and télésiege
(%05 62 97 02 28; www.hotel- (adult/child €13/10.50)
leviscos.com; 1 rue Lamarque, ratchets up the moun-
St-Savin; menus €49-75; TRIP HIGHLIGHT tainside allowing access
h12.30-2.30pm Tue-Sun & 6 Cauterets to the area’s trails, in-
7.30-9.30pm daily; paW), For alpine scenery, the cluding the popular hike
run by celeb chef Jean- century-old ski resort to the sapphire-tinted
Pierre St-Martin, known of Cauterets is perhaps Lac de Gaube.
for his blend of Basque, the signature spot in the
Breton and Pyrenean fla- Pyrenees. Hemmed in by 54 p161
vours (as well as his pas- mountains and forests, it
sion for foie gras). After
dinner, retire to one of the
cosy country rooms and
watch the sun set over the
snowy mountains. DETOUR:
CIRQUE DE GAVARNIE
4 p161
The Drive » From St-Savin, Start: 6 Cauterets
travel back along the D101 For truly mind-blowing mountain scenery, it’s
to Argelès-Gazost. You’ll see well worth taking a side trip to see the Cirque de
signs to the Parc Animalier des Gavarnie, a dramatic amphitheatre of mountains
Pyrénées as you approach town. 20km south of Luz-St-Saveur. It’s a return walk of
about two hours from the village, and you’ll need to
bring sturdy footwear.
5 Argelès-Gazost There’s another spectacular circle of mountains
Spotting wildlife isn’t 6.5km to the north, the Cirque de Troumouse.
always easy in the It’s reached via a hair-raising 8km toll road (€5 per
Pyrenees, but thank- vehicle; open April to October). There are no barriers
fully the Parc Animalier and the drops are really dizzying, so drive carefully.

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