Page 339 - Lonely Planet France’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 LINK
was a favourite winter- YOUR
ing spot for wealthy Brits TRIP
and Americans, who left
behind many grand villas The Cathar Trail Basque Country
and smart promenades. t w
Its main sight is the From Foix, it’s only This Pyrenean
Château de Pau (%05 59 a short drive from the trip makes a natural
82 38 00; www.chateau-pau. mountains before you extension of our themed
fr; 2 rue du Château; adult/child reach the heart of the trip through the French
Cathar lands and their
Basque country. From
€7/free; h9.30am-12.15pm PYRENEES & SOUTHWEST FRANCE 31 THE PYRENEES
& 1.30-5.45pm, gardens open amazing châteaux. St-Jean Pied de Port,
it’s 71km to Oloron-Ste-
longer hrs), built by the
Marie, or 103km to Pau.
# e 0 0 20 miles 40 km
0 ¸ 0 ¸
A64
A61
HAUTE-GARONNE Garonne
Gratens # \
# \Carbonne
Boulogne-
# \ 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 #
# \ Foix
8
c # F G
c Montgaillard 0¸ 29
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) 337
(2858m) (3143m) R