Description:

Geography

Bagneres de Bigorre is a spa town in the Ardour valley, a little way south of Lourdes in the department of Hautes-Pyrenees, surrounded by spectacular views of the Pyrenees. 

Tourism

There are a number of tree-lined streets and some rather grand looking houses, all reminders of the days when to take a thermal cure was an important part of French culture.  Nowadays, the tourism is based around the skiers in the winter and walkers, climbers and mountain bikers in the summer.

The town has a number of places to visit and plenty of shops, bars and restaurants.  The centre of the town has been pedestrianised and remains mostly traffic free, while the tree lined Allees des Coustous has a number of street cafes.

The nearby Grotte de Medous is perhaps the biggest tourist attraction near the town and just 2 Km south on the main road.  The caves are full of stalagmites and stalactites and only discovered in 1948.  There is a 12 person minimum per tour so be prepared to hang around, particularly out of high season.

The modern spa of Aquensis opened in 2003 and is quite spectacular, with a 20 metre pool under a cathedral like series of wooden arches.  The spa also offers the usual treatments, plus a Jacuzzi, two saunas and a sun bathing area on the roof terrace, giving wonderful views of the Pyrenees.  The name of the spa links back to the original Roman name for the settlement, Vicus Aquensis. 

The town has two museums, the Musee Salies showing mostly landscape pictures and the Musee du Vieux Moulin which is a typical folk museum showing local crafts and agricultural tools.  The ticket price of 4€ covers both museums.

Markets are held on both Wednesday and Saturday, some of it covered, selling local produce and all the essentials.  The town also has a Casino for evening entertainment.

Further afield, the observatory at the Pic du Midi is an essential stop of on a tour of the area.  With its close proximity to both the col d’Aspin and the col du Tourmalet, the town is often part of the route for the Tour de France and in 2008 the ninth stage finished in the town.

Economy

The town has turned itself into a mecca for anyone wanting to explore the Pyrenees, whether that is walkers climbers or skiers and so tourism and accommodation providers are a significant factor in the economy of the town.

Transport

The nearest train stations are at Tarbes or Lourdes and other than during the ski season, the bus connections are very thin on the ground.

For exploring the area a car is recommended.

The nearby airports of Pau and Tarbes-Lourdes have regular flights from the cheap airlines, while Toulouse has more International connections.

Have a look at our travel information pages for more information.

The town has its own website. (French)

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