Béarn in 4 days
From the Boulevard des Pyrénées in Pau, the whole mountain range unfolds like a stage set, and that is where Béarn begins. Henri IV's homeland, wedged between the Basque Country and Bigorre, has two valleys, Ossau and Aspe, that climb towards Spain through pastures, Tour de France passes and peaks of nearly 3,000 metres.
The plan, day by day
Day 1
- Morning
Château de Pauabout 1 h 30Henri IV was born here in 1553; his supposed tortoiseshell cradle is still shown, alongside a fine collection of Gobelins tapestries.
- Afternoon
Boulevard des Pyrénéesfree · about 30 minA palm-lined promenade whose viewing table names the peaks from the Pic d'Anie to the Vignemale, with the Pic du Midi d'Ossau at the centre.
Day 2
- Morning
The Jurançon vineyardsfree · half a dayHillside vines facing the Pyrenees south of Pau make dry and late-harvest sweet whites from petit and gros manseng, tasted at the estates.
- Late afternoon
Col d'Aubisquefree · about 1 hA 1,709-metre Tour de France pass climbed from Laruns through Eaux-Bonnes and Gourette, ending on open grassland marked by three giant painted bicycles.
Day 3
- Morning
The Artouste mountain trainhalf a dayA narrow-gauge line built in the 1920s for a dam, now running ten kilometres along the mountainside near 2,000 metres, reached by cable car.
- Late afternoon
Lac de Bious-Artiguesfree · 2 to 3 hA reservoir at 1,416 metres with Béarn's best-known view of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau, and the start of the Ayous lakes loop.
Day 4
- Morning
Cirque de Lescunfree · 2 to 3 hA grey stone village at 900 metres at the head of the Aspe valley, in a bowl of meadows under pale limestone peaks.
- Afternoon
Salies-de-Béarnhalf a dayA half-timbered town built on a spring far saltier than the sea, whose salt still cures Bayonne ham and whose spa lets you float effortlessly.
Where to sleep in Béarn
- Hôtel Le Bourbon · €70 a night
- Hôtel d'Ossau · €75 a night
- Hôtel Adour · €72 a night
- Alysson Hôtel · €120 a night
- Hôtel Roncevaux · €95 a night
- Atlantic Hôtel · €85 a night
- Hôtel Parc Beaumont · €220 a night
- Hôtel Villa Navarre · €210 a night
- Kyriad Prestige Pau · €120 a night
Plan this trip
Hotel prices per room per night, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.