Characteristic landscapes and valleys
In this contrasted land, the altitude shapes the landscapes as it pleases and man has been able to compete with its genius. From fields of corn as far as the eye can see to wooded and green valleys, from urban swarming to villages perched on a cliff, the Hautes-Pyrénées play with the elements and life adapts to them.
There are many valleys in the Hautes-Pyrénées. The best known is without doubt the Vallée des Gaves. It radiates with Argelès-Gazost in its centre, a small thermal town built in an amphitheatre. Nature and mountains are omnipresent and, along the water and roads, you can discover the Pont d'Espagne, the Marian city of Lourdes, the incredible Gavarnie cirque or cross the Néouvielle and Pibeste nature reserves, dotted with lakes. The Pyrenees National Park opens its grandiose landscapes to you.
You can also discover the Marcadau Valley. It stretches from Cauterets to the Marcadau cirque. Its name means "market" in Gascon and it comes from the time when cattle transactions were held between Spaniards and French.
From the thermal tradition that dates back to Antiquity, Bagnères-de-Bigorre has kept alive the charm and the benefits of its famous waters. If the most famous is the Pic du Midi and its observatory, the Garet waterfall, the village of Campan and its mounaques, Baudéan and its Larrey museum, the confidential Lesponne and its sheep farms as well as the Chiroulet reserve you unique emotions.
Watercourse
A real water tower, the department has more than 2,000 kilometres of rivers and some 300 lakes. Coming down straight from the slopes of the Pic du Midi and the famous Tourmalet pass, several Adours, large steep and bubbling torrents, join together (Adour de Gripp, de Payolle) and give birth to the Adour.
The upper part of the Aure valley is criss-crossed by several large torrents, coming from the high summits, which all bear the name of Neste: Neste de Couplan, du Badet, de la Géla, de Saux, du Moudang... By joining together, they will give birth to the Neste d'Aure which flows in a steep valley as far as Saint-Lary. It then becomes a beautiful large river, powerful and tumultuous, flowing on a bed of pebbles.
Coming down straight from the famous Gavarnie cirque, the Gave de Pau is the biggest river in the department, powerful, always well supplied with fresh water.
As it passes through Pierrefite-Nestalas, it meets the Gave de Cauterets and the Gave d'Arrens at Argeles-Gazost.
Water bodies
Lakes. From the glaciers that once covered the entire Pyrenees, they are the precious testimony: more than 300 lakes illuminate the mountains with their limpid reflections. Nestled like unexpected jewels in the heights, they are the blue gold of a territory where the water is as pure as the air.
The Lac Bleu (1,928 m) is the Holy Grail for hikers who choose Lesponne as their playground. Despite the 900 m difference in altitude, it remains one of the wonders of this valley. It is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Pyrenees, easy to access and attracts many people.
The Lake of Loudenvielle (960 m) draws from all the shades of blue to shine and accentuate the beauty of the site.
The Lac des Hermitans (2 800 m) can easily be qualified as a high mountain lake. Suspended in the massif of Hourgade, it is surely one of the most beautiful of the department and offers a view which loses itself until the summits of Luchonnais.
Marshes. If some forests have marshes, there are few marshes or natural permanent or temporary waters. In the Val d'Adour, in Saint-Lary or Puydarrieux you can find these wetlands that migratory birds appreciate.
Plateaus, plains and passes
Plateaux
. With its 600 m, it begins a return to the gentle way of life but still retains an identity of its own: the plateau of Lannemezan is a vast piedmont where 18 rivers of the Garonne and Adour basins are born. Bastion of the Pyrenean soil, the plateau conceals a good number of farms whose delights can be found on the markets and in the bistros of the country.Plains.
Between greenery and culture, no hesitation: the Val d'Adour and the Magnoac have chosen both. The northern part of the department, bathed in sunshine and with mild temperatures, allows for a cultivated and built-up area that is home to the bulk of cereal production. From the plains to the hillsides, the rolling hills follow one another, offering in turn agricultural immensities, oak forests, endless meadows, herds of cows and flowering fields.Passes.
The mythical Col du Tourmalet is in the Hautes-Pyrénées. Made famous by the Tour de France, this mythical pass, which culminates at 2,215 m, is accessible from the west side, from Luz-Saint-Sauveur, or from the east, leaving Sainte-Marie-de-Campan. From the summit, you can reach the Pic du Midi on foot by a path and the view covers more than half of the Pyrenees chain. From November to May, it is closed to the public because of the snow cover. The Col d'Aspin connects the Aure valley to the Haute Bigorre valley and is the most beautiful of the paths with its lush pine forests.Caves and chasms
The High Pyrenees are full of caves to visit. Those of Bétharram are a real cathedral that time and the elements have slowly shaped. Vast caverns, 70 m high vaults and streams form a magical, timeless and unreal universe. The caves of Gargas have as many rooms as they have facets and each of them will reveal the vestiges of the incredible human history that has marked this corner of Nistos.
Forests and woods
The forestry heritage makes up 28% of the territory and this includes 53% of private forests. Oaks, beeches, chestnut trees are the most common representatives as well as conifers, which are very numerous with magnificent areas filled with pines and firs. The Barousse, the Baronnies and Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre are very fond of their wooded treasures, and the department is promoting this sector through various management and development plans.
