Perched at an altitude of 967 m, Cauterets is a beautiful village nestled in a solitary valley. From the bottom of its valley where icy torrents rush and from which springs of hot water at 55 °C from the granite rocks, this village owes its name to this paradox between the hot (caut) and the cold (ret). And to its ideal location, in the heart of the Pyrenees National Park, between the Pont d'Espagne, the Pyrenean giants which allow you to stretch your legs on skis or during beautiful hikes.
A history that goes back to the 16th century
The sister of François I, Marguerite de Navarre, had married Henry d'Albret, king of Navarre and sovereign lord of Bearn, in 1527. The latter did not fail to show her the paths of Cauterets, where the beautiful lady went several times, and even wrote a collection of stories and short stories in 1549, The Heptameron. Her last stay took place that same year, in the company of her daughter Jeanne d'Albret, and her young husband Antoine de Bourbon. Feeling her end coming, the queen urged her daughter and son-in-law to go to the Fountain of Love, a spring she herself had renamed after its reputation for treating sterility. Indeed, if the water was known to heal wounds, it also had fertile virtues which gave a curious habit to the ladies wishing to give birth: many came to be "rubbed" there. The term designates a kind of manual care... Cauterets, pioneer of underwater massages! Unfortunately, the queen died shortly afterwards, without knowing her grandson, Henri IV, who, as everyone knows, had no recourse to a treatment against sterility!
A spa at the foot of the slopes
This spa has been recognized since the 16th century. In 1766, the construction of a road for vehicles will give birth to the golden age of Cauterets which will see personalities such as François-René de Chateaubriand, George Sand, Gustave Flaubert or Victor Hugo come and go during the 19th century. The arrival of these socialites transformed the landscape around them, as well as the face of the village: development of promenades, clear views, original architecture as evidenced by the tall Haussmann-style buildings made of cut stone. With water comes white gold. In the 1960s, Cauterets became a very complete winter sports resort. An alpine ski area, another dedicated to cross-country skiing, hiking trails adapted to the practice of snowshoeing and many infrastructures oriented towards leisure in the village allow to spend active winter vacations. In summer, the magic continues to work at the Pont d'Espagne, one of the great sites of the Hautes-Pyrénées where the lord of the place, the Vignemale massif, reigns supreme. If you have a sweet tooth, don't hesitate to visit one of the many stores where excellent berlingots are made in a traditional way.
The cirque and the crests of the Lys, a breathtaking nature
With a peak culminating at 2,400 meters, you can see the most beautiful Pyrenean giants with a panoramic view of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, the Vignemale, the Péguère and the Balaïtous. Known for its generous snow cover and its many hikes, the Cirque du Lys attracts many visitors each year by the beauty of its landscapes, in all seasons. In winter, the alpine domain opens its 36 km of slopes and its Freestyle Park to beginners and amateur skiers.
In summer, the GR10 trail leads you to the Ilhéou pass, overlooking the Lys ridges. In addition to the valley that reveals itself, you will find a lake and the refuge of Ilhous, whose waterfall of the same name is legendary. This excursion will allow you to meet the hikers and fishermen, but also the charming "inhabitants" of the grandiose site: vultures and marmots will watch you from the corner of your eye. The most daring hikers will start the climb from Cauterets.
Don't miss the lake of Gaube, one of the most beautiful of the Pyrenean chain. At the foot of the Pic de Vignemale (3,298 m), located at an altitude of 1,725 m, it is easily accessible in all seasons. Accessible to all, the most reluctant to walk take the chairlift of Gaube to reach it, before a fifteen minutes walk. The others take the GR10 for a hike of about 1h15. Anyway, photographers will immortalize its icy (or clear depending on the season) waters or where this giant shimmers.
The Bridge of Spain, a point of interest not to be missed
Also a must-see, 7 small kilometers from the village of Cauterets, the Pont d'Espagne is one of the great sites of the Occitanie region. It owes its name to the old mule route on which it is located. In the heart of the National Park, it is a starting point to the waterfalls of the Gaube river, the Gaube lake or the Cayan plateau in the Marcadau valley. Within this exceptional natural site, the Vignemale reveals its eternal snows in an incomparable setting. Accessible by car all year round, the Pont d'Espagne is also appreciated in winter for sledging, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Snow sports enthusiasts should not hesitate to visitl'Espace Cauterets, the company that manages the ski lifts on the Pont d'Espagne and Cirque du Lys sites. If it does not make tourist advice, it is a gold point of information for all that concerns these two fields. The team will tell you about the activities offered on these sites, their access by gondola and chairlift, the prices... All year long, in winter as well as in summer, these places offer you cross-country or alpine skiing, mountain biking or hiking.
Assaulting the Pyrenees National Park
Before leaving to discover the Pyrenees National Park, it is good to have the keys to understand what you can find there and how to enjoy it without making mistakes! In addition to being at the disposal of families and hikers for information on the trails, fauna and flora, the National Park House is also a museographic space open to all, young and old, but also to people with reduced mobility since the premises are fully equipped for the latter. From your peregrinations on the three floors of the museum, you will leave enriched with a wide knowledge on the emblematic fauna of the mountains like the isard or endemic like the small desman. Bats, bearded vultures, ibexes, marmots, flora, but also human activity through pastoralism are presented to you and you will be delighted by small educational videos and enchanting photographs. The park rangers also propose meetings above the Spanish bridge and, with glasses and binoculars, they reveal you live this so particular world while answering all your questions.
Smart info
When can you go? Here is a destinationthat can be considered all year round. In winter for skiing, in summer for hiking.
How to get there. By plane (Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport), by train (Lourdes station in particular) or by car, everything is possible.
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