Pau (FR)

Fasthotel in Pau

Fasthôtel welcomes you to Pau, capital of Béarn and prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. For business trips, weekends, and holidays, enjoy the quality of our affordable hotels in the city of Henri IV!

Our hotel in Pau is ideally located to discover this city with its exceptional heritage, at the foot of the Pyrenees, between the Atlantic Ocean and Spain.

Pau: royal city and capital of Béarn

Pau has nearly 77 inhabitants and is distinguished by its privileged location at an altitude of 100 meters, on a plateau overlooking the Gave de Pau river. The city benefits from a mild microclimate which earned it a reputation as early as the 000th century among the European bourgeoisie, particularly British, who came to spend the winter there.

Pau CastleThe castle, an iconic landmark of the city, overlooks the Gave river and faces the Pyrenees mountain range. This medieval fortress, transformed into a Renaissance palace, is world-renowned as the birthplace of Henry IV on December 13, 1553. The future King of France and Navarre was cradled there in a tortoise shell, which has become one of the castle's symbols.

Formerly the residence of the Viscounts of Béarn and the Kings of Navarre, the castle now houses a National Museum which houses rich collections: sumptuous Gobelins tapestries, Renaissance and Second Empire furniture, paintings and objets d'art bearing witness to a thousand years of history. The guided tour allows you to discover the royal and imperial apartments, from Gaston Fébus's keep to the 19th-century salons.

Le castle grounds It covers 22 hectares and constitutes the green lung of Pau. Its French-style gardens, its avenues shaded by century-old trees and its parks invite you to stroll in an exceptional historical setting.

The medieval quarter and the historic center

Le Hédas districtAt the foot of the castle, visitors are immersed in the medieval atmosphere of Pau. Its cobbled streets lined with half-timbered houses, its lively squares, and its colorful facades bear witness to the rich past of the Béarn capital. The historic center boasts numerous remarkable buildings: the Church of Saint-Martin, the Parliament of Navarre (now the Departmental Council), and beautiful 17th- and 18th-century mansions on Rue Joffre.

Pau Market Halls These markets form the culinary heart of the city. This lively covered market offers an exceptional showcase of local Béarn products every morning: farm cheeses, foie gras, duck breasts, local fruits and vegetables, and artisanal charcuterie. The producers' market extends this tradition by offering fresh produce directly from surrounding farms.

Boulevard des Pyrénées: "the most beautiful view on earth"

Le Boulevard of the Pyrenees This is the main attraction of Pau. This panoramic walk of nearly 2 kilometers connects the castle to Beaumont Park and offers a spectacular view of the Pyrenees mountain range. On a clear day, the panorama stretches from the Pic d'Anie to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre, culminating in the majestic Pic du Midi d'Ossau, which rises to 2,884 meters.

This exceptional view prompted the poet Lamartine to say: "Pau has the most beautiful view on land, just as Naples has the most beautiful view by sea."The engineer Jean-Charles Alphand created this boulevard in 1891, whose architectural peculiarity lies in its construction: one half rests on the edge of the plateau, the other on a viaduct supported by 49 piers.

The boulevard is lined with cafes, ice cream parlors, and restaurants where it's pleasant to sit and enjoy a meal with a view of the Pyrenees. It's also a favorite spot for joggers, walkers, and cyclists who appreciate this elevated avenue, unique in France.

Le Pau funicularIn service since 1908, it connects Place Royale to Boulevard des Pyrénées. Its vintage cabins from the 1960s offer a picturesque journey back in time on this historic link which allowed winter visitors in the 19th century to reach the railway station.

Pau: city of art and history

Pau has obtained the label "City of Art and History" In 2012, the Ministry of Culture recognized its exceptional architectural heritage.

Le Palais BeaumontBuilt at the end of the 19th century, it bears witness to the golden age of international tourism. This former palace, transformed into a convention center, is surrounded by a magnificent 11-hectare park landscaped in the English style, with a lake, waterfalls, artificial grottoes and a remarkable botanical collection.

Le Museum of Fine Arts The Pau Museum maintains a fine collection of European works from the 15th to the 20th century, with paintings by Rubens, El Greco, Degas (including the famous canvas "A Cotton Office in New Orleans"), as well as a rich section of Béarn art.

Le Trespoey districtTo the east of the city centre, there are sumptuous Anglo-Saxon villas built between 1850 and 1914. These residences with evocative names (Villa Nitot, Palais Sorrento, Villa Saint-Basil) testify to the presence of a large British and American community which made Pau an internationally renowned health resort.

Economy and sport in Pau

The economy of Pau rests on several pillars: the administration as the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the tertiary sector, the aeronautical and space industry with the presence of Safran Helicopter Engines (formerly Turbomeca), and the university sector with the University of Pau and the Adour region.

Site Total Energies in Lacq, 30 km from Pau, marked regional economic history with the discovery of the natural gas field in 1951, generating significant industrial development in Béarn.

Sport occupies a major place within the identity of Pau:

La Section Paloise, a professional rugby club playing in the Top 14, electrifies the Stade du Hameau during home matches

L'Élan Béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez, a professional basketball club, is among the leading names in French basketball

Le Pau Grand Prix The automobile, a formula race on an urban circuit organized since 1933, makes Pau one of the few city circuits in Europe along with Monaco

Le Pau Golf Club, established in 1856, is the oldest golf course on the European continent

Jurançon vineyards and Béarn gastronomy

Pau is located in the heart of a renowned wine-growing region. Jurançon vineyardThe Jurançon wine region, stretching across the hillsides south of Pau, produces exceptional white wines recognized under the AOC designation. Jurançon wines, both dry and sweet, are made from local grape varieties (Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng) and benefit from a unique terroir and climate. Legend has it that the lips of the newborn Henry IV were rubbed with a clove of garlic and moistened with Jurançon wine during his Béarnese baptism.

AOC Madiran and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh They complement the Béarn wine range with powerful red wines and aromatic white wines from the Vic-Bilh hillsides, north of Pau.

La Béarnese gastronomy It showcases distinctive products: garbure (a traditional soup of vegetables and confit meats), Henri IV's chicken in a pot, Bayonne ham, Pyrenees sheep's cheeses (Ossau-Iraty), Gave salmon, foie gras, and duck confit. The spit cake, an iconic pastry, is enjoyed during traditional celebrations.

Nature and activities around Pau

Pau's geographical location makes it an ideal starting point for exploring Béarn and the Pyrenees.

The Pyrenean valleys :

La Ossau Valley (30 km away): dominated by the Pic du Midi d'Ossau, it offers unspoiled landscapes with the lake of Bious-Artigues, the lake of Ayous and numerous hiking trails in the Pyrenees National Park

La Aspe Valley A wild valley leading to the Somport pass and Spain, it is home to the Portalet fort and many authentic villages.

Le Gave de Pau : iconic river ideal for canoeing, kayaking, rafting and fishing

Outdoor activities Hiking on hundreds of kilometers of marked trails, mountain biking, climbing, via ferrata, paragliding from the Col d'Aubisque, whitewater sports, treetop adventure at the Les Verts Tiges park.

Ski stations : the Béarn resorts (Gourette, La Pierre Saint-Martin, Artouste) are accessible in less than an hour's drive, offering alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter.

Notable sites near Pau

Lescar (6 km): A former episcopal city, this medieval town boasts a magnificent Romanesque cathedral, Notre-Dame de l'Assomption, the necropolis of the kings of Navarre. Its ramparts, 14th-century prison tower, and medieval heritage make it an unmissable stop.

Lourdes (45 km): world-renowned pilgrimage town, welcoming millions of visitors each year who come to pray at the Notre-Dame de Lourdes sanctuary where Bernadette Soubirous had her Marian apparitions in 1858.

The caves of Bétharram (30 km): an exceptional underground network of natural galleries sculpted by water over millennia. These caves, adorned with spectacular concretions, can be visited on foot, by boat, and by a small train on several levels.

Salies-de-Béarn (60 km): A spa town renowned for its highly concentrated salt waters, the most concentrated in Europe (300 grams of salt per liter), which have been used since antiquity. The town boasts a remarkable Belle Époque thermal architectural heritage.

Oloron-Sainte-Marie (35 km): A town at the gateway to the Pyrenees, renowned for its Sainte-Marie Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela. Starting point for the Aspe and Ossau valleys.

Orthez (40 km): Former capital of Béarn before Pau, the town preserves a fortified medieval bridge from the 13th century classified as a historical monument, as well as the Moncade tower, vestige of the castle of the viscounts of Béarn.

The Basque Coast (1 hour drive): Bayonne, Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz and the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean are easily accessible for a day or a weekend between sea and mountains.

Events and cultural life in Pau

Pau keeps its calendar lively with numerous events throughout the year:

The Biarnés Carnival : a traditional festive event celebrating Béarn culture with costumed parades and street entertainment

Hestiv'Òc : festival dedicated to Occitan culture with concerts, shows and entertainment

Pau in the Summer : summer program of free open-air concerts, film screenings and shows in the city's parks and squares

Pau Festival : a major public event featuring Landes-style bullfighting, brass bands, concerts and festive entertainment

Le A Piano Under the Stars Festival Piano concerts in heritage sites in Pau

Thursdays in Pau Gourmet night markets and musical entertainment in the summer

Access and location of Pau

Pau benefits from a privileged geographical location:

Toulouse : 200 km (2 hours via the A64 motorway)

Bordeaux : 200 km (2 hours via the A65 motorway)

Bayonne : 110 km (1h15)

Biarritz : 120 km (1h15)

Lourdes : 45 km (45 minutes)

Pyrenees and ski resorts 45 minutes to 1 hour

Spanish border : 45 km

Pau-Pyrénées Airport : regular connections to Paris, Lyon, Marseille and several European destinations.

Pau SNCF train station : direct TGV to Paris (5 hours), Bordeaux (2 hours), Toulouse (2 hours).

Fasthôtel in Pau allows you to discover this city with exceptional royal heritage, gateway to the Béarn Pyrenees and the Basque Country, between mountains and ocean.