Tarbes, capital of the Hautes-Pyrénées, is located 1 hour 35 minutes southwest of Toulouse, just half an hour from the first ski slopes of the Pyrenees and close to the thermal spas.

For your business trips, stopovers, weekends, on the road to your vacation, Fasthôtel stays welcome you to Tarbes - Séméac.

Greater Tarbes: competitiveness, university, research

Tarbes and its surrounding area are very well served by the A64 motorway on the Toulouse - Bayonne axis. The TGV stop puts Tarbes 3 hours from Bordeaux and 6 hours from Paris. Tarbes Lourdes Pyrénées airport, which serves domestic flights, is the second airport in the Midi-Pyrénées region.

Greater Tarbes has three competitiveness clusters - AESE: Aeronautics, Space and Embedded Systems. As well as a trade fair for electronics professionals "DéciElec" which brings together specialists from all over Europe every year at the end of April.

Ceramics: this cluster brings together industrialists located mostly in Limoges, Vierzon, Tarbes and Cavaillon. It is part of the industrial history of the Hautes-Pyrénées where technical ceramics have occupied an important place since the beginning of the 20th century.

Agrimip Innovation: brings together companies, research centers and training in the agro-industrial field. The Tarbes conurbation includes in particular the Haricot Tarbais cooperative which benefits from a red label and the company Les Salaisons Pyrénéennes.

Green business: the environmental activities sector is one of the areas of development, notably with the creation of an "Ecopark" in Bordères and the Véolia Campus du Grand Tarbes project.

University and research: the second largest university center in the Midi-Pyrénées region with the François Mitterrand University, Tarbes also hosts components of the universities of Toulouse (IUT) and Pau-Pays de l'Adour and a national engineering school (ENIT), representing more than 5 students. Important research laboratory "PEARL" specialized in power electronics.

Visit: from Tarbes to Lourdes

Tarbes the imposing silhouette of the Notre Dame de la Sède cathedral is marked by the Romanesque style of the 12th century, its Gothic nave dates from the 14th century. It houses a rich interior decoration, in particular the large baroque marble canopy which overlooks the hotel. The discovery of Tarbes also passes by the Massey garden and its museum and the Bel Air park around the Delong castle. Also unmissable: the Tarbes National Stud; the small museum installed in the birthplace of Marshal Foch, a famous Tarbais.

The green path from Tarbes to Lourdes: which follows the banks of the Echez, one of the tributaries of the Adour, for 18,5 km, allows you to connect the two cities by bike and on foot. To the north, it is connected to the "Green Line" of the Grand Tarbes and it gives access to the south to the sanctuary of Lourdes as well as to the greenway of the Gaves.

Lourdes: sanctuaries, castle, Pic du Jer

Lourdes: half an hour from Tarbes, the Marian city, a major pilgrimage site, is the 2nd largest tourist destination in France! The city of Lourdes and its sanctuaries are also very close to the Pyrenees, between the valleys and legendary passes of the Tour de France cycling route.

Lourdes Castle, this thousand-year-old fortress which overlooks the city offers a very beautiful panorama of the city and the Pyrenees, it houses a botanical garden and a museum of art collections and heritage from France and Spain.

The Pic du Jer: at night, the site is easily spotted thanks to the illumination of its large cross. A funicular from Lourdes provides access to the site at an altitude of 1000 meters, which offers a unique panorama.

Hautes Pyrenees: Pic du Midi, Cirque de Gavarnie, Spain Bridge...

The Pic du Midi de Bigorre, accessible from the town of La Mongie, peaks at an altitude of 2877 m. Classified as a national natural site, it offers an exceptional view of the landscapes of the Pyrenees and the plains of the South-West from its landscaped terraces. A museum space is dedicated to scientific observation over the centuries.

The Pont de l'Espagne: at the gateway to the Pyrenees National Park, from the spa resort of Cauterets, you can take the cable cars that connect the Clot plateau, then the chairlift to Lake Gaube to discover this site and its waterfalls at an altitude of 1496 m.

The Gavarnie cirque: this amazing site of 6,5 km in diameter surrounded by a 1500 m wall is located almost on the border of Spain. It is part of the cross-border ensemble "Pyrénées Mont-Perdu, land of cirques and canyons" registered on the World Heritage list by UNESCO as a "natural landscape and cultural landscape. A 3-hour round trip walk takes you to the foot of the Cirque de Gavarbie waterfall, 427 m high, the largest in Europe! Also the possibility of horse riding.

Tarbes: major events, festivals, tennis

January - Les Petits As, World Tennis Championship for 12-14 year-olds in Tarbes: unofficial championship but also one of the most renowned for over 30 years, it has seen the emergence of the biggest names in men's and women's tennis such as Amélie Mauresmo, Gaël Monfis and Rafaël Nadal.

May: Pic d'or, Paroles et Musiques festival in Tarbes: created in 1985, this springboard competition, under the presidency of a professional jury, is open to new talents in song and contemporary music on the French-speaking scene. Their auditions are open to the public free of charge. 2 days, 2nd half of May at the Théâtre des Nouveautés.

Early June - International Polyphony Festival: in Tarbes, Ibos, Laloubère and Séméac. "Tarba en Canta" welcomes internationally renowned groups. In the region, the polyphonies of Bigorre and Béarn are part of the large family of polyphonies of Southern Europe, where we also find those of Corsica, the Basque Country and Bulgaria.

June - Tarbes Festival: throughout the city for four days and four evenings that continue into the night, a festive event typical of the South-West. Festayres, free concerts, bandas, folklore, strolling shows, cavalcade, fireworks, gastronomy, crafts... 2nd half of June.

End of July - Equestria in Tarbes: the Haras national de Tarbes, a historic site, hosts this great festival of equestrian creation. Great show "Nuit des créations" in the evening. "Village" with equestrian and artistic entertainment, free stages, parades in the streets of Tarbes, exhibitors' village... From Tuesday to Sunday at the end of the month.

August - International Argentine Tango Festival in Tarnes: this unmissable event for European lovers of tango, dance, music and Argentine culture. It welcomes renowned artists from Buenos Aires and Argentina around concerts, shows, milongas balls, workshops, conferences, screenings... 9 days from mid-August.

End of September - Terro'Art in Tarbes: brings together a hundred artisans and producers of the arts and crafts and the gastronomy of our regions. 2 days at the end of the month, Halle Marcadieu. End of September, even years - the International Military Music Festival: in line with the great parades, it echoes the history of Tarbes, a garrison town.

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