HIGHLIGHTS

Trek through the Parc National des Pyrenees
Stay the night in a mountain refuge and wake up to the breathtaking mountain scenery
Swim in the glistening lakes and tarns high in hills
Make your own pilgrimage to Lourdes

Midi-Pyrenees

The Pyrenees mountains form a natural boundary between France and Spain stretching across from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean in all their snow-capped magnificence. The region features three distinct zones, the Pyrenees-Atlantiques, with its lush green beech forests, the Hautes Pyrenees known for its rugged peaks and deep valleys and the Pyrenees-Orientales, which dip down towards the Mediterranean in the east.

The Hautes Pyrenees is a walker’s paradise and it is possible to disappear up into the mountains for days making use of the vital refuges, mountain huts, along the way that are able to provide food, drink and even a bed for the night. The Parc National des Pyrenees is criss-crossed with clearly marked walking trails that offer opportunities to catch glimpses of marmots, lizards and golden eagles.

In the summer the region is a popular venue for camping, fishing, mountain biking and climbing. In the winter the lively resorts along the border enjoy welcoming the cross-country and downhill skiers.

Lourdes, which is located about 43km south east of Pau, is well known as one of Europe’s greatest shrines due to Bernadette Soubirous’s famous visions of the Virgin in 1858. As a result, four million people annually visit the Grotte Massabielle for their own spiritual experiences and often in search of a miracle.