Pau is a is a large French town, situated next to the Pyrenees. It is the capital of the Pyrenees-Atlantiques departement. It started out as a small village in the 15th Century, then Gaston Febus built a chateau there and the town grew. Henry IV of France was born there in the 16th Century. In the 19th Century, Pau became popular with the British because of its mild climate, but then they transferred their affections to Biarritz.
Now Pau is a university town, and it is also important in the French oil industry.
The two main reasons to visit Pau are to
winter sports, as the Pyrenees are so close, and motor racing.
How to get there ++++++++++++ Pau has its own airport - Pau Pyrenees - which is about a 20 minute drive from the town centre. Ryanair fly direct to Pau from Stansted. It is also possible, and sometimes cheaper, to fly to Toulouse airport, which is about a 2 hour drive away. Easyjet fly there from Gatwick. I haven't taken any public transport in Pau, so I can't comment on this. I would recommend hiring a car though - parking is not difficult to find.
Where to stay ++++++++++ When I have been to Pau, I have stayed in the Kyriad Pau Centre. Kyriad is a chain of hotels. The rooms are basic but comfortable, and the staff are friendly. Rooms cost 80-100 Euros per night, but a continental breakfast costs extra. The hotel has its own car park which is free. When the motor racing is on, officials are invited to stay for free in a local school. I stayed there for one night - never again! The rooms have only a plastic covered bed (you have to take a sleeping bag) there are no locks on the doors, and the loos are communal. The showers were hot enough to make tea with.
Where to eat ++++++++++ I don't like meat, so finding decent food was quite hard. One restaurant I do like is La Dolce Vita, which is an Italian Restaurant in Rue Moulin, by the chateau. The food is lovely and the prices are reasonable. As the town is full of students, there are a lot of inexpensive restaurants around. There is also another nice Italian restaurant bizarrely called L'Entrecote (steak!), further down the main road away from the chateau. I was also unlucky enough to eat in the Buffalo Grill once. It was nasty - there was little on the menu I could eat, the food wasn't hot enough and the plates were dirty.
What to do in Pau +++++++++++++ Pau is famous for its motor racing. It held the first ever Grand Prix in 1901. The track is a street circuit around Parc Beaumont. It is described as "Monaco with balls". Each year, they hold 2 weekends of racing - one weekend is modern racing - usually Formula 3 and GT cars, and the other is for historic cars. The circuit has some fantastic viewing places, and you don't have to buy tickets to watch. There are also some good drivers - Lewis Hamilton won the F3 races last year.
The Pyrenees are also nearby for climbing and hiking all year round, and skiing in the winter. You can get a fantastic view of the Pyrenees from the Boulevarde des Pyrenees which runs along the edge of Parc Beaumont. A little bit outside Pau, you can see the Cirque de Gavarnie, a magnificent rock formation which is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Pau is near to the famous shrine at Lourdes. You can go there to drink the water from the Grotto. Lourdes itself is a bit touristy though - snow globe of the Virgin Mary anyone?
In Pau itself, you can look around the chateau, which has its own museum. There is also an Art museum. The shopping is surprisingly good in Pau - there is a large department store, and many little shops selling quirky items. Prices range from very cheap to very expensive.
Spain is also within driving distance. The nearest major Spanish city is Zaragoza. The quickest way to get to Spain is to drive under the mountians through the 8.6km long Somport tunnel, which is an experience in itself.
I will continue to visit Pau each year for the motor racing. I wouldn't go at any other time of year, because there are not enough other things in the area to interest me for a decent holiday.
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great review!! Gotta say never been, but sounds nice enough!!! xx
cladach29 21.11.2006 20:28
good review- have been to S.W. France before (Biarritz area) but not to Pau; sounds like a nice place though so will have to get down there sometime- Rob
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Nov 21st, 2006
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