Pau Weekend Breaks
Weekend Breaks to Pau
Planning a short break to Pau? Check out Travel Library's recommended Top 10 Things To Do in Pau. It's a perfect companion for weekend city breaks to Pau. Once you've been you can add your own tips and suggestions to help other visitors.
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Top 10 Things in Pau on a Short Break
Hôtel de la Pomme d'Or
This hotel is far from the "gare" but close enough to the action. The rooms are comfortable and include phones, someeven have dim lighting. When you phone ahead to reserve, be sure to ask for a room facing the courtyard. 11 rue Marèchal Foch (Tel: 05 59 27 78 48)
L'Entracte
Try to take some time out from the busy sight seeing to relax a while on this highly recommended restaurant's patio. Food here is very decently priced, generous salads cost 48F, the "plat du jour" is 42F, and regional meat dishes begin at 60F. 2bis rue St-Louis (Tel: 05 59 27 68 31)
Le Dakari
Nightlife ranges from 12F beers and up, but at the exclusive Le Dakari don't be shocked if you need to cough up 50F for entrance alone. Rated as one of the better and bigger clubs in Pau, it mainly caters for the people interested in the mixed dance-club scene. av. de Latre de Tassigny (Tel: 05 59 83 91 61)
Festival de Pau
From mid-June through to mid-July, the château courtyard and the Théâtre St-Louis are filled with the plays, concerts, ballet performances, and poetry of the Festival de Pau. A schedule of all performances can be collected at the local tourist office. (Tel: 05 59 27 27 08)
Château d'Henri IV
Overlooking the river from the towns highest point, is Pau's pride and joy. Once the residence of "béarnais" viscounts and Navarrese kings, it now functions as a national museum. Superb Gobelin tapestries, well-maintained royal chambers, highly decorated ceilings, and ornate chandeliers grace the castle. Hour long French tours and English brochures are available. Under 18 free (Tel: 05 59 82 38 19)
Musée des Beaux - Arts
This small and well attended museum features dark and dusty Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Flemish paintings on its ground floor. The upper floor contains all the newer contemporary art. (Tel: 05 59 27 33 02)
Musée Béarnais
The third and final museum worth seeing in Pau is the cultural Musée Béarnais, located on the top floor of the Château d'Henri IV. It has a decent collection of costumes, Pyrenean animals, birds, butterflies and objects illustrating pastoral life, which the children might find interesting.
Boulevard des Pyrénées
Take a relaxing walk through the streets behind the western end of Boulevard des Pyrénées, for a view which is totally out of this world. On a clear day a ninety-kilometre sweep of the highest Pyrenean peaks, can be seen, with the unique Pic du Midi d'Ossau right in front of you.
Fortified Bridge
A short drive northwest of Pau is the small town of Orthez, which was the original capital of Béarn. The town has a beautiful and still-standing 13th century fortified bridge, which was used as the most important commercial route across the Gave de Pau for English and Flemish textiles, Aragonese wool, olive oil and wine. It also played an important part in the pilgrim routes to Compostella.
La Fiancée du Desert
This restaurant with its interesting combination of Armenian and Lebanese food, is a must stop. Meals include a great vegetarian "menu" at 45F, sandwiches, and lamb dishes which can be smelled from a block away. 6 rue Tran (Tel: 05 59 27 27 58)
User Suggestions
Mountain Biking - Sporting Activity
Hire a Bike, or take your own! There are plenty of trails if u search for them, and a few freeride areas! I found enough to keep me amused for a week!
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