Beautiful places
to visit in the mid-Pyrenees!
Many people have asked where to visit in the area
if they want to stay a couple of extra days!
This website has beautiful videos of incredible places
around the Lourdes area to visit on your route to Lourdes
or way back home!
I've also added a few great places just a
beautiful drive down the road from Lourdes, with gorgeous scenery of the Pyrenees
along the way!!....
Before this area became famous because of what happened to Bernadette,
it was a place where European royalty and many others would come to experience the healing spas that contain mineral water!...so I've added
a couple of them here as well! One is about
a 20 minute drive down the road, which you can get to by bus
(check in with the tourist center in Lourdes for time tables, etc) and others
are no more than about an hour away from Lourdes! (You can
always rent a car!)...
If you have the time - go for it!...as you've traveled quite far to get here!
www.tourism-midi-pyrenees.co.uk
(This is for the English translation)
The Spa Town
of Argeles-Gazost!
Le Jardin des Baines/ The Garden of Waters!
is the name of this spa!!
is a world renowned spa town just 15-20 minutes down the road!...
It has thermal water which is loaded with trace elements!
The origin of these medicinal thermal waters is the result of water slowly
crossing the underground rocks for decades, which are deeply buried in the earth.
This has enriched the water, loading it with minerals such assulphate,
calcium and magnesium. Europeran royalty have been coming tothese waters
in the Pryennes for centuries!
The Garden of Waters!
I loved this place!..I took a cab
which was about 25-30 euros each way (2012)
but next time I would hop on the city bus that
you can catch at the
train station for 2 euro each way!
You can get the bus schedule
at the tourist center!
It is only 13 km (about 8 miles) from Lourdes,
and takes about 15-20 minutes
to get there! It's open from 3:00- 8:00pm Mon - Fri
and from 10:30-1:00 and
3:00-8:00 on Sat and Sun!
You do not need to make a reservation!
For 2 hours here it is 17 euros
and for one hour it is 12 euros
(as of Spring 2013!)
The water is nice and warm! There is also a eucalyptic steam room!.
.as well as under water music playing in one of the pools of thermal water! Ahhhhh!!!
The thermal waters of the Pyrenees are profoundly healing and this spa area is absolutely beautiful!
One of the thermal pool areas here is called "The Emerald Forest".
Don't foregt to bring your towel!..or you can rent one for 3 euro!
In the same building is a spa area called the "Institute," where they offer body scrubs, wraps and massages ranging from 35-95 euros!
You can e-mail to make an appointment!
The quaint town
of Argeles Gazost itself!
I also wanted to explore this little town in the mountains, so I had the taxi driver drop me off at the stairs that link the
lower part of town with the upper part!
Though a lot of the stores were closed because it was off season,
there were still a couple of great ones open!
Like this little gem (above) selling Pryenees specialties!
There are a few small cafe open
where you can grab a bite to eat and look around the town ...
But not everyone speaks
English here! Make sure to bring your translater app if you don't
know any French!
Great views of the Pyrenees!
After lunch, I walked back down
the steps and followed the signs to
the Garden of waters,
cutting across this nice park area!
It as a nice excursion right outside
of Lourdes, with great views of the
countryside along the way!
St Savin!
Next! If you continue down the scenic road,
you'll come to the picturesque town of St Savin...
with magnificent panoramic views over
the Argeles-Gazost valley!
and a fantastic historical abbey!
Cauterets
Next! Cauterets! Known for it's thermal waters
and The Pont d'Espagne (Spanish Bridge) is just 15 minutes away!
The whole area is just beautiful and is the gateway to the
Pyrenees National Park!
Only a short walk down the path and you can get
a view of the famous little bridge hanging over the
hurtling water that gave its name to the area
It is also home to the world renown thermal spa
"Les Bains de Rocher"! ( www.bains-rocher.fr)...
where a 2 hour pass in the thermal waters is 25 euros!
ou may want to brush up on your French though, as it's hard to find someone to speak English here!
They say Bernadette would come to Cauteret for help
with her asthma
The Beautiful Mountain Cols!
You can also follow a map from here, and drive through the spectacular cols (mountain passes), that are all over this area!
This is quite often on the Tour de France route,
with breathtaking scenery!