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Motorhoming in the Hautes-Pyrénées
Motorhoming in the Hautes-Pyrénées
The Hautes-Pyrénées is the south western most department of the eight departments of the Midi-Pyrénées and is full of natural monuments, these giants of nature which dominate the landscape of this mountainous department. Visit the ski stations such as Cauteret, equally appealing in the summer as during the ski-ing season, or natural sights such as the Valley of Campen or the Peak of Midi.
In the Parc des Pyrénées is what Victor Hugo described as a ‘natural coliseum’, the ‘cirque de Gavarnie’. 20,000 years ago a glacier covered the area between the village of Gavarnie and Lourdes, which carved out this valley. No less than 16 summits up to 3000m altitude surround the ‘cirque’. Waterfalls tumble down the rock faces, the biggest of which hurls itself over the edge at a height of 422m. If you’re hiring a motorhome in England or hiring a motorhome in France, leave it in the car park in the village before going up on foot or on the back of a donkey to visit this remarkable feat of nature. If your motorhome travel in France is planned for the summer months, don’t be shocked by the huge number of visitors. This is equally the case if you want to visit Lourdes.
It was a little girl, 14 years old in February of 1858, who was the first person to see the apparition of the Virgin Mary when collecting wood in a grotto in Lourdes. Seventeen further sightings followed. When she died in 1879 having dedicated her life to God in a nearby convent, Lourdes became the destination for the pilgrimage of millions of people every year who visit the ‘miraculous grotto’ where Mary appeared to Bernadette from a hole in the rocks. Apart from the obvious religious significance of this site, there are also plenty of other things to see.
While you’re travelling around, take advantage of the Aires de Service in the Hautes-Pyrénées, for example, if you’re heading to the north of the department where you will find Tarbes. Tarbes is described as a ‘green city’ as it possesses some splendid gardens. Le Jardin Massey is a particularly beautiful 19th century ‘English’ garden. You will also notice when wandering through this university town that there are a lot of beautifully decorated fountains. One of the best times to be in Tarbes is for the Thursday morning market when lots of mouth watering local specialities are on offer, such as the ‘black pig’ local pork, Tarbes beans and Tomme, the local Pyrenean cheese.
Carry on your trip and go motorhoming in Gers or motorhoming in the Haute-Garonne.
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