Small traditional mountain village (altitude 1250 m), ski resort and renowned spa at the foot of the Col du Tourmalet and the Pic du Midi, Barèges combines the charm of a village that has remained authentic and nature of Except with the largest ski resort in the French Pyrenees: "field of the Tourmalet.
Located in the heart of the Val Batsus the common Barèges belongs to the canton of Luz and stretches along the Gave of Bastan. It owes its name to Madame de Maintenon, who during his visit to the village baths, dated his letter "Barèges" although that designation belonged to the whole district, the "Toy Country". Administratively, the village bathing area was a village Betpouey located downstream. It frees itself from this tutelage in 1946, because the interests of those Betpouey and tourist Barèges struggled to agree. Furthermore, the remoteness of the village made it all administrative tasks especially difficult in winter because of the new business due to the growth of winter sports. The small mountain village, crossed by the highway, known as the Pyrenees, is built around its thermal springs. No one knows when the water Barèges were discovered. Tradition has it that the shepherds of the first users. They had noticed that the sheep were sick or injured to soak in the hot and sulphurous.
