The Greenway of the Gaves

Depart from the town of Lourdes, latitude 43.0949100 (N 43° 5’ 42”), longitude -0.0329100 (W 0° 1’ 58”)

• Lourdes

• In 1858, the apparitions of the Virgin Mary Bernadette Soubirous at the foot of the rock of Massabielle upset the life of this village of 3000 inhabitants. Today, high place of spirituality, the city welcomes each year more than 6 million visitors. Lourdes will also attract you by its rich past whose jewel remains the castle, former residence of the Counts of Bigorre in the XIth century, classified today historical monument. The fortress houses since 1921 the museum of arts and popular traditions the most important of the Pyrenees.

• The Gave of Pau

• From the great cascade of the Gavarnie cirque (the highest in Europe), this beautiful river located in the Natura 2000 zone joins the Adour after a journey of 193 km. In our valley, trails and recreation areas have been created along its banks. In the cold and oxygenated waters of the Gave de Pau lives the wildest trout: the fario! To fish for it, try the TOC, a typical Pyrenean technique that consists of letting a live bait drift at the end of a line without a float. The return of the otter in the Gave is an indicator of the excellent quality of its waters.

• Lugagnan

• Door of the seven valleys of Lavedan, at the confluence of Gave de Pau and Neez, Lugagnan had several slate which you can still see on the side of the mountain, near the village. As in the whole valley, the production of chestnuts was also part of the local resources. A path will take you to the heart of this small and peaceful village with its small square from which you will admire a beautiful church steeple-wall dating from the eighteenth century.

• Ger

• You are on the territory of one of the smallest towns in the valley. The village, nestled at the foot of the mountain, has long lived traditional agropastoral activities that provided depending on the type of livestock, meat, milk, cheese and wool. The opening of quarries has subsequently contributed to its economy. The wash house, the fountain, the church... and the houses with typical architecture make up a nice decor in this rural setting. Moreover, Ger means in patois "barn surrounded by meadows".

• Geu

• On the hill, at the foot of the village, stood the castle of Castets-Gelos. Perhaps you guess the ruins of the dungeon with its door supported by buttresses. This fortress, built in the 14th century by the Viscounts of Lavedan, also included an enclosure that encircled the rocky peak. You will enjoy strolling through the narrow streets of the village to discover a welcoming little wash-house or the Romanesque church dedicated to Saint-Martin, which houses a seated Virgin made of wood in the 14th century

• Boô-Silhen

• The result of the meeting of three villages, Boô-Silhen seduces with its natural and cultural heritage. From the Greenway, you will first make a charming stop at the pond Boô where you will enjoy picnicking in a bucolic setting. Then, from Silhen, do not miss the climb to Buala (591 m) from where you will have a nice view of the valley of Argelès-Gazost and Val d'Azun. Finally, you will be seduced by the harmonious lines of the Romanesque churches of Boô (XII) and Silhen (XI).

• The Iron Bridge

• You are on the route of the old railway which since Lourdes rallied Pierrefitte Nestalas. Opened in 1871, the line was electrified in 1913. The metal cage structure of the Iron Bridge has a span of 56 meters with a working width of 4.55 meters. It was commissioned in 1884 to replace the first work built 13 years earlier.
• In 1898, the route was inaugurated which since Pierrefitte allowed to reach Cauterets by tramway. Today, you can reach Cauterets on foot or mountain bike by the Chemin des Voyageurs which takes the same route.

• Ayzac-Ost

• The hamlet of Ayzac occupies the flanks of the valley since the year 1100 after a violent flood of the Gave de Pau. Ost's huddled along the charming but capricious Gave du Bergons. Both are to discover for the solid and sober elegance of their peasant houses, designed in the purest lavedannais style. From Ayzac, the Balandrau trail takes you to an astonishing assemblage of granite blocks formerly known as the Enchantress Stone. These huge stones were deposited by the glacier during its withdrawal, a little more than 10,000 years ago.

• Argeles-Gazost

• What if you took a break to discover the "capital" of our valley? A climatic, thermal and tourist resort, Argelès-Gazost invites you first of all to discover its magnificent English park and its centenary trees. Then you will go back to the upper town where since 1292 is held every Tuesday a famous market. Your stroll, punctuated by many fountains, will lead you to the Vieuzac Tower (XIII) and the Mendaigne Tower (XVII). Finally, do not miss the rose garden of the waterfall where the queen of flowers comes in 260 varieties!

• Lau-Balagnas

• Village of agricultural tradition, Lau Balagnas was born from the union of two localities realized in 1846. The sports and aqualudic complex of Sailhet, the paths of the banks of the Gave, the lake of Gaves, the presence of numerous lodgings and camp-sites contribute to its tourist and economic dynamism. The small chapel Sainte-Castère, perched on the top of a hill is a very pleasant walk. Cited since 1168, it was remodeled in the 17th century. The town is also known for its springs and beneficial fountains, one of which was the residence of the Fairy Margalide!

• Sailhet and Gaves Lake

• The Sailhet (wooded area on the banks of the Gave) presents an ecosystem essential to the natural balance of the Gave de Pau. You will also find the largest water park in the Hautes-Pyrénées where you will love swimming, playing tennis, beach volleyball...
• The Gaves Lake is a paradise for fishermen, as brown and rainbow trout are abundant. In winter, remarkable birds come to rest there, such as the Little Grebe or the Chevalier Gignette. In summer, it's up to you to enjoy picnic tables, barbecues and walking trails!

• Saint Savin

• This village, which you see the imposing abbey founded in the twelfth century, is one of the jewels of the valley. In the church, you can contemplate a Renaissance organ dating from 1557, certainly one of the oldest in France. You will also discover a fascinating museum of sacred art and its rich treasure of more than 300 pieces. But Saint-Savin, it is also a unique atmosphere with its houses of the sixteenth and seventeenth century, its large square where stands a fountain "Wallace", its magnificent view of the mountains and the chapel of Piétat.

• Adast

• Dominated by the Château de Miramont (17th and 19th century) the village of Adast invites you to cool off by drinking the cool water of its fountains.You will take advantage of it to join the wash house and its cabinet used formerly to preserve the milk From here, you can extend your walk to Saint-Savin by a nice path, and return to visit the church built in the eighteenth, it has a Roman tympanum semicircular dating back to the thirteenth century.

• Pierrefitte-Nestalas

• Terminus of the Green Way of the Gaves, but also departure of the Chemin des Voyageurs in the direction of Cauterets, Pierrefitte-Nestalas is since the 18th century an important crossroads on the road of hydrotherapy and the great Pyrenean sites. The typical neighborhood of Nestalas is home to beautiful old houses and a Romanesque church founded in the 12th century. It has a fortified flat chevet (14th century) and a battlements on a machicolation and a 15th century gilded altarpiece. You will end your visit by the shady park of the town hall where runs the canal that allowed to turn about fifteen mills in the early nineteenth century.