Theme Week Gascony – Pau

Friday, 27 March 2015 - 01:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination:
Category/Kategorie: General
Reading Time:  4 minutes

Boulevard des Pyrénées © Flo641/cc-by-sa-3.0

Boulevard des Pyrénées © Flo641/cc-by-sa-3.0

Pau is a commune on the northern edge of the Pyrenees, capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques Département in Aquitaine. It was also the capital of the historical Béarn Province. It forms the communauté d’agglomération of Pau-Pyrénées with 13 neighbouring communes to carry out local tasks together. Place Clemenceau, the heart of the downtown area, is the site of many public festivals, great shopping, and a beautiful fountain.

The Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, founded in 1972, accounts for a large student population. The Boulevard des Pyrénées extends for 1.8 kilometres (1.1 miles) from the Château de Pau to the Parc Beaumont, with views of the mountains. Alphonse de Lamartine said: “Pau has the world’s most beautiful view of the earth just as Naples has the most beautiful view of the sea.”

Place Royale © Flo641/cc-by-sa-3.0 The Chateau above the Gave de Pau © Jibi44/cc-by-sa-3.0 Rue du Maréchal Joffre © Flo641/cc-by-sa-3.0 Palais Beaumont © Florent Pécassou/cc-by-sa-3.0 Jean-Baptiste Bernadottes birth house and museum © Jacob Triedson Demitz for Ristesson Boulevard des Pyrénées © Flo641/cc-by-sa-3.0
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Jean-Baptiste Bernadottes birth house and museum © Jacob Triedson Demitz for Ristesson
In the centre of Pau is a large castle, the Château de Pau, that dominates that quarter of the city. It is famous as the birthplace of Henry IV, the 16th-century king of France. Its small garden was tended by Marie Antoinette when she spent her summers in the city. Napoleon used it as a holiday home during his period in power. The château has been designated as a French historical monument and holds a collection of tapestry. King Charles XIV of Sweden, the first royal Bernadotte, was also born in Pau. The castle was built near the river, Gave de Pau, which provides a scenic spot for kayaking and fishing. Near the château is a large park with walking trails and plenty of open space, for outdoor activities in the middle of the city. Parc Beaumont has views of the Pyrenees. Pau is known for its green spaces and is said to have more green space per inhabitant than any other European city.

Since 1930, Pau has become a mainstay of the Tour de France cycling race, thanks both to its geographical location and to its marvelous infrastructure. Perhaps the highest-profile sporting event is the Étoiles de Pau (“Stars of Pau”). Held annually in October, it is one of only six annual competitions in eventing that receive the highest rating of CCI**** from equestrianism‘s world governing body, the FEI. Pau Golf Club from 1856 is one of the oldest golf clubs in continental Europe.

Here you can find the complete Overview of all Theme Weeks.

Read more on City of Pau, Pau Pyrenees Tourism, Château de Pau and Wikipedia Pau. Learn more about the use of photos. To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Global Passport Power Rank - Travel Risk Map - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.




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