Bagnères-de-Bigorre: Some Background Information
Bagnères-de-Bigorre is a picturesque town located in the French Pyrenees. It is situated in the Hautes-Pyrénées region in southwestern France, near the border with Spain. The town is surrounded by stunning mountain landscapes, with green valleys, crystal clear lakes and lush forests, making it an ideal base for outdoor enthusiasts to explore the Pyrenees.
The town enjoys a pleasant climate throughout the year. Summers are mild, with temperatures ranging from 20°C to 30°C (68°F to 86°F). Winters are cool, with average temperatures of around 5°C (41°F).
Bagnères-de-Bigorre is a great place to center yourself if you want to explore the Pyrenees. There are plenty of activities for visitors to enjoy. The many hiking trails lead to breathtaking viewpoints and fresh lakes, while cyclists can challenge themselves on renowned mountain roads, and thrill-seekers can try out paragliding or go rock climbing.
With a population of approximately 7,000 residents, Bagnères-de-Bigorre radiates a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The locals take pride in their town and are eager to share their love for the region with visitors, providing a friendly and authentic experience.
Why Bagnères-de-Bigorre Is A Good Home Base
The Pyrenees are known for their astonishing natural landscapes, making them a major atttraction for visitors. Bagnères-de-Bigorre's prime location allows visitors to immerse themselves in the beauty of the region. As previously mentioned, the town and its surrounding areas provide an extensive range of activities to suit various interests. Whether you are a hiker seeking rugged trails, a cycling enthusiast craving mountain paths, or a winter sports lover ready for adventures during the colder months, this place offers something for everyone.
The town itself is famous for its thermal spas, renowned for their healing powers since ancient times. Visitors can enjoy therapeutic treatments and relaxation therapies, immersing themselves in the town's natural springs.
Bagnères-de-Bigorre showcases a mix of architectural styles that reflect its rich history. The town center features well-preserved buildings dating back to the 19th century, displaying elements of classic French architecture. Strolling through its streets, visitors can admire elegant facades, delicate details, and the town's distinctive character.
Throughout the year, Bagnères-de-Bigorre hosts various events and festivals, offering a glimpse into the local cultural traditions. Traditional music, dance, and theater performances add vibrancy to the town's cultural scene.
At the weekly Saturday morning market, you have the opportunity to explore a wide and diverse selection of local products. Here, an array of fresh produce awaits, with an assortment of fruits, vegetables, cheesed, honey, and local meats. But it doesn't stop at food alone. The market also showcases stalls offering artisanal crafts, handmade goods, clothing, accessories, and more. This bustling marketplace is the ideal place to discover unique souvenirs, find special gifts, or acquire items that capture the local culture and craftsmanship of Bagnères-de-Bigorre.
Living in the Pyrenees: Our Home Among the Mountains
We started our apartment hunt in the Pyrenees without a specific destination in mind, completely unaware of the existence of Bagnères-de-Bigorre. As we began our search for an apartment rather late (not uncommon for us), our options rapidly reduced. We encountered only very high-priced accommodations or places located in extremely remote areas.
However, we appeared to be lucky, and we stumbled upon a promising apartment on a local French website. It caught our attention because the apartment itself was appealing, the location seemed ideal, the price was reasonable, and all these factors were complemented by the charming town it was nestled in. We arranged all the necessary details through email and secured the rental for a month.
Arriving in the town, our knowledge of it was limited to its reputation as a convenient and central hub for exploring the Pyrenees. As we stepped foot into the town, we discovered that our accommodation was situated on the top floor of a charming, centuries-old French-style house. The building radiated a sense of history and character.
Our landlord, an elderly French lady, resided in the lower two floors of the house. We were sharing the entrance, hallways, stairs, and laundry machine with her and that was working perfectly fine.
The apartment was small, but very charming. A small kitchen/living room, and a somewhat bigger bedroom. We could use the terrace of the house to sit outside and enjoy the breeze of the summer evenings.
This was our first apartment with unreliable WiFi. The connection was spotty and would sometimes disappear, which is a little problematic when relying on it for work. We managed to keep working by using our phones as hotspots, but this also provided weak signals at times due to the apartment's location in the mountains.
The apartment was located in the center of the town, which allowed us to step outside and immediately immerse ourselves in the town's ambiance. Bagnères-de-Bigorre, with its charming streets and local shops, provided us with plenty to discover.
During our month-long stay in July, the weather was extremely hot, with temperatures hovering around 38°C (100°F) for over a week. The apartment lacked air conditioning or even a fan, so we escaped to the mountains on weekends, where we could swim in lakes or enjoy cooler temperatures due to higher altitudes.
Practicals In the Pyrenees
In Bagnères-de-Bigorre French is the official language spoken, as it is throughout France. While some locals may have basic knowledge of English, it's helpful to learn a few common French phrases or carry a translation app to facilitate communication.
The currency used here, like the rest of France, is the Euro (€). It's advisable to carry some cash with you for smaller establishments, markets, and local transactions, but in general you can pay anywhere with debit and credit cards.
On our side of the town we only found one really small mini market. We could find a few basic essentials, but it was very limited. On the (for us) other side of town, there was a bigger supermarket, a Carrefour. Offering most things we would need for our daily groceries.
We did prefer to go to one of the three bigger supermarkets right outside town once in a while though. There we found an Aldi, a Lidl and an Intermarché, located right where the next town, Pouzac, starts. These supermarkets were bigger and the first two also cheaper. To get there, it was only a 7 min drive. It is possible to walk there too, this should take around 25 minutes.
While we were here, we had a car and thus needed a parketing place. Our apartment was located in the town, so we could not park in front of the house. Bagnères-de-Bigorre has designated areas where you can park your car for free, and a map can easily be found online to help locate these zones.
Local bars & restaurants for food and drinks;
Boulangerie on Rue des Thermes - for bread and good croissants
Le Cavin Cave à Manger - for lunch, dinner, coffee and drinks
Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Gilles Mullois - for bread and more croissants
May Tak Wok - for thai food to go
Le 28 - for drinks and food
L'excuse - for ice cream
Our Experiences: a Month in the Mountains
We were pleasantly surprised by the Pyrenees and Bagneres-de-Bigorre. We found out we were indeed very well positioned to explore the surrounding mountains. Many highlights, hikes, and places to camp were more or less around an hour by car.
The town itself was also more alive that we thought. At first we figured there would be more going on in winter, during ski season. Yet, the town surprised us with its liveliness, featuring markets, live music events, and a wide selection of bars and restaurants.
The only thing we missed in town was a suitable place to swim. Despite the town's proximity to a river, we couldn't find a publicly accessible swimming spot.
We had four weekends and did a different one- or two-day hike every weekend. The first hike we did was the one going to Lac Bleu, at 1,977 m (6,490 ft) high. We parked our car in Chiroulet, where you cross a little bridge and find a parking place on the other side of it. From there you will hike uphill through the forest, reaching a plateau of grasslands where cows were grazing. After that you will reach a stone path that passes the river a few times. We then followed a stone path that crossed the river several times. The final steps up were on a sort of improvised staircase, leading us to the lake. You can take a (cold) swim if you'd like. We had lunch and went back down afterwards.
The following weekend, we tackled Pic du Midi de Bigorre, which stands at an impressive elevation of 2,877 meters (9,439 feet). We started our hike right below Col du Tourmalet, where we could park our car next to the grazing sheep. The trail was easy to follow and initially led us to a lake, Lac d'Oncet. Here we were surprised to encounter many llamas walking around. The beginning of the hike to this lake was relatively flat, but it became steeper as we progressed. The final stretch was the steepest, but the rewarding panoramic views from the top made it all worthwhile. We could see numerous other peaks, offering a truly beautiful view.
We brought a tent, and used that during our third weekend for a overnight hike to Lac d'Aubert. We started the hike at another lake, Lac d'Orédon, where there is a big parking lot. Carrying our backpacks loaded with the tent, sleeping bags, food, and water, we set off on the trail. The hike was a bit more challenging due to the weight on our backs, but the breathtaking views made up for the effort. The hike took us along several lakes. Before we set up our tent, we took a quick dip to cool down after the hike. The trail took us past several lakes, and after completing the hike, we took a quick dip in the water to cool down before setting up our tent. We spent the night next to Lac d'Aubert. The following day, we hiked uphill for another 1 to 1.5 hours to admire the view of the three lakes. Afterward, we descended via a different route to return home.
Our final hike was another camping adventure, taking us further in the direction of the Spanish border. The parking place was close to Lac de Bious Artigues, not at the lake, but a little earlier down the road. From there, we walked uphill to the lake, to then walk around it and go up from there. From there, we hiked uphill to the lake, circled around it, and then continued upwards. Our ascent led us to Lac Roumassot, where we took a break to admire the view. A bit further up, we reached our destination for the day, Lac Gentau. Many campers had already set up all around the lake. We walked around the lake to find the best spot near the Refuge, offering stunning views of Pic du Midi d'Ossau behind the lake. The Refuge also provided us with free drinking water, which was a bonus. The next day, we followed the same path back down, taking a quick and refreshing swim in the lake below before heading home.
We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the mountains in this manner. On our other days, we also took the time to visit some of the charming French mountain towns in the area. Overall, our stay surpassed our expectations, and we were happily surprised by the town and its surrounding mountains.
