Pau is a commune on the northern edge of the Pyrenees, capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département in France. It is also the capital of the Béarn region. It forms the communauté d'agglomération of Pau-Pyrénées with 13 neighbouring communes to carry out local tasks together. The Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, founded in 1972, means there is a high student population. The Boulevard des Pyrénées is 1.8 km from the Château de Pau to the Parc du 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."
Pau is 100 km from the Atlantic Ocean and 50 km from the Pyrenees. Spain is 50 km away in a straight line. The frontier is crossed by the col du Somport (1,631 m) and the col du Pourtalet (1,794 m). Access to the crossings partly accounts for Pau's strategic importance. The city stands on a 200m elevation overlooking the valley of a mountain river called the Gave de Pau, where a ford gave passage to the Pyrenees. The Gave, which becomes a torrent when mountain snow melts, begins in the Cirque de Gavarnie. It is the principal tributuary of the Adour after 175 km. The crossing was used for pasturage of sheep in the high meadows. The old route is now a hiking path, GR 65, that runs 60 km south to the border.
The other rivers of the region are the Luy de Béarn, tributary of the Luy, the Ousse, and the Ousse des Bois, which flow into the Gave de Pau, and the Uzan, which joins the Luy de Béarn.
Pau is located 200 km west of Toulouse, 30 km from Tarbes and Lourdes, 25 km from Oloron. The conglomeration of Bayonne-Anglet-Biarritz is at 110 km, Bordeaux 190 km. Pau is served by the airport of Pau-Pyrénées 10 km away. There are limited scheduled flights to Amsterdam, Bristol, Brussels, London, Lyon and Paris.
A TGV rail line on the line to Paris and from Bayonne to Tolouse, and the A64 autoroute to the east. The A65, due for completion in 2010, will link Pau with Bordeaux.
The Funiculaire de Pau links the city centre and Boulevard des Pyrénées to the railway station in the valley. The Société des Transports de l'Agglomération Paloise (STAP) operates 13 urban bus routes, serving Pau and the adjoining communes. |
