Twenty kilometres southeast of Tarascon, and still on the river, the spa town of AX-LES-THERMES is completely walled in by mountains and its principal value is as a base for exploring the surrounding peaks and as a staging post on the way to Andorra or on down the N20 to Font-Romeu and, ultimately, Perpignan and the Mediterranean.the town itself is small and agreeable enough, but there's little to see once you've wandered a couple of streets in the quarter to the right of the N20, which forms the main street, avenue Delcassé. Rue de l'École and rue de la Boucarie retain a few medieval buildings, and above place du Breilh, the church of St-Vincent is of architectural interest for its Romanesque tower. Just across the road you can dangle your feet for free in the Bassin des Ladres, a pool of hot sulphurous water which is all that remains of the hospital founded in 1260 by St Louis for soldiers wounded in the Crusades. The gare SNCF is off avenue Delcassé on the northwest side of town. The tourist office on place du Breilh (May–June, Sept & Oct Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2–7pm, Sun 9am–noon & 2–6pm; July & Aug daily 9am–1pm & 2–7pm; Nov Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2–6pm; Dec–April daily 9am–noon & 2–6pm; tel 05.61.64.60.60, www.vallees-ax.com) has Hiking information and lists of walks. a nice place to stay is the Hôtel Barat at 6 place Roussel (tel 05.61.64.22.01; €30–40). Le France on the main avenue Delcassé at number 10 (tel 05.61.64.20.30, fax 05.61.64.60.97; closed Jan & Dec; €40–55), offers a few more amenities and has a gastronomique restaurant (expect to spend around €18). There's also a campsite, Le Malazéou (tel 05.61.64.09.14), on the riverbank just before the gare SNCF as you come into town from Tarascon. The most atmospheric places to eat are the old Grand Café, next to Hôtel Les Pyrénées, and Brasserie Le Club, on place Roussel, which has live jazz.
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