Luz-St-Sauveur marks the start of the eighteen-kilometre climb east along the D918 through the Vallée de Bastan, culminating in the Col du Tourmalet, one of the major torments of the Tour de France and the fulcrum of a giant skiing domaine. North of the pass rises the landmark Pic du Midi de Bigorre (2872m), with its observatory and funicular.The only major village in between is BARÈGES, 7km along, linked with Lourdes by the SNCF bus to Luz. An attractive, one-street town, Barèges has been a popular spa since 1677, when it was visited by Madame de Maintenon with her infant charge, the seven-year-old Duc de Maine, son of Louis XIV. A military hospital opened here in 1744, as its waters became renowned for the treatment of gunshot wounds, and a low-key army connection endures – a mountain warfare training centre and an R&R facility stand across from each other. But today it's primarily a skiing, mountaineering and paragliding centre, and by far the most congenial resort around the Gave de Pau. The central tourist office (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–12.30pm & 2–7pm, Sun 10am–noon & 4–6pm; Sept–June shorter afternoon hours; tel 05.62.92.16.00, www.bareges.com) can supply accommodation lists and ski-lift plans. The through road is lined with a half-dozen gracefully ageing hotels, all fairly similar in standards, opening season (May–Oct) and price (typically €30–55). More interesting, perhaps, are two high-quality gîtes d'étape, open year-round except April and October: L'Hospitalet (tel 05.62.92.68.08, fax 05.62.92.66.15), at the southern edge of town, somewhat institutional owing to its past as a military hospital, and the welcoming, Anglo-French L'Oasis, right behind the spa (tel 05.62.92.69.47, www.gite-oasis.com); both offer evening meals and reasonable half-board rates. Another possibility is the small, English-run inn Les Sorbiers on the main street (tel 05.62.92.68.95, [email protected]; €40–55; closed Oct to mid-Dec & April to mid-May), which mainly handles one-week, pre-booked holidays, but accepts walk-ins and offers vegetarian meals on request.
Pages in section ‘Vallée de Bastan’: Col du Tourmalet.
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