Stage town for the 76th time
Prefecture of Pyrenees-Atlantiques (64)
Population: 75,600 (Palois, Paloises), 162,000 for the 31 communes of Pau Béarn Pyrenees.
Specialities: garbure, poule au pot, foie gras, magret and other duck and goose dishes, honey, coucougnettes du Vert Galant (roasted almonds coated in dark chocolate and raspberry marzipan), Verdier chocolates, Francis Miot jams, Russe (almond cake with praline cream), ossau-iraty (cheese), wines (Jurançon, Madiran, Pacherenc).
Celebrities: Henry IV (1553-1572, King of France), Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte (1756-1835, Marshal of the Empire then King of Sweden and Norway under the name of Charles XIV), André Labarrère (1928-2006, politician), Christian Laborde (writer), Ariane Massenet (TV presenter), Robert Paparemborde, Damien Traille (rugby), Patrice Estanguet (canoeing, Olympic medallist in 1996), Tony Estanguet (canoeing, Olympic champion in 2000, 2004 and 2012), Julien Escudé (football), Nicolas Escudé, Jérémy Chardy (tennis), Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle, Matthieu Ladagnous, Nicolas Portal (cycling).
Sport: Section Paloise (rugby, Top 14), Élan béarnais Pau-Lacq-Orthez (basketball, Pro A), Pau Canoë-Kayak Club Universitaire. Pau-Pyrénées whitewater stadium, Basque pelota complex, Pau-Gelos national stud farm, Pau-Sers equestrian training centre, golf course (oldest course in continental Europe, created in 1856). Events: Courir à Pau (February), Téraga Open (March, tennis), Ekiden Pau-Gelos (April), Grand Prix automobile de Pau (historic), Étoiles de Pau (eventing).
Economy: second largest economic centre in Aquitaine after Bordeaux, military (airborne troops school, national military personnel archive centre), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (12,700 students), geosciences and petroleum engineering, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceutical and food industries, aeronautics, mechanics, IT, equine industry, tourism.
Festivals: Carnaval biarnès (February), Le livre en Béarn (February), Festival des danses plurielles (March), Urban Session (May), Rendez-vous aux Jardins (June), Flamenco y Feria (June), Un été au ciné (July), Hestiv' `Oc (August, music and cultures of the South), Street Arts Festival (August), Un aller-retour dans le noir (October, crime book fair), Les Idées mènent le monde (November, literary meetings), Pau International Film Festival (December)
Ằ cycling: 25 km of cycle paths and 101 km of cycle lanes, IDEcycle (self-service bike hire), 170 bikes in 15 stations and 2 mobile stations.
Slogan: Pau, Capital of the Tour.
Labels: "Ville à Vélo du Tour de France" (Tour de France Bike City) 3 bikes / Ville d'art et d'histoire (City of Art and History) / Ville active et sportive (Active and Sporting City) / Ville amie des enfants (Child-Friendly City) / label Action cœur de Ville (Action in the heart of the city) / label Cit'érgie for the Climate Plan / Ville fleurie (City in bloom) 4 flowers
Websites / FB / Twitter: www.pau.fr / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / www.pau-pyrénées.com / pau-congres.com / musee-chateau-pau.fr
PAU AND CYCLING
The last four stage starts from the capital of Béarn have tended to go in the favour of Tadej Pogacar, with three stage wins, first in Laruns in 2020, Luz-Ardiden the following year and then Pla-d'Adet in 2024. In 2023, on the other hand, Jai Hindley won in Laruns and took the Yellow Jersey, while the Slovenian was outdistanced by his great rival Jonas Vingegaard, the future winner of the race.
There is no doubt that the defending champion will be delighted to return to the third most visited city in the Tour after Paris and Bordeaux. In 2019, it was in the capital of Béarn that the centenary of the Yellow Jersey's appearance was celebrated, masterfully honoured by Julian Alaphilippe, who won the time trial at the same time as extending his lead in the overall classification.
The shared history between Pau and the Tour de France began in 1930. A base camp before or after climbing the Pyrenees, it lends itself to all kinds of profiles, as the list of winners in the city testifies, from climbers René Vietto and Fausto Coppi to attacker like Pierrick Fedrigo. Among the sprinters, Sean Kelly, Erik Zabel and Robbie McEwen showed the way to Arnaud Démare, who scored a prestigious victory here in 2018, his second in the Tour. With so many finishes in the city (and just as many starts on Boulevard des Pyrenees), the Tour was bound to inspire young cyclists and there are many with links to Pau. From Victor Fontan, winner of two stages in 1928 and short-lived Yellow Jersey winner in 1929, to 1956 Olympic team time-trial champion Arnaud Geyre, and closer to home Stéphane Augé, credited with eight participations, Mathieu Ladagnous, with seven Tours to his name, and the late sporting director of the Ineos team, Nicolas Portal, who also took part in six Tours as a rider.
SIGHTS
Tour des Géants
Construction: recent.
Style: contemporary commemorative installation.
History and characteristics: statues honouring Tour de France winners, each with name, photo, text by novelist Christian Laborde. Spiral layout near the Philippe Tissié Stadium. Each totem includes a QR code linking to multilingual audio.
Boulevard des Pyrénées
Construction: completed in 1900.
Style: panoramic urban boulevard.
History and characteristics: 850-metre promenade offering a view of 150 km of Pyrenees. Inspired by the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
Palais Beaumont and park
Construction: 1900.
Style: neo-classical.
Architect: Émile Bertrand.
History and characteristics: built for the resort's elite, now casino and conference centre in a landscaped park.
https://pau-congres.com/
Château de Pau National Museum
Construction: 12th to 19th centuries.
Style: medieval and composite.
History and characteristics: birthplace of Henry IV, restored under Louis-Philippe, national museum since 1926.
Listed as: Historical Monument in 1840.
http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
Banks of the Gave
Area: 250 hectares.
Length: 13 km along the river.
Use: leisure and sport, including canoeing and rafting. Features picnic areas and benches.
Domaine de Sers (Sers Estate)
Area: 25 hectares.
Use: home to municipal greenhouses and the "House of the Gardener". Supports local environmental initiatives.
TO EAT
Garbure
A traditional Gascon dish made with cabbage and seasonal vegetables, enriched in the 20th century with duck or goose confit. Originally a rural peasant dish, its variations are endless. The broth often includes potatoes, turnips, carrots, beans, onion, and garlic. The meat can be duck legs, pork shanks, sausage, or ham core (camalhoû). It's served as a hearty soup or a full meal.
