LANNEMEZAN
Stage town for the 6th time
Commune in Hautes-Pyrénées (65)
Population: 5,810
Specialities: garbure, spit-roasted cake, Tarbais beans, Tomme des Pyrénées. Millasson (flan). Madiran.
Famous people: Antoine Dupont, Pierre Berbizier, Philippe Rougé-Thomas, René Hourquet, Félix Lacrampe (rugby), Marie-Laure Brunet (biathlon), Paul-Henri de le Rue (snowboarding).
Sport: Cercle Amical Lannemezanais (CAL, rugby). Football Club du Plateau. Pays des Nestes handball. Vélo-Club Lannemezan, Union Cyclotouriste du Plateau.
Economy: The Peyrehitte Industrial Estate and the South Industrial Estate are home to a variety of industries, notably Knauf Insulation (insulation) and Arkema (chemicals). Electricity and construction. Agriculture (mixed farming and livestock).
Festivals: Foire des Cendres (February), Foire du Terroir (late August), Foire de la Sainte-Catherine (December).
Heritage: Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, Barbé Castle, Neste Canal, Puyo Pelat archaeological site. Demi-Lune Leisure Park.
Awards: Town in Bloom (**),
Websites / FB / Twitter:
lannemezan.fr
ccplateaudelannemezan.fr
coeurdespyrenees.com
LANNEMEZAN AND CYCLING
The Tour de France is visiting Lannemezan for the sixth time, and once again for a stage start. On three occasions, the town has served as a launch pad for the Plateau de Beille. The last time, in 2015, it was Joachim Rodriguez who won solo and took his revenge on fate. Already a stage winner at the Mur de Huy, the Catalan had seen his hopes in the general classification ruined by hunger pangs and then a fall in the previous Pyrenean stages. "Purito" was all the more motivated as he lives 50 km from Plateau de Beille and had never been able to climb it, having punctured during the reconnaissance! The pouring rain did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm. In 2008, a stage starting in Lannemezan ended in Foix, and it was Norway's Knut-Asle Arvesen who raised his arms, winning by half a tyre length ahead of Switzerland's Martin Elmiger. The very first stage to start from this capital of the Hautes-Pyrénées canton, in 1999, already linked Pau and Spain's David Etxabarria, winner at Saint-Flour a few days earlier, who won ahead of the same opponent, Italy's Alberto Elli, who was rather annoyed by this bad luck. The local rider for this stage will be Bruno Armirail, originally from Bagnères-de-Bigorre, 25 km away. The three-time French time trial champion and tireless fighter will be keen to show off the new Visma – Lease a Bike jersey he is wearing for the 2026 season.
LANNEMEZAN
Lannemezan Park
Characteristics: The Demi-Lune Leisure Park offers all kinds of activities for children and parents alike in a natural wooded setting, such as walks around the lake and the chance to discover fish and various species of animals (llamas, swans, chickens, mandarins, ducks, goats, deer, etc.).
Children's area: Sleeping Beauty's castle, the house of the seven dwarfs, Alice in Wonderland's house of cards, etc.
The Gargas Caves
Characteristics: These caves offer a journey back in time, taking you 27,000 years into the past. Stone Age hunters used to frequent these caves. On the walls, you can see traces of their daily lives and their hunting exploits. Two hundred hands with incomplete fingers are depicted. Created using stencils, they are a real mystery for historians.
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church
Construction: 12th and 19th centuries
Style: Romanesque and Neo-Gothic
History: The church was built at the end of the 12th century. In August 1569, Huguenot troops led by Montgommery ravaged the village and set fire to the church. After the damage caused by the Revolution, restoration work was undertaken. In 1851, the bell tower was demolished and rebuilt. In 1854, the south portal was moved to enlarge the nave.
Listed as: 12th-century gate listed as a historic monument in 1945
Les Ocybelles: natural organic swimming
Characteristics: Located in the heart of a wooded natural area on the border between the villages of Saint Laurent de Neste and Nestier, the Ôcybelles natural and organic swimming area covers 1.5 hectares within a vast leisure complex. The principle behind this ecological swimming area is the use of natural water, which is filtered and purified solely by plants and bacteria.
The Domain of the Gods
Characteristics: The Nistos Cap Nesté Nordic area, known as "Domaine des Dieux", occupies a dominant position. This magnificent site, which is well covered in snow during the winter, offers a variety of trails on ridges, plateaus and in forests. It is a great place for hiking in mild weather, with unique panoramic views of the main Pyrenean peaks (Aneto, Pic du Midi de Bigorre, Arbizon, Maladetta, etc.).
FOOD
Gâteau des Bandouliers
In the 1960s, the Confrérie des Bandouliers (Brotherhood of the Shoulder Straps) came up with the idea of launching a competition to find a speciality for Lannemezan. The challenge was set to the town’s pastry chefs, and the Gâteau des Bandouliers was born. It is a cake made from sweet frangipane pastry, topped with custard cream containing currants soaked in rum, and finished with a melt-in-the-mouth glaze.
