Pau / Lourdes

The town of Nay is one of the oldest bastides in Béarn, built in 1302 as a ‘new’ town in the Middle Ages, with perpendicular streets. A large, rectangular central square with a town hall is the heart of the town. Be sure to take a look at the inner courtyard of the Maison Carrée, an architectural treasure. Nay remains a warm and lively town at the foot of the mountains.

The Grotto of Lourdes, at the foot of the Pyrenees, is a world-famous place of pilgrimage, attracting millions of visitors every year. It was here that the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. With its spring of water considered miraculous, it is a place of prayer and meditation where visitors can light a candle, touch the rock and attend torch-lit processions.