Discover Pau through several distinct experiences: the Château de Pau, a place of royal history; art collections featuring works from five European art schools; and green spaces with views of the Pyrenees. If you want to focus your trip on culture, you can choose between historic buildings, exhibitions and outdoor walks. Regional products are another facet of the city.
Birthplace, Museums and City History
The Château de Pau is known as the birthplace of Henri IV. Today, it is a national museum and a state-owned national heritage site. Alongside its rich 19th-century decorative furnishings, it houses an extensive collection relating to Henri IV. The château is in the historic quarter and just a few minutes’ walk from the SNCF railway station. The funicular still carries passengers arriving from the station, and is free for everyone.
The “Balade à Roulettes n°9: Le tour du château de Pau” is accessible to strollers and wheelchair users thanks to the funicular and the lift at the Tour de la Monnaie. Check whether both are operating before your visit.
Built around 1730, the Maison Balagué introduces another historical figure: it is the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte and has been converted into the Musée Bernadotte. The museum traces his rise through paintings, sculptures and objects. The house is also a well-preserved example of 18th-century Béarn urban architecture. Pebbles, brick and dressed stone shape the building, while a wooden gallery opens onto the courtyard.
Money was minted in the Tour de la Monnaie until the French Revolution. The coins bore Béarn Vaquetas, or “cow figures,” on the reverse. The château and its park illustrate nine centuries of Pau’s changing history. The guided tour “Pau, capitale royale” also explores nine centuries of the city’s history. This lets you encounter the same historical period once at a site with a park and once as part of a guided tour.
Art, Regional Products and Landscape
At the Musée des Beaux-Arts, you can find works from the Flemish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and French schools of art, dating from the 15th to the 20th century. The museum offers tours of its permanent exhibitions throughout the year. Experts also lead introductions to artistic techniques such as watercolor, engraving and cyanotype. This gives you the chance both to view a varied collection and to take a closer look at individual techniques.
The Halles de Pau add regional food to the city’s cultural attractions. The producers’ area offers fresh vegetables, sheep’s cheese, honey and eggs from Béarn. You can sample products from Béarn, including Béarnaise andouille, on site.
The Boulevard des Pyrénées offers views of the Pyrenean range. Since 1944, Pau’s landscape has been protected under the designation “Horizons Palois.”
The history of Parc Beaumont also reflects changes in the city. In 1876, Pau bought the villa and its park from the Countess of Noailles. At the end of the 19th century, Henri Martinet transformed the formerly private garden into a public park.
For walks in green surroundings, the Forêt de Bastard offers something different from the city’s historic buildings: this state forest, covering nearly 300 hectares, is located in the Lande du Pont Long and has a wide variety of circular trails. The “Balade à Roulettes n°38: La forêt de Bastard” is a 2.3-kilometer circular route starting in Pau. Check current trail conditions before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Palais, Angous, Lecumberry, Lées-Athas, Saint-Étienne-De-Baïgorry, Bayonne, Menditte, Biriatou.
For the regional travel overview: Pyrenees-Atlantiques.
