Hautes-Pyrénées
Encyclopedia
Hautes-Pyrénées (Gascon
: Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus) is a department in southwestern France
. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées
region.
, a territory at times independent but later part of Gascony
province
. Large parts of the area were held by the English after the Treaty of Brétigny
, 1360. In the 16th century, it was part of the Huguenot
domain of the monarchs of Navarre
, brought to France by Henri IV
. For its early history, see Bigorre
and Gascony
.
The département of Hautes-Pyrénées was created at the time of the French Revolution
, on 4 March 1790, through the influence of Tarbes politician Bertrand Barère, a member of the Convention
.
, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre
, and the Neouvielle and Arbizon ranges. A second area consists of low-altitude rolling hills. The Northern part of the département consists of largely flat agricultural land.
The greater Tarbes
area is the economic and administrative focus of the département.
Lourdes
is the second-biggest city in Hautes-Pyrénées, dedicated almost exclusively to the pilgrimage industry.
Other towns of note are Bagnères-de-Bigorre
, Argelès-Gazost
, Vic-en-Bigorre
, Rabastens-de-Bigorre
, Maubourguet
, and Lannemezan
.
and the Pont d'Espagne
. The entire area is a favorite destination of hikers and mountain enthusiasts.
The area has been known perhaps since Antiquity for its hot springs, and several towns were built around these, most notable Cauterets
, Luz-Saint-Sauveur
and Bagnères-de-Bigorre
.
A notable lake in the area is Lac Bleu d'Ilhéou
, southwest of Cauterets
There are a number of popular ski resorts in Hautes-Pyrénées such as Barèges
-La Mongie
, Gavarnie
, Luz-Ardiden, Cauterets
, Hautacam
, Piau-Engaly and Saint-Lary-Soulan
.
The area is a nearly-permanent fixture on the Tour de France's itinerary, with legendary passes such as the Tourmalet
, the Aubisque
and the Soulor
.
The regions premier avant-garde jazz festivals is held each year in Luz-Saint-Sauveur
: Jazz a Luz. Tarbes hosts an annual horse festival, Equestria, and a Tango festival, Tarbes en Tango.
Gascon language
Gascon is usually considered as a dialect of Occitan, even though some specialists regularly consider it a separate language. Gascon is mostly spoken in Gascony and Béarn in southwestern France and in the Aran Valley of Spain...
: Nauts Pirenèus / Hauts Pirenèus) is a department in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity...
region.
History
Historically the area broadly covered by the département was known as BigorreBigorre
Bigorre is region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper watershed of the Adour, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, part of the larger region known as Gascony...
, a territory at times independent but later part of Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
. Large parts of the area were held by the English after the Treaty of Brétigny
Treaty of Brétigny
The Treaty of Brétigny was a treaty signed on May 9, 1360, between King Edward III of England and King John II of France. In retrospect it is seen as having marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years' War —as well as the height of English hegemony on the Continent.It was signed...
, 1360. In the 16th century, it was part of the Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
domain of the monarchs of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
, brought to France by Henri IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
. For its early history, see Bigorre
Bigorre
Bigorre is region in southwest France, historically an independent county and later a French province, located in the upper watershed of the Adour, on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, part of the larger region known as Gascony...
and Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
.
The département of Hautes-Pyrénées was created at the time of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, on 4 March 1790, through the influence of Tarbes politician Bertrand Barère, a member of the Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
.
Geography
Hautes-Pyrénées consists of several distinct geographical areas. The southern portion, along the border with Spain, consists of mountains such as the VignemaleVignemale
The Vignemale , at 3298 metres, is the highest of the French Pyrenean summits, in the border with Spain ....
, the Pic du Midi de Bigorre
Pic du Midi de Bigorre
The Pic du Midi de Bigorre or simply Pic du Midi is a mountain in the French Pyrenees famous for its astronomical observatory, the Observatoire du Pic du Midi de Bigorre , part of the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées .-Pic du Midi Observatory:Construction of the observatory began in 1878 under the...
, and the Neouvielle and Arbizon ranges. A second area consists of low-altitude rolling hills. The Northern part of the département consists of largely flat agricultural land.
The greater Tarbes
Tarbes
Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants....
area is the economic and administrative focus of the département.
Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
is the second-biggest city in Hautes-Pyrénées, dedicated almost exclusively to the pilgrimage industry.
Other towns of note are Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Bagnères-de-Bigorre is a French commune in the south-western Hautes-Pyrénées department, of which it is a sub-prefecture.-Notable people:Bagnères-de-Bigorre was the birthplace of:*Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke...
, Argelès-Gazost
Argelès-Gazost
Argelès-Gazost is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.The Parc animalier des Pyrénées is located in Argelès-Gazost.-References:*...
, Vic-en-Bigorre
Vic-en-Bigorre
Vic-en-Bigorre is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-References:*...
, Rabastens-de-Bigorre
Rabastens-de-Bigorre
Rabastens-de-Bigorre is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-References:*...
, Maubourguet
Maubourguet
Maubourguet is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-References:*...
, and Lannemezan
Lannemezan
Lannemezan is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-Geography:The Petite Baïse has its source in the commune.Lannemezan is around 30 km east of Tarbes, and around 100 km south-west of Toulouse.-References:*...
.
Of Interest
The Western Pyrenees National Park covers a significant area, and includes well-known attractions such as the Cirque de GavarnieCirque de Gavarnie
The Cirque de Gavarnie is a cirque in the central Pyrenees, in the Pyrenees National Park. The cirque is 800m wide and about 3000m wide at the top.Major features of the cirque are La Brèche de Roland and the Gavarnie Falls....
and the Pont d'Espagne
Pont d'Espagne
Pont d'Espagne is a brick-built bridge that spans the Gave de Marcadau at the point where it meets the Gave de Gaube, near one of its sources high in the French Pyrenees.The Pont d'Espagne is at an altitude of approx 1500m...
. The entire area is a favorite destination of hikers and mountain enthusiasts.
The area has been known perhaps since Antiquity for its hot springs, and several towns were built around these, most notable Cauterets
Cauterets
Cauterets is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-Geography:Cauterets is located southwest of Lourdes in the beautiful valley of the Gave de Cauterets and borders the Pyrenees National Park....
, Luz-Saint-Sauveur
Luz-Saint-Sauveur
Luz-Saint-Sauveur is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-References:*...
and Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Bagnères-de-Bigorre is a French commune in the south-western Hautes-Pyrénées department, of which it is a sub-prefecture.-Notable people:Bagnères-de-Bigorre was the birthplace of:*Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke...
.
A notable lake in the area is Lac Bleu d'Ilhéou
Lac Bleu d'Ilhéou
Lac Bleu d'Ilhéou is a lake in Hautes-Pyrénées, France. At an elevation of 1976 m, its surface area is 0.113 km²....
, southwest of Cauterets
Cauterets
Cauterets is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-Geography:Cauterets is located southwest of Lourdes in the beautiful valley of the Gave de Cauterets and borders the Pyrenees National Park....
There are a number of popular ski resorts in Hautes-Pyrénées such as Barèges
Barèges
Barèges is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France. It is situated in the valley of the stream Bastan on the former Route nationale 618, the "Route of the Pyrénées."-Economy:...
-La Mongie
La Mongie
The village of La Mongie is at 1800 metres altitude. There are also residences at 1850 and the Tourmalet building at 1900. It lies below the Col du Tourmalet . It is in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France and around 20 km from the Spanish border...
, Gavarnie
Gavarnie
Gavarnie is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-See also:* Cirque de Gavarnie* Gavarnie Falls*Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department-References:*...
, Luz-Ardiden, Cauterets
Cauterets
Cauterets is a spa town, a ski resort and a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-Geography:Cauterets is located southwest of Lourdes in the beautiful valley of the Gave de Cauterets and borders the Pyrenees National Park....
, Hautacam
Hautacam
Hautacam is a ski resort in the Pyrenees. It is situated in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, in the Midi-Pyrénées region. The winter sports station lies at a height of 1560 meters...
, Piau-Engaly and Saint-Lary-Soulan
Saint-Lary-Soulan
Saint-Lary-Soulan is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-Geography:Saint-Lary is located in Hautes-Pyrénées 80 km south of the départements capital Tarbes, next to the Le Néouvielle Nature Reserve and the Pyrenees National Park and is a 20 minute drive to...
.
The area is a nearly-permanent fixture on the Tour de France's itinerary, with legendary passes such as the Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet is the highest road in the central Pyrenees in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in France. Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is at the foot on the eastern side and the ski station La Mongie two-thirds of the way up. Luz-Saint-Sauveur is at the bottom of the western side.Tourmalet is also a...
, the Aubisque
Col d'Aubisque
The Col d'Aubisque is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees 30 km south of Tarbes and Pau in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques , in the Aquitaine region of France....
and the Soulor
Col du Soulor
Col du Soulor is a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees in France, linking Argelès-Gazost with Arthez-d'Asson. It connects the Ouzom and Arens valleys.The road is occasionally used in the Tour de France cycling race.-Tour de France:...
.
The regions premier avant-garde jazz festivals is held each year in Luz-Saint-Sauveur
Luz-Saint-Sauveur
Luz-Saint-Sauveur is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-References:*...
: Jazz a Luz. Tarbes hosts an annual horse festival, Equestria, and a Tango festival, Tarbes en Tango.
See also
- Cantons of the Hautes-Pyrénées department
- Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department
- Arrondissements of the Hautes-Pyrénées department