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Guide to Pau, France
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Click to go to Flight Prices for Pau
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PauThe Pyrenees, a collection of peaks and valleys in one of the southernmost regions of France, are home to many quaint and inviting cities, yet it seems that one relative unknown has come to make a name for itself by way of years of happenstance discoveries by travelers. Pau, a location sitting just shy of 125 miles from Toulouse, not far from Lourdes, is the gem in the rough. A resort town, as it has come to be known among the traveling cognoscenti who've trodden the land of southern France, Pau lacks many of the characteristics the biggest names in the country have prided themselves in. No miniature Eiffel Tower stands erect, overlooking the Gave de Pau [River], and it certainly doesn't garner press exposure because of great cultural credentials. A mostly silent network of streets intertwined with plenty of natural settings, people come to Pau generally to get away from the polluted atmospheres of Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Madrid, and even Luxembourg. Not many are aware of this beautiful mountain-borne non-tropical oasis - all the better for those who are - consider yourself in the know. With a population under 100,000, busyness and crowdedness are simply ideas and concepts it has yet (or possibly never will) to experience firsthand. Though traveling to Pau may be undertaking to execute, affording yourself of the opportunity to see a French landscape with plenty of climatically enjoyable aspects, and at the same time divesting yourself of the responsibility of tracking transit timetables and bearing with an enormously large grid, there's little reason not to see Pau as a valuable commodity in the tourism world. Take advantage of a wonderful thing while it remains so. Book your flight to Pau, France, today!
When to go:
Just because Pau is categorically cosmopolitan and is officially on French territory, doesn't mean it is a city sodden with rainfall year-round. Summers here are hot, and though humidity doesn't occasionally show sudden increases in some periods, the mountain air and the ever-present (though weak) stream close to the city's limits offer respite for folks more attuned to cool temperatures. Much like Northern Spain, the cities in France closest to two countries' border share many of the same characteristics. Pau may show signs of a considerable drop in degree in January, but the chances of a snow storm wreaking havoc upon the city's public transit system and many frozen-toe accounts are slim. If you're looking for a good balance between the two "extremes," spring and autumn are both good choices.
Getting there and around:
Sharing a flight terminal with its neighbor, Uzein, Pau boasts only hundreds, or even just a few thousand flights to/from its airport per year. This raises flags for those looking for convenience, but if you're out of luck in terms of obtaining a direct connection, you can easily fly to Paris, or more popular locations further south, and make your stop in at Pau afterwards. Cars are the most popular form of transportation within the Pyrenees region. If you're planning on trekking to a few summits or journey into the French countryside, you're best off renting a vehicle after you arrive. Forgoing the prices at the airport for less costly plans within Pau itself may prove to be the bargain hunter's choice du jour; the cab drivers at the airport will likely save you time getting into the city as well.
Attractions:
Lovely as the city itself is, there are quite a few sites worth a few peeks and/or snapshots of located either at its edges or beyond. The Chateau de Pau, quite literally leaving further description all but unnecessary, is a 12th-century structure with a history involving pride, prejudice, and even good amount of scandal thrown in for good measure. Intent on making the most of your visit to Pau? The city's Musee de Beaux-Arts is a collection almost solely made up of European canvases, though some African and Asian works have been thrown into the mix recently.
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