Gavarnie

Gavarnie has long inspired amazement. Its reputation is built on the various explorations it has inspired. Botanists, scientists, romantics, painters, poets and mountaineers in search of exploits or sensations have, since the 16th century, made Gavarnie the birthplace of what is known as “Pyreneism”.
The cirque became legend when Victor Hugo, in his illustrious poem “Dieu”, described it as an “impossible and extraordinary object”, “the Colosseum of nature”. The Pyrenean Museum based in the Château-fort de Lourdes tells the story of Pyreneism.

Gavarnie is easy to reach. On arrival at the village, you are in front of the rock wall and in 1.5 hours of easy walking, you will be at the foot of the cirque, where the old inn can be found. You can follow this route on foot or horseback: when Gavarnie appears, it truly is a dramatic sight to behold. Less well-known but just as impressive, the cirques of Estaube and Troumouse are accessible to all. From the family walk to a quest for sensation, there is something for everyone.