Excursions
If you have a vehicle
- visit our page devoted to walking.
- Valley d'Oueil
- Valley du Lis
- Val d'Aran
- Villages of the area: Sode, Artigue, Cazaril, etc
- Saint Bertrand de Comminges
- Caves and other curiosities
- The Pic du Midi de Bigorre
If you do not have a vehicle:
- the best thing to do is contact Farrus Voyages, in the centre of Bagnères-de-Luchon, a 10mn walk from the Hotel des Sports.
They run a wide range of excursions for an afternoon or full day in France and Spain.
Valley d'Oueilphotographic guide
Just 5km from the Hotel des Sports, this valley is superb in all seasons.
On the left side there is a huge forest in which deer live. Even at the edge of the road you can see trees with bark massacred by these nice animals! Sometimes the people who live here find them in their garden, sampling the flowers. Ah, isn't nature wonderful?
The right hand side of the valley is practically bare with pastures for cows and sheep.
You can admire the hill villages of Mayrègne, Caubous and Cirès, with old houses and churches. The valley ends in a cul-de-sac at Bourg d'Oueil, 8km after the first village, Saint Paul d'Oueil. It is a very small valley but the landscape is beautiful.
Valley du Lisphotographic guide
The Valley du Lis starts 6km from the Hotel des Sports and is 6km long.
The cascade d'Enfer (cascade of hell) is at the bottom of this valley, about 200m from the carpark. It is a beautiful water fall and is accessible to everyone. On this stream you can see other less impressive falls too. The Lis joins La pique, which flows into the Garonne 20km to the north of Bagnères-de-Luchon. Small streams join to make large rivers and the proof is here for you to see.
The Val d'Aran is initially a pleonasm. "Aran" means "valley" in local language.
The valley runs parallel with that of Bagnères-de-Luchon, but is in Spain.
Two roads run between the two valleys, the Col du Portillon,a great classic of the Tour de France at 1293m high, or by Saint Beat, the junction of the two valleys. You can take a circular route for an interesting tour.
Saint Béat is 20km north of Bagnères-de-Luchon. You cross the border on the Pont du Roi, an old bridge that spans a torrent which is called the Garonne on one side and Garona on the other. When you cross the highway code changes. In Spain you should have two emergency triangles in the event of a breakdown, one in front and the other behind the car. It's a good idea, especially on the narrow winding roads.
The first village you come to is Lès, the second is Bossost. This is a comercial town and is quite difficult to swop to speak in Spanish. If you move away from the busy commercial streets, the village is very interesting. The church dates from the 12th century and some houses are also very old. This valley has a history that is almost tangible.
The valley is very alive. New constructions grow like mushrooms. The houses are beautiful, even the most modern preserve the style of the valley. Carry on the road to Vielha, about 20km, and enjoy the views of many small villages perched in the mountains. A walk in Vielha, especially in the old town is worth a detour.
The Hotel des Sports has a street map of Vielha and a book of photographs of the area from the air, including the Val d'Aran. Ask to see it, it is superb and there's no charge.
To find out more, visit the site of the General Council of the Val d'Aran, (in Spanish only). Or if you have ADSL and you like the sites you can always try Tourism in Val d'Aran.
Villages of the area.photographic guide
Do you like ancient rocks and rustic villages? You can borrow a book that will explain the characteristics of these villages and what should be seen there.
Saint Aventin, 5km from the Hotel des Sports, on the road to the Col de Peyresourde, deserves a visit with its superb 11th century church.
Sode is a small village perched in the mountains and you can see it opposite the Hotel. It takes 5 minutes in the car.There's a carpark 200m after the end of the village from where you can admire Bagnères-de-Luchon and the valley, and Superbagnères and the surrounding mountains.
Carry on along the road for 5 to 10 minutes and you come to Artigue. The small carpark is on the way in to the village. Sheep everywhere, sheep droppings everywhere! Have a glance in a sheep shed and while you lean over the fence, take in the smell of these sheep, ah, it's something that reminds you of the subway in a large city! But this is natural.
Cazaril is also a beautiful small village perched in the mountains above Bagnères-de-Luchon. You can reach it on foot by taking a path just behind the Hotel des Sports. It takes between one and two hours to walk.(Or 15 minutes in the car). The houses are beautiful and the view superb.
Saint Bertrand de Commingesphotographic guide
The Hotel des Sports has a book on this village which you are welcome to borrow.
It is 35km from the Hotel des Sports, and is a very old site, about 2000 years. Exhaustive excavations have not begun yet, but when they do no doubt they will discover some interesting things.
Today Saint Bertrand de Comminges is a small tourist village with an abbey. The cloisters are 12th century and lovely. The abbey goes back through various periods and is a mixture of styles. There are lines of high wooden seats made from very dark wood with beautiful decorations. The large organ which has been restored, is impressive. It was a gift from a pilgrim on the way to Saint Jacques de Compostelle and you can find a lot of the shells of Saint Jacques in the decorations.
The houses in the village have very old doorways and are particularly interesting. Perched high, the village offers beautiful panoramas of the surrounding plain.
To find out more visit the official site of St Bertrand de Comminges , or the site of the Academy of Toulouse, much more centred on the history, geography and archaeology of the area.
The caves of Gargas, approximately 45km from the Hotel des Sports, are not noted for their stalactites. They have a true treasure - paintings. Men passed by here approximately 25000 years ago. They left messages with their hands. These paintings were done with a stencil, and we still don't know everything about them. It is very moving, especially if as I did, you visit it out of season, in a very small group. You can take your time, meditate in front of these hands and engravings of animals on the rocks.
To visit: 05 62 39 72 39. It is a few km to the west of Saint Bertrand de Comminges, to the north of Bagnères-de-Luchon.Learn more
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The cave of Esparros was opened to the public in 1997. The number of visitors is limited to preserve the site. It is advisable to book a visit on 05 62 39 11 80.
It is a magical place, very well lit, where you will be able to admire unusual crystals. To get there take the Col de Peyresourde as far as Arreau, then the Lannemezan road to Hèches (14km). Go through the village and follow the signs. It is on the left.
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Do you dream of seeing a proper fortress? That of Mauvezin, approximately 60km from the Hotel des Sports, is a splendid and authentic well preserved fortress. Children will adore it. To get there take the Col de Peyresourde to Arreau, then turn north to Barthe de Neste, then take the left towards Capvern,then into Mauvezin.
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A little further and you can visit:
The caves of Lombrives near Foix which are the biggest in Europe. They are so large that concerts take place there. Learn more here or there
The underground river of Labouiche, is also located around Foix. A superb boat trip of 1,5km on a river 60m under ground! Learn more
The talc quarry of Trimouns is located between Foix and Ax les Thermes. It is a long way, but the visit is really interesting. Young parents as you deposit talc on the delicate bottom of your baby, do you really know what talc is? To find out more you can visit this open quarry. Learn more
The Pic du Midi de Bigorrephotographic guide
The Pic du Midi de Bigorre is located 75km from the Hotel des Sports. It is an astronomical and weather observatory perched on top of a mountain 2870m high. You go up there by cable car which takes 15 minutes. At the top is a large terrace with restaurants and shops. The view is spectacular in good weather, and it is famous for the clarity of the sky. You can have a look to their webcams.
To find out more, visit the website of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre.