Pyrenees Boulevard

As you can see, Pau was strongly influenced by the mass arrival of aristocrats from all over the world. But where did this sudden infatuation for the city, which had not been a royal capital for centuries, come from? It all started with a best-seller! In 1842, a Scottish doctor called Alexander Taylor, who settled in Pau, published a treatise praising the virtues of the climate in his adopted city. The title was: “On the Curative Influence of the Climate of Pau, and the Mineral Waters of the Pyrenees: On Disease with Descriptive Notices of the Geology, Botany, … of the Pyrenees, and Their Principal Watering Places “. The treatise had a resounding impact, and since the climate in Pau was good for one’s health, it became the place to spend winter. A game changer for this quiet city, little known to the general public. As a result, Pau reinvented itself and rethought its urban planning in the image of a postcard city. In line with this, the Pyrenees Boulevard, is designed to offer tourists from all over the world a promenade worthy of its name. Designed as a belvedere overlooking the Pyrenees, the boulevard links Pau castle to the Beaumont Palace over a distance of 1.8 km, punctuated by an orientation table and 54 plaques allowing you to know the name of the mountains you admire. If you go all the way to the park, be sure to check the magnificent Beaumont Palace, now the congress centre. It is undoubtedly the most striking example of Belle Epoque architecture in Pau.