Cauterets

History is all-pervading at Cauterets. From Ancient Rome to the roaring twenties, it shows right away in the architecture, which makes the uniqueness of the village.

Cauterets appears at the same time as a small city in the mountain and a village with elegant urban aspects. Whatever one’s preference, people appreciate the many aspects of Cauterets which give to it unique charm. .

Nature and the gentle pleasures of life are also some of the many assets of Cauterets. Indeed Mother Nature has been especially generous: The hot springs made it the high society Pyrenean capital during the roaring twenties; then the 60s enabled its rise in the white gold industry.

The asset of Cauterets is that one never gets bored here. Thus, sportsmen, people who like to muse or inveterate revelers meet after skiing in one of the numerous sites dedicated to relaxation, culture and partying. Our recipe here is simple: we bring together all the ingredients to make you enjoy an excellent holiday and make you live simple and true moments...unforgettable moments.

Cauterets displays many traces of its past, especially through its typical architecture of the XIXth century. Many buildings of monumental nature - as was the building custom in those times – have been preserved, for instance the Thermes César, built in 1844.

The most popular hotels of the city (Grand Hôtel d'Angleterre, Grand Hôtel Continental, etc.) were built towards the end of the 1800s by the same architect from Pau, Lucien Cottet, who designed, with Chinese ink on transparent paper, all the plans and details of the decoration of the façades. This offers a unity of style, similar to that of large cities such as Paris and Bordeaux in particular: Monumental façades, decorated with balconies and statues, huge lounges with pianos, luxurious dining halls illuminated by chandeliers, huge glasses serving as windows.” (René Flurin - Histoire de Cauterets, des origines à nos jours (History of Cauterets, From its origin to the present), Ed. Créer, 1999).

*To build these big hotels, Angoulême stone, known for its easy cutting, was transported up to Cauterets by train.
Even if the Pierrefitte-Cauterets railway line was stopped in 1949 after 50 years of good and loyal services, traces of this past nevertheless exist. The first is the Cauterets station now listed as a historical monument. This unique building, which is not without recalling American westerns, was commissioned in June 1898 and inaugurated in April 1901 by the Minister of Agriculture of that time, then Senator of Hautes-Pyrénées. The construction of this station was entrusted to an entrepreneur, Mr. Médévielle. La Maison Carde of Bordeaux provided the wood and the station was completed in May 1898, all set to be assembled. The building measures 50 m long and is entirely made of finely worked pitch-pine wood. The station today is the coach station for the Lourdes-Cauterets SNCF station connection, for the association of elders and for the organization of concerts and shows.

As for the railway line, it has been transformed to a Green Line of 30 kilometers linking Lourdes to Cauterets. This route is totally secured and enables hikers to discover the natural wonders of our Vallées des Gaves.

The city’s history is also marked by visits by celebrities, including that of Queen Hortense of Beauharnais, queen of Holland and daughter of Joséphine (wife of Louis Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon I) who made a trip to Cauterets in 1804. It is here that she conceived her son (Napoleon III). For the anecdote, as her husband Louis of Holland was not of the voyage, it is said that a little amount of Cauteresian blood may have got mixed with the Royal blood and that the Emperor would have had a certain local resemblance.

Among the famous visitors, one will also note the trips of Georges Sand in 1825, of the Duchess of Angoulême, daughter of Louis XVI, in 1827, of Châteaubriant and his “Occitanian beauty” in 1829 and of the great Victor Hugo who stayed here for 3 weeks in 1843.

Whoever the visitors, one thing is for sure, all marveled at the spectacle of mountains and the simple beauty quasi obvious of this wild nature. However, certain sites made a greater impact on the minds, and the prestigious Lac de Gaube or the mythical Vignemale (3298 m), the highest peak of the French Pyrenees, the true cradle of the Pyrenees spirit, were part of it.

To see: The Bridge of Spain

Sensitive to this choice and wishing to communicate on the efforts the Tourist Office is undertaking towards families, we decided to adhere to the label “Station Kid”. This label identifies the French stations that conduct specific actions for children and families.  

LE CENTRE DE LOISIRS "AUX 4 VENTS"

Children from 3 to 12 years old.

Opening hours :

• During school holidays : monday to saturday from 8am to 6pm..
• During term time : on wednesday and saturday from 8am to 6pm.

LE CARROUSEL (Manège)

Esplanade des oeufs.

For adults and children.

LA GARDERIE "LES MARMOTTES"

Place Bordenave.

Opening : all days, from 8am to 6pm

ESPACES ET JEUX EN PLEINE NATURE

Théâtre de la nature. Avenue du Dr Domer.

Open : daily.

Prices : free access.

MINI-CLUB - BILLES DE LUNE

Cirque du Lys.

Rich in many equipment and infrastructures, Cauterets proposes you a broad range of the activities to return your stay more pleasant.

• SWIMMING POOL

Esplanade des Oeufs - 65110 CAUTERETS

• ICE RINK

Place de la gare - 65110 CAUTERETS

• MULTISPORTS GROUND

Théâtre de la nature - Av du Dr Domer - 65110 CAUTERETS
Several activities : football, basketball, handball, hockey, ....
Ouverture : toute l'année.
Free access

• CLIMBING WALL (Fronton)

Mur du Fronton - Av du Dr Domer - 65110 CAUTERETS
Possibility supervision by high mountain guide Professionnels de montagne.
Ouverture : toute l'année.
Free access.

• TENNIS

Av du Dr Domer - 65110 CAUTERETS
4 outdoor courts.
Opening hours and prices : contact the town hall.

• MINI GOLF

Esplanade des Oeufs - 65110 CAUTERETS
15-hole course laid out in the town centre.
Open : from the february holidays onwards.
Prices : contact the club.

• FRONTON (Pelote et Chistéra- Climbing wall)

Av Dr Domer - 65110 CAUTERETS
Ouverture : toute l'année.
Open : daly.
Frees access.

• BOWLING PITCH

Théâtre de Nature - Av du Dr Domer - 65110 CAUTERETS .
Ouverture : tous les jours .
Open : daly.
Frees access..

 Its privileged environment in the heart of the National Park of Pyrenees, its tonic and invigorating climate, the quality of its hot sulfur spring waters and the gentleness of its treatments have made Cauterets a reference thermal spa, specialized in the treatment of Respiratory tract ailments for adults and children and Rheumatology.
Two spas are specialized in treating the diseases of the respiratory tract and rheumatology :

• Les Thermes César (César Spa) : ENT / respiratory tract and rheumatology.
• Les Thermes les Griffons (Griffons spa) : Rheumatology.

La Maison du Curiste

To enliven your afternoons, various activities are proposed for adults and children:

• Painting workshops, basketry, macramé, cookery, conferences on dietetics, aromatherapy…
• Walks, meals, tea dances, relaxation sessions, cultural visits.

et yourself be guided to this welcoming, relaxing and convivial place. Every Monday, an information meeting is held for new guests to the spa with a welcome drink.

Opening of a new center of well being in place and place of the Thermes du Rocher.

From summer 2010, in a special trame, Cauterets will offer you 2500 m2 devoted to the relaxation and well being.

Two internal and outside basins with animations (wall seats with bubbles, swimming with countercurrent,...), tropical showers, sauna, hammam, chromotherapy, beauty space.

Opening time :

• From 19 december 2009 to 26 april 2010, daily from 4pm to 8pm.
• Extended hours during the Christmas holidays and february half-term
• From 26 april 2010, monday to saturday (please contact the spa).

Espace Esthétique des Thermes de César

Opening times :

Monday to saturday from 9.30am to 12.30pm and fron 4pm to 8pm whirlpool bath or hydro-massage – jet showers or affusion showers – lymphatic drainage massage – massage with essential oils - hydro jet swimming pool – sauna – soft or tonic aquagym – abdominal and buttocks sessions (with a physiotherapist). Theme-based packages (anti-stress, back aches, anti-cellulite, spa experience, fitness centre)

Through these pages, Cauterets shows its concern to improve the welcome of handicapped persons.

There is a pressing need to make all the Cauteresian socio-professionals aware that they must comply with standards of the tourist establishments and installations in order to promote their access to the handicapped persons. This awareness is all the more important since it will become, in due course of time, a national standard.

• Ski Chair (FSA)

A chair specially designed to enable persons with reduced mobility to experience the pleasures of skiing. This equipment is supervised by an instructor trained to operate the chair on the ski run.

• Uniski

A competitive equipment meant for the accomplished sportspersons with handicapped lower limbs. After an initial training, the skier can enjoy all the sensations of skiing independently.

• All-terrain chair

An all-terrain mountain bike for the thrill seekers…

• Hand bike

A road bike designed for persons with handicapped lower limbs that enables them to move independently thanks to hand operated pedal and brakes.

• Kart

The kart is perfectly adapted for speed lovers who wish to move in a secure environment and experience the pleasures of driving a racing car in a racing circuit.

• Joëlette

The Joelette wheelchair is an astute way of walking with family or friends. Thanks to this transport system, you move comfortably on any type of terrain.