a small, authentic, old village with a choice of friendly, family - run hotels

choose between half board or bed and breakfast - but book early if you want to come in February as Barèges is a small place

Barèges is an old spa town which dates back to the 14th century. The village is built mainly from local stone and sits in a narrow valley on the edge of the protected mountains of the Neouvielle Reserve and the Parc National des Pyrenees. Hunting and new building have been banned in these areas so the mountains remain unaffected by the kind of mass tourism that has spoiled many ski resorts in the Alps.

Long before skiing became popular in the 1900s, Napoleon III built a military hospital in Barèges so his wounded troops could benefit from the thermal waters. The Thermes are still open today and offer the weary skier warm baths, showers, jacuzzis, saunas, thermal showers and massage.

Barèges remains a small and friendly place. Life centres around the one main street where you'll find a 400 year old church, a little cinema, one good supermarket and a handful of bars. Nightlife is low key and, although there is one nightclub, Barèges is a fairly quiet place. There is a good choice of one and two star hotels serving traditional French food and a range of simple houses and apartments for people who prefer to self cater. This website shows a small selection of accommodation but we can offer lots of alternatives.

Hotel Central
As its name implies, this two star hotel is right in the middle of Barèges. The crisply painted blue and white outside leads into a more relaxed interior with a small bar and a comfortable piano lounge. The restaurant is made cosy during winter with an open log fire. There is an interesting display of old prints of Barèges dating back to the 1700s. Upstairs the bedrooms are tastefully furnished and have en suite facilities. Some rooms have baths, others have showers. We are also able to book two room family suites at this hotel.

Hotel Europe
The hotel Europe is a modern hotel in the centre of the village next to the Tourist Office. A menu of local and international food is served in a large dining room. The bar area has a pool table and a TV and there is a comfortable lounge where you can meet up with friends and family after skiing. Upstairs all rooms are en suite and spacious and many have balconies with lovely views of the mountains.

Hotel Poste
The Hotel de la Poste is a typical French one star hotel. It has no pretensions to grand style but is friendly, comfortable and homely. Families and groups are made to feel very welcome here. Downstairs Madame Vitiello presides over the restaurant and a cosy little bar, with armchairs, which serves reasonably priced drinks and wine by the jug. Upstairs seems to go on up a long way! Each floor houses a mixture of bedrooms for one, two, three or four people. Some have w.c. and shower en suite and these are the ones that we book by preference. The hotel is in the middle of Barèges and is conveniently situated for shops and ski lifts.

Oasis Gite de Group
The Oasis gite is a converted Napoleonic building at the top end of the village. Bedrooms can be reserved for four or more plus people and one larger room is available for a group of twelve. Out of high season rooms can be booked for twos or threes. The rooms have all been modernised in a tasteful 'no frills' style. Downstairs there is a little games room and a small lounge with an open log fire, a good place to relax with a drink after a day's skiing. The gite is jointly run by Philippe, a local ski instructor, and his English wife Andrea. It provides a friendly base for an economic holiday. There are worthwhile price reductions for children.