| 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.
From
the top of the Gypaetes drag lift high above the village you
get a great view down the valley over the village of Bareges
and, on clear days, all the way down to Luz Saint Sauveur
in the adjacent valley miles below. You can see immediately
why these two villages exist where they are. They occupy the
only real areas of flat land in the complex mountain scenery
besides the banks of the river Bastan which passes through
the ski area and on down through the villages below. In Bareges
you cross the river by a little foot bridge which leads to
a small boules court and onto paths along the mountain side
to the Crois de St Justin, a small chapel where the Saint's
bones are reputed to be buried.
When
we chose our resort as our base 14 years ago we were looking
for two things: great extensive skiing and an authentic French
village. In Bareges we found both. The village has its own
life both in and out of season and many of the people who
work in the resort in the winter also farm the local land
in the summer. The Bareges valley is famous for its lamb which
carries the respected AOC mark for quality.
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 which serve traditional French
food and a range of pleasant houses and apartments for people
who prefer to self cater. Our brochure and website show a
small selection of accommodation but we can offer lots of
alternatives.
Tourism
is important to ithe local economy but, nonetheless, the atmosphere
in the bars and cafés is that of a real French agricultural
village. 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. It
would be a shame to come here and not spend a couple of hours
in their marbled luxury. There is a small thermal piscine
(for which you need a swimsuit) and several more private treatment
areas where you can wade in a walking pool, have a high presssure
thermal shower or a 'bain hydroxeur', a slightly alarming
bathing experience in a tub equipped with multi angled bubble
jets.
Although
the area is popular with French and Spanish tourists, who
come here to ski, to walk in the mountains and to take the
thermal 'cures", you never feel that Bareges has been
invented just for tourism or that it exists mainly to help
empty the pockets of its visitors. Prices are reasonable in
the bars, shops and restaurants and the local people are still
genuinely pleased to greet outsiders. You'll get plenty of
chances to practise your French. Here people are more likely
to have Spanish as a second language, or to speak the local
patois among themselves. None the less there is a genuine,
jocular fondness for 'les britaniques' who have the reputation
(in this part of the world anyway!) of being polite and particularly
appreciative of the mountains and nature. We are also famous
here for saying 'thank you' and of being honest with money!
After
skiing the main activity consists of strolling up and down
the high street, visiting cafés and bars. You could
stop for crêpes, hot chocolate or pop into one of the
bars, which also serve hot drinks and are happy to accommodate
children. The Oncet at the top of town is a younger, more
lively bar whereas the Richelieu further down the street is
a friendly, family bar popular with the ski instructors. If
you are feeling brave you could order a 'giraffe' - a tall
flagon of beer with a tap for sharing. The pizza shop across
the road will provide you with great pizza slices if you can't
wait until dinner.
The
bar Isba is a popular place to eat out for families. It is
very low key, cheap and serves both adult French food and
dishes popular with children llike spaghetti Bolognese and
hamburgers. Adults can try out the local white wine (Jurançon)
or the heavier Spanish style red (Madiran). There are two
other nearby restaurants or alternatively you can eat at some
of the local hotels, although you need to book in advance.
For
those groups who include non skiing members, or for people
who want a day off, there are interesting markets in Luz (Mondays)
and Argeles-Gazost (Tuesdays), both accessible by the local
bus. The famous pilgramage town of Lourdes is just 30 minutes
away by public bus. There is also great walking lower down
in the valleys below the snowline.
However
most people will spend their time enjoying the slopes and
the village of Bareges. We have found that first time visitors
often become 'converts' to this part of France. Over one third
of our skiiers come back a second or third time. So whether
you are new to the area, or visiting us again, we look forward
to welcoming you to Bareges for a great skiing holiday.
|
