Discovering Gargas Caves, Saint-Bertrand Des Comminges and Pau

The first stop on the route, is in Aventignan, exploring the Gargas Caves.
It is a prehistoric site, whose origins are dated back to the era of Cro-Magnon man, between 29,000 and 22,000 years ago.
Composed by two separate caves, linked together by an artificial tunnel in the 19th century, they are one of the most important remains of this ancient history, and listed as Historical Monument of France.
The testimony of the presence of the prehistoric men in this area, is visible by the paintings left on the walls of the caves.
They are especially hands signs, almost 200 have been identified, linked to several interpretations of this ritual, which could be a language, a shamanic ritual or symbolic practices.
The visits to the caves are possible in the following hours: September to April, from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. 1st May to 11th July, every day from 10 am to 5.30 pm. 12th July to 31st August, every day from 10 am to 6 pm.
All the info about guided tours and tickets, can be founded here.

For lunch, you will stay in Saint-Bertrand by tasting the menu of the La Table de Saint-Bertrand, a local restaurant in bistrot style, which serves French cuisine with homemade and seasonal products.
There is also an outside terrace and the possibility to choose a vegan menu.
The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday from 12 pm to 1.30 pm, and you can book a table on the site.

Leaving the ancient site of the caves, the trip continues to the so-called “Mont Saint-Michel of the Pyrenees”, that is the small village Saint Bertrand de Comminges, on the top of a hill in the region of Haute-Garonne.
Saint Bertrand, formerly known as Lugdunum — since its origins are dated back to Roman times — is renowned for its majestic cathedral, Saint Marie, which overlooks the valley from the top.
It is a Roman-Gothic structure with a sumptuous organ in the choir part of the cathedral and an internal cloister, that has openings to the surrounding mountains.
The Cathedral is open every day in the following hours: — November to March, from 10 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 5 pm — April and October from 10 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm — May and September from 10 am to 6 pm — June to August, from 10 am to 7 pm
You can check the website for more info.

Heading forward on the route, the next encounter is the Château de Pau, in the homonymous city of Pau, the capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
The Castle is located in the center of the city and was built in the Middle Age as a military fortress which overlooks the village.
Over the years, the Castle was also place of several important royal "passages", as it was residence of the court of Navarre with Henri d'Albret and Marguerite de Navarre, who were followed by their grandson Henry IV.
Today is possible to visit the castle and the collection of artworks in the Museum everyday from 9.30 am to 5.45 pm, and also the beautiful gardens from 8 am to 6.30 pm. You can find all the info here.

Leaving the Castle, you will approach the Boulevard des Pyrénées, a 2 km path which connects the castle to the upper part of the city.
This is a panoramic walk alongside the cliff of the river, and from where it is possible to admire the majestic Pyrénées mountains.
After about 10 minutes walk, there is a nice surprise which will also ease your journey, the cable way of Pau.
The hallmark of the city, opened to the public in the 1908 and still operates with the renovated original cabins of 1961, it is also a very useful and panoramic way to reach the top of the city, where it is located Parc Beaumont and its beautiful terrace.
The entrance to the cable way is free, and it runs almost every 3 minutes, everyday from 6.45 am to 9.40, except Sunday and bank holidays which is open from 1.30 pm to 8.50 pm.

From the Pyrénées to the beach, the stop for your dinner is Biarritz, a gem on the Atlantic Ocean.
The place which will hosts you for dinner is the Chisteria & Coquillages. A lovely bistro with a terrace, which is few minutes away from the beach and also close to the Halles, the main local food market.
The restaurant's speciality is the fish, but they have a seasonal menu with products that change constantly.
The cuisine service is open everyday, except Wednesday, from 12 pm to 3 pm and from 7.30 pm to 11 pm. You can reserve a table and take a look at the menu on the site.

Eleven minutes walk from the beach! There is no better introduction than this to discover the place you will spend the night at.
The structure is the typical French maison de charme, with a refined attention to every detail and a charming garden where it is possible to have breakfast in the morning.
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