Tarbes has more than one ace up its sleeve. For many, the capital of the Hautes-Pyrénées had until now hidden them well:
“Tarbes was said to be both far and close to everything. The city had no significant attraction until the creation of spring and summer festivals around polyphonic songs, horses and tango. Being able to experience a range of activities here all year round, in the city or in the mountains, located a few minutes away, has become a strong point in the eyes of tourists who want to rediscover the territories,” describes
Anne .
Carrère, project manager at the tourist office. You can see the majestic massif almost on every street corner of this city. Partially built with pebbles from the Adour, which borders the town to the east, everything can be done on foot.
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To access one of the best viewpoints, however, you have to move away a little by going to the Leclerc shopping center in Ibos. This little piece of “
ugly France”
, as these areas are now called, offers a splendid open view on the first floor of the gallery. When you turn around, you will come across the colorful montages of German artist Ulla von Brandenburg. This is a good reason to come!
“
Le Parvis
is the only national stage within a shopping mall. Ulla imagined the “
Sweet Feast
”
exhibition
specifically for this place open to all,
explains Catherine Fontaine, responsible for mediation.
Multimedia and integrating various references - Georges Méliès, Isaac Newton, the Bauhaus movement or even the circus - the scenography invites you to feel the emotional dimension of colors. This place is very popular with children, because you can touch the works and, as the name suggests, you can see sweets there
,” she smiles.
For families, a second exhibition, in the city center, is not to be missed.
Le Carmel
, the former chapel of a convent, offers games imagined by the Artesens association appealing to the five senses, around well-known works. An extraordinary artistic awakening.
Le Parvis, “
Sweet Feast
”, until May 4. Road to Pau, Ibos. FREE ENTRANCE. Such. : 05 62 90 08 55. parvis.net.
Carmel. 14, rue Théophile-Gautier. Guided tour €5; free children’s workshop; family workshop €10. Such. : 05 62 51 16 02. tarbes.fr
What to do in Tarbes? Our good addresses. LE FIGARO
What to visit and what to do in Tarbes?
1. THE MASSEY MUSEUM AND ITS GARDEN
The garden of the Massey Museum. OT Tarbes
A stay in Tarbes is not complete without a visit to the Massey garden, which owes its name to its creator, Placide Massey, gardener to the king. A haven of greenery in the middle of the city, you can admire the Lebanese pines that he planted two centuries ago. Inside the pretty museum with its atypical architecture reminiscent of a lighthouse, you can admire the uniforms, swords and paintings telling the history of the hussars in France and elsewhere.
“Tarbes has an important military history, specifically cavalry. Napoleon created the national stud farm here in 1806, because the region was already known for its Tarbais horse, ancestor of the Anglo-Arab breed. His choice was also motivated by the ideal geographical location on the plain with green meadows thanks to the water coming from the mountains, because the enemy at the time, the Spanish, was just on the other side
,” recalls Fabien Leclerc, director of the four municipal museums. In addition to Le Carmel and the Massey Museum, the town has a Museum of Deportation and Resistance and the birthplace of Marshal Foch. The statue of this illustrious hero of the First World War, shown seated on horseback of course, sits in front of the barracks of the first parachute hussar regiment.
Entrance €5, free for children under 6 years old. 1, rue Achille-Jubinal. Such. : 05 62 44 36 95. musee-massey.com
2. THE STUD
The Haras de Tarbes. Press photo
Tarbes and horses, it's an old story, which almost came to an end. In 2015, the State put the stud farm up for sale, sparking the interest of numerous developers for this 8 hectare plot of land in the city center. The mayor managed to buy it back and opened it to the public, while gradually rehabilitating it. The Equestria Festival, five days of equestrian shows, takes place there at the end of June. Just the buildings with their exposed framework are worth the detour, not to mention the collection of carriages and saddlery, the details of which will be told to you. In the stable, the horses have returned, some serving in the local police, others for competitions or activities offered to visitors.
Guided tour for adults: €7, €10 with equestrian entertainment; student, rider, group €5 or €8; child €2 or €5. 6-8, chemin du Mauhourat. Such. : 06 32 44 87 13 or 06 14 12 30 30. tarbes-tourisme.fr
THE CAMINADOUR
The CaminAdour route leads from Lac de Soues in the south to Lac de Bours in the north. Press photo
To clear your head in the middle of nature, very close to the city, you take the path along, on one bank and the other, the Adour, which has its source at the Col du Tourmalet and flows into Bayonne. in the Atlantic Ocean. Measuring 12.5 kilometers, the CaminAdour route leads from Lac de Soues in the south to Lac de Bours in the north. Whether you stop there to practice sports on the numerous facilities, or sit there for a picnic in the sun with the lapping of the waves, a change of scenery is guaranteed. Different departures possible, notably under the Marne bridge, where one of the car parks is located, very close to the Marcadieu hall.
tourism-hautes-pyrenees.com
THE PIC DU MIDI
The Pic du Midi is covered in snow until late in the season. Noogler - stock.adobe.com
From Tarbes, the Midi de Bigorre peak is majestic. Covered until late in the snow season, as it peaks at 2,877 meters, it is even more so up close. After a fifteen-minute cable car ride, you can discover the Pyrenees from above with the help of orientation tables, at their best at sunset or in the early morning. During the day, the lucky ones enjoy the breathtaking spectacle by having lunch at the restaurant which bears the name of the peak's altitude. At night, those who have managed to reserve a room can listen to the researchers who have been observing the sky there for more than 140 years. Their observations are detailed in the planetarium and since February 2023 also in the Maison de la nuit, located opposite at the Col du Tourmalet.
Cable car reservation is required. Round trip for an adult at €49, €30 for a child. Reservation of the restaurant Le 2877 online on picdumidi.com
Where to sleep in Tarbes?
MOKASSI HOUSE
For Béatrice and her husband, Antoine, who have just arrived in the region from Lyon, the beautiful Bigourdane house that they found a few kilometers from Tarbes could only be shared. The three guest rooms, on the first and second floor, which are reached by a superb wooden staircase, are tastefully decorated by the couple, with great care. On the top floor, with a view of the Pyrenees, naturally, they have fitted out two communicating rooms as well as a small private lounge, ideal for families.
“
We offer access to the garden and soon to the swimming pool
,” reveals Béatrice, a professional nurse. A little wink, the house owes its name to the two dogs, Karl and Simba, who will accompany you during your stay.
€125 per night, €20 breakfast. 92, rue Maréchal-Foch, 65310 Laloubère. Such. : 06 78 51 33 51. maisonmokassi.fr
3. LE REX HOTEL
THE Rex Hotel. Press photo
This is a hotel with an original name generally attributed to cinemas. The four-star establishment, the only one in the city, did indeed host screenings until its complete renovation in 2006. With its ultra-modern designer decor for the time and its facade which lights up at night, the Rex is a landmark in the city and an excellent, very central base. For those looking for lower prices, choose the 3-star Le Nex Hôtel, which the same owner opened in 2013, or Le Nex 2, a 2-star opened in 2017. Both are located in the district of The Arsenal, a former weapons manufacturing site, has been completely renovated and has become a popular place to go out at night.
From €104 per night. 10, cours Gambetta. Such. : 05 62 54 44 44. lerexhotel.com
Where to sit? Where to have a drink?
4. AMBROSIA
Press photo
If you can start your stay on Thursday, a visit to the Marcadieu hall is a must. Inside and outside, around the Quatre-Vallées fountain, Pyrenean farmers offer their vegetables, cheeses and the typical spit cake in an old-world atmosphere. A few steps away, chef Matthew Bayliss and his partner, Cassandra Potier, invite you to their intimate restaurant L'Ambroisie. In the dining room of this Bigourdane house, you can taste local products, such as Pyrenees trout, Trébons onion or even black pork from Bigorre. Everything is homemade, from original appetizers to sweet treats.
“
A refined and readable cuisine”
, according to the British chef. In fine weather, don't hesitate to reserve a table on the new terrace.
Menus from €39 to €80 and €55 to €110 wines included. 48, rue Abbé-Torne. Such. : 05 62 93 09 34. restaurant-ambroisie-tarbes.fr
5. AT MARCEL
For a drink accompanied by tapas, or even a brunch on Sunday morning, head to Chez Marcel, located on Place de Verdun. Created by the brothers Bastien and Loïc Labarta, now supported by a former player of the French basketball team, a former ski champion as well as two members of the nationally renowned local music group Boulevard des Airs, the establishment seduces young and old alike with its burgers, salads, bowls and cocktails.
Dish of the day €11, between €9 and €17 a la carte. 5, place de Verdun. Such. : 05 62 56 99 31. chezmarceltarbes.fr
What to bring from Tarbes? Beans !
6. THE TARBAIS BEANS COOPERATIVE
The Tarbes bean is a must. Press photo
If you haven't tasted Tarbes beans during your stay, it's impossible to leave without taking it with you. You can buy it directly from the Tarbais Bean Cooperative, whose premises are located a stone's throw from Tarbes, next to the universities, which offers this product benefiting from a protected geographical indication, both raw and cooked, in cassoulet or tapenade. We will reveal the history of this tropical plant imported from South America by Christopher Columbus, which once served as food for soldiers, because it is rich in fiber and proteins, but which almost disappeared from our plates.
4, chemin de Bastillac. Such. : 05 62 34 76 76. haricot-tarbais.com
7. HEXAGON STALL
For a non-edible gift, head to the pretty boutique Étal de l'Hexagone, a stone's throw from the Brauhauban hall and rue Maréchal-Foch, the city's main shopping street. “
We only offer “made in France” products, around 150 in all, half of which come from the South-West,
” explains its creator, Benjamin Trucat-Séroue, pointing to the tea towels from Tissage Moutet, in Orthez, or even the Pyrenees wool sweaters from Maison Izard. Regularly organizing workshops, the place is also a coworking space where you can come and enjoy a coffee or tea, inside or outside, on the oriental patterned tiles.
“We wanted to recreate a village café where we meet. Here, you even have the right to bring your knitting,”
he laughs, inviting you to take a trip to his neighbor’s house in this passage of the Alhambra. Cyrille Vacher created Mémé dans les Orties, a veritable Ali Baba's cave of decoration.
6, rue Lamartine. Such. : 06 70 59 39 13. etalhexagone.fr