Gavarnie

Taking the bus from Lourdes along the Gave valley to the little commune of Gavarnie would be a perfectly nice thing to do by itself, but most tourists come here for one reason  - the Cirque de Gavarnie.

A natural auditorium 1.5km high and 3km wide, topped by snow-capped mountains which provide the melt-water during the summer to create the second highest waterfall in Europe.

The UNESCO sight seems to have over-awed Victor Hugo and inspired him to write his epic poem Dieu, comparing this natural wonder to the works of mere mortals, like the amphitheatre at Nimes.

Visiting the place by yourself is slightly disorienting - the size is hard to grasp the size of anything without other humans around for perspective.

It also leaves you in awe of time - the millions of years of glaciers scraping the bowl cleaner, deeper and wider.

By the way, don't worry about losing your bearings, just wait until midday and then the sun will be due south as the Prime Meridian passes through Gavarnie.

Station stroll ideas

If you have some time free, why not go for a wander?

Tourist info provide a set of walks and other brochures here.

Luggage

If you want to stroll without a care in the world, including your luggage, you could try using Bounce to find a place that will take your bags.

Highlights

Cirque de Gavarnie

Getting there

Several buses a day (No.965) run from Lourdes taking around 75 minutes.

Useful links

Tourist info: https://www.valleesdegavarnie.com