Pau (pronounced “Po”) is a city in the South West of France. I had never been before October 2024 and I was charmed by its beauty. Here is what you can see in 2 hours if you don’t have much time to explore Pau.
Now, Why Would I Want To Spend Only 2 Hours In Pau?
In order to join the organized tour to the Bardenas Reales, I had to be in front of Pau’s train station at 9am in the morning. From Toulouse, the train trip is about 2 hours long, so I preferred to go on the day before.
And I was so right! I left Toulouse after 11am and was supposed to arrive at around 2pm. An accident decided otherwise: only 15 minutes after taking place in my seat, our train hit and killed a person. We had to wait for the police, the coroner and other services to arrive. Our train was stopped on the tracks for about 3 hours. As you can imagine, the atmosphere was quite strange and uneasy, but people kept their calm and we started chatting a bit to make the moment less awkward.
I arrived in Pau after 5pm. Fortunately for me, the airbnb host was available and understood the situation. Apparently, it happens quite often. That’s kind of scary, I think. I put my bag in the flat and left immediately to explore the city. The sun was going down in 2 hours, so I had to be quick.
And that’s why I offer my advice to visit this stunning city in such a short time.
The Main Attraction: The Castle
Pau’s castle is definitely a must-do! Even if you do not visit the inside, you can see for free the courts and gardens. It was closing at 6pm I think, and I was lucky to be able to enter. Had I chosen to start with the city center and it would have been too late.
The white stones, arches and sculptures are worth visiting, and the very French gardens were still in full bloom in October. Actually, the weather was amazing on that day. In Toulouse, it had started to be cold, but here, it felt like Summer all over again!
You can enter from different doors and then head to another side of the city.
Henry IV was King of France from 1399 until his death. You’ll see that he is an important character in the history of Pau, particularly because he was born in the castle on December 13, 1553.
How To Make The Most Of Your Time In Pau?
If you arrive from the train station, you’ll have to take the funicular to go to the city center. (Or you can walk up the hill, but let’s admit it: it’s less fun.) I loved it, it is vintage and really adds to the charm of Pau. Plus, it is free! During the trip, the driver asked us to solve some puzzle and it was really nice. The funicular is not 24/7, so check the times if you want to be sure to get on it.
From up there, you can see magnificent ramparts and giant trees and, further away, the Pyrenees!
Now, you can walk on the Boulevard des Pyrénées, a long boulevard with a great view and palm trees and flowers all around. There are also a few nice shops, cafés and restaurants. You can reach the city center if you go to your right or straight ahead, or you can walk towards the castle. If you choose to follow the castle signs, you should see some other interesting monuments such as Saint-Martin church or the Parlement de Navarre.
In the old town, you should have a look at the Place royale and the Place Clémenceau embellished with a colorful fountain. I was, however, not impressed with Place Reine Marguerite. It seemed completely renovated and had no charm left, in my opinion.
There are apparently good museums in Pau, but I didn’t have time to visit any of them. If you have a sweet tooth, I would definitely recommend entering Maison Francis Miot, a shop and tea room that sells the creations of Francis Miot, nominated best jam maker in France on two occasions and triple world champion!
To be honest, the old town is quite small, so you could spend only one day in Pau and still have a great time and see plenty.
To see more photos of France, you can visit the gallery France.
