Taxi Bordeaux — Pau

Pau is an exceptional city for its geographical setting and history. Perched on a promontory overlooking the Gave de Pau river, it offers from its famous Boulevard des Pyrénées a breathtaking panorama of the Pyrenees chain, from the Pic du Midi d'Ossau to the Pic d'Anie. This 1,800-metre boulevard, designed by Napoleon I, was described by Lamartine as 'the finest land view, just as Naples is the finest sea view'. Pau is above all the birthplace of Henri IV, the 'good King Henri', born in the Château de Pau in 1553. The magnificently restored castle houses the future king's turtle-shell cradle and a national museum devoted to Béarnais Renaissance. In the 19th century, British aristocrats made Pau a fashionable winter resort, attracted by its mild climate. They created continental Europe's first golf course (1856), a racecourse and the Pau Hunt. The city retains from that era sumptuous English villas, the Trespoey quarter and a tradition of elegance. Béarn, of which Pau is the capital, is a land of gastronomy: poule au pot (the dish Henri IV wanted in every home), Béarnaise garbure (thick vegetable and duck soup), Jurançon wine (dry or sweet white), Ossau-Iraty cheese. Taxis from Bordeaux are used by business travellers (Pau is an aerospace and petroleum hub with TotalEnergies), tourists heading for ski resorts (Gourette, La Pierre-Saint-Martin), and families visiting Henri IV's castle.