This spa in the Adour valley (alt. 550 m/1,805ft; pop. 8,048) has a picturesque old town, with the 15th C. Tour des Jacobins and remains of the cloister of St-Jean and the church of St-Vincent (15th- 16th C.). In and around the extensive spa gardens are the thermal springs and the Musée Salies (natural history, Flemish and French paintings, drawings, ceramics).
About 2km/1.25mi from Bagnères de Bigorre is the Grotte de Médous, discovered in 1948, with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. It is 760 m/836 yds long, 160 m/175 yds being navigable.
Swiss speleologist F. Herzog ranked the caves as the third most beautiful in the world. The caves also include waterfalls, organ chests, draperies and other weird structures.
Address: Grottes de Medous, 60 Route des Cols, F-65200 Aste, France
Hours:
April 1 to June 30: 9am-11:30am, 2pm-5pm
July 1 to August 31: 9am-12pm, 2pm-6pm
September 1 to October 15: 9am-11:30am, 2pm-5pm
Tips: October 15 - April 1, by prior arrangement only.
The old village windmill now houses the Musée du Vieux Moulin, a museum of folk-art. Southwest of the town is the Mont du Bédat (881m/2,891ft with information boards), which commands wide views.
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