Twenty minutes from Lourdes by train to the north, TARBES is a relatively dull town dominated by its history as a military base, but useful as a base for visiting Lourdes or launching into the mountains to the south. There is an airport midway between Tarbes and Lourdes, which gets busy in winter with charter ski flights. The town's only real highlight is the Napoleonic stud farm, Les Haras , entered from chemin de Mauhourat (guided visits by appointment only: July & Aug Mon-Fri 10am-noon & 2-5pm, plus occasional days otherwise; last tour 1hr before closing; tel 05.62.56.30.80; 30F/?4.60), best known for the cheval Tarbais , bred from English and Moorish stock as a cavalry horse. You can watch them drilling during July and August at 3.15pm. World War I buffs may also want to visit the house, at 2 rue de la Victoire, where Maréchal Foch , supreme Allied commander in World War I, was born (guided tours Mon & Thurs-Sun: May-Sept 9am-noon & 2-6.30pm; rest of year 9am-noon & 2-5pm; 15F/?2.30), containing a dull repository of family and personal mementos.
The gare SNCF is on avenue Maréchal Joffre, north of the centre, and the gare routière on the other side of town on place au Bois, off rue Larrey. The tourist office is near the central place de Verdun, at 3 cours Gambetta (Mon-Sat 9am-12.30pm & 2-7pm; tel 05.62.51.30.31). Tarbes has some reasonable hotels in the vicinity of the station, such as the friendly, helpful Hôtel de l'Avenue, 80 av Bertrand-Barère (tel 05.62.93.06.36; 160-220F/?24-34), and the more comfortable Hôtel Isard , 70 av Maréchal Joffre (tel 05.62.93.06.69, fax 05.62.93.99.55; 160-220F/?24-34). There's also a HI hostel at 88 av Alsace-Lorraine (tel 05.62.38.91.20). The Isard's restaurant is decent, with a 65F/?9.90 formule and a more interesting 100F/?15.25 menu of the month. |
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