Heart of Béarn & Vic Bilh

The " Heart of Béarn ", a land of values and traditions, can be discovered through the country villages built of stone and pebbles from the Gave. In the north-east of the department, is Vic-Bilh, a former region of Gascony, linked to Madiran and Pacherenc, two products of viticulture.

Map of Orthez and the heart of Béarn

Here, the Jurançon vineyards and the Béarn hillsides offer unique views of the slender peaks of the Pyrenees.

• A stop is essential in Monein to discover the church of St Girons, the largest Gothic church in Béarn. It houses a unique framework in France in the shape of the double hull of an upturned ship. Around the village, facing the Pyrenees, the Jurançon vineyard extends its rows of vines on the summits of the hillsides.

At the bend in the road, you will inevitably come across one of these large Béarnese buildings made of pebbles and covered with slate which characterize traditional Béarnese housing so well.

• We fell in love with the village of Lacommande, located on the Arles route of the Compostela paths, whose commandery was founded by Gaston IV the Crusader in the 12th century. Its Romanesque church is surrounded by a cemetery dotted with disc-shaped steles that are unique in Béarn.
• You can head towards Lucq de Béarn, a typical Béarnese village, whose St-Vincent church houses a white marble sarcophagus dating from the 4th century.
• Further north, on the heights, Arthez de Béarn is a stopover on the Puy route. As you wind your way along the small paths, three chapels illustrate the village's glorious past, including the Caubin chapel, a former commandery built by order of Gaston IV in the 12th century, the Sauvelade abbey, the Picon tiles of Maslacq, dovecotes, wash houses, etc.

Orthez, the ancient capital of Béarn

Orthez, the city from the Moncade Tower ©rysan34 / Adobe Stock

Orthez is located on the roads to Santiago de Compostela, like Pau, its big sister. It first experienced its boom under Gaston Fébus (him again) in the 13th and 14th centuries, who made it the capital after taking it from the Gascons.

Jeanne d'Albert, mother of Henri IV, built a Protestant college there which later became the university, itself abolished when Béarn was annexed to France under Louis XIII.

It was in the 18th century that the city took shape as it still appears today: bourgeois houses and private mansions with typically black roofs and other remarkable buildings.

The medieval bridge of Orthez Photo © AdobeStock_milosk50

Don't miss:

• The medieval bridge spanning the Gave de Pau and its astonishing keep-gate.
• The tower of the Moncade castle, which is still over 33 m high and which dominates the entire city.
• The Jeanne d'Albret museum which will tell you the history of Béarnese Protestantism.

This part of Béarn is dotted with pretty villages and bastides. They are either turned towards the nearby Chalosse such as Arzacq or towards the Gers further east such as Lembeye, capital of the Vic-Bilh region, and close to the famous Madiran vineyard. The latter, with that of Jurançon, is the other remarkable vineyard of the region.

The Vic-Bilh

Set off to discover this wine-growing region of character where many activities and charming villages await the traveler.

Rolling landscapes with the Pyrenees as a backdrop are gastronomy, entertainment, the outdoors and... vineyards! Bordering Armagnac, Landes and Bigorre, the Vic-Bilh region is the cradle of many Béarnaise traditions and customs.

• Observe the characteristic architecture with these steeply sloping roofs so that the snow slides off them better, without accumulating.
• Set off to storm the fortified town of Garlin, its rampart boulevard and the Capucines convent.
• Prefer Lembeye, rue de la Tour, a vestige of the original town, the massive Notre-Dame de l'Assomption church and, in its continuity, the chemin des hautes Promenades.
• In the summer, feel like a lord of the castle with a visit to the Mascaraàs castle and its 12 rooms filled with reconstructions of life at the time.
• In another style and especially for another purpose... discover the wine châteaux! The Château de Crouseilles and its cooperative cellar, the Château de Gayon. Don't miss the discovery of other producers in the region through our selection.

• On the activity side, in Lannecaube, the Ferme aux Escargots will please gourmets as well as the curious.
• In Garlin, you will discover the museum of old tools , a fascinating exhibition of numerous agricultural and other machines.
• You will not miss fishing in one of the many lakes, unless you prefer to stop for a picnic or a walk in these shaded and cool spaces in the summer?

Le Vic-Bilh welcomes you for a nature, relaxation and gastronomy holiday. It is a well-located place that will delight the whole family.

Marascaàs Castle

The landscapes of Vic Bilh, with mountains in the background and feet anchored in the vines!

Monein and the church of St Girons

"Little Paris" is the nickname that Henri IV gave to Monein. This village full of history experienced a real economic boom in the 16th century with more than 5,000 inhabitants. In the center of the village, the large square and its market hall, dating from the 16th century, bears witness to this glorious past and is known for many unmissable fairs at the time.

A stone's throw away, the Saint-Girons church (in Ariège), in southern Gothic style, imposes its extraordinary dimensions and proudly dominates the village with its 40 m high bell tower. Built in the 16th century and a symbol of the power of the village of Monein at that time, it houses a unique framework in France with its shape of a double hull of an upturned ship. A titanic project that lasted 70 years and required more than 1,000 trees.

Lacommande, a stop on the way to Arles

To get to Lacommande, you have to cross the Jurançon vineyard and enter the forest.

In the centre of the village, a commandery founded by Gaston IV in the 12th century to welcome pilgrims travelling on the road to Arles.

Today, the St-Blaise church, whose Romanesque sculptures of the capitals representing biblical scenes are admirable, and the old hospital are classified as Historic Monuments. Outside, the old cemetery and its 17th century disc-shaped steles will arouse your curiosity, their origins not being elucidated.

Visiting Lacommande also means stopping at the Jurançon wine and terroir house, the stronghold of independent winegrowers which is located just opposite the church.

The Lacommande hospital complex; Photo @ Capbourrut CC BY SA 4.0

Lucq-de-Béarn, a typical Béarnese village

Nestled in the valleys, a stroll in Lucq-de-Béarn is above all a discovery of traditional Béarnese housing. In this typical village, the houses made of pebbles from the Gave are arranged around narrow streets. Not far from the central square and its fountain, the St Vincent abbey church bears witness to the medieval life of the village with capitals, an apse dating from the 12th century and a bell tower dating from the 16th century. This church houses a unique object : a white marble sarcophagus from the 4th century which serves as an altar.

Arthez-de-Béarn and its three chapels

It is by climbing the ridges that you will arrive at Arthez-de-Béarn, a major crossing point for pilgrims on the route from Le Puy to Santiago de Compostela.

In 1180, the Knights of the Order of Malta founded a commandery that was devastated in the 16th century. But today, three chapels can be discovered at the bend in a path through the countryside: N'Haux, Cagnes and Caubin. Without a doubt, the Chapel of Caubin is the most beautiful building to discover with, in its nave, a Gothic recess housing a 14th century recumbent statue.