Every design for Tarbes

Market town of the Pyrenean foothills, Tarbes is the capital of Bigorre and home of the Tarbais bean. It lies in the rich farming plain of the river Adour, with the Échez and the Gespe on its western side, and on a clear day the whole chain of the Pyrenees stands along the southern horizon.

What makes it unusual is how close the mountains feel. The nearest ski slopes are a short drive away, Lourdes is just to the south, and the border with Spain beyond. Yet the town itself is a lowland place of gardens and parks. The Jardin Massey, with the Musée Massey at its heart, is where Tarbais go to walk, and the Parc Bel-Air offers another green corner. The Maison du Parc National des Pyrénées is a reminder of what waits up the valley, while the Maison Natale du Maréchal Foch recalls the town's most famous son.

For anyone from Bigorre, seeing those peaks rise behind the rooftops is the surest sign of being home.