Cauterets, atmosphere beautiful time in a Pyrenean setting

Because we appreciate a place even more when you know its story, take a few hours to discover the fascinating village of Cauterets. A true architectural gem, it will delight your eyes and your heart. In Cauterets, the story is everywhere!

"The place to be" ... a worldly thermal city from the 19th century

Cauterets is the witness of the beautiful period of the end of the 19th century, where the whole-Paris descended in the Pyrenees to "take the waters" and admire the romantic beauty of the mountains.

The thermal virtues of the waters of Cauterets were already renowned in Paris from the first empire: in the early 1800s, Louis Bonaparte, king of Holland and Queen Hortense came to take the baths.

This notoriety with a wealthy clientele has continued to develop throughout the 19th century; It continued at the beginning of the 20th century when many other seaside cities were declining. On more than a century, countless personalities, crowned heads, artists, writers, politicians, are stayed there: George Sand, Alfred de Vigny, Chateaubriand, the Duke of Aumale, Victor Hugo, Thiers, Taine, Napoleon III and Eugénie, Gabriel Fauré, Alphonse XIII, Edouard VII, Sarah Bernhardt, Maurice Chevalier, Edgar Degas, Léon Blum, Louis Berliot…

The Entertainment Center: The Egg Esplanade

This large place was the flagship place of the worldly Cauterets of the time - the place where you had to see and be seen! Built in 1864, it holds this strange name with the sulfur smell released by thermal waters.

It is from this magnificent esplanade, extended by a charming public garden, that we best admire the architectural elegance of Cauterets, the contrast between the urban planning of the 19th century and the natural setting of the surrounding summits.

The surrounding buildings bear witness to the leisure activities that occupied the wealthy customers of yesteryear: the former casino (today cinema) where shows were played, the kiosk where concerts took place, a magnificent walk under the arcades of Eiffel style whose Dôme comes from the 1900 Universal Exhibition, and finally a hotel, the very first built in Cauterets: the promenade hotel later became the Regina hotel.

Monumental hotels and master houses

Theater of the famous Flowers of the 19th century flowers, which developed at the end of the 19th century in the thermal stations of the Pyrenees, Boulevard Latapie Flurin welcomes the most luxurious and monumental buildings of Cauterets. Their comfort was absolutely improbable for the time: hydraulic elevators, running water on all floors, central heating, opulent rooms, smoking ...

Starting from the egg esplanade, it is first of all the Hotel of England. Inaugurated in 1878, it was one of the largest in the Pyrenees with 300 bedrooms, a huge room under sumptuous chandeliers and a large dome. It is today a residence for individuals. Its Louis XV style restaurant built a little later in 1900, became the headquarters of the 1900 museum where the outfits, utensils and tableware of the time are presented.

Further on, the large continental hotel - also huge with more than 200 rooms - is a wonder of architecture. Inaugurated in 1882, it was designed as an Italian palace with interior courtyard, cariatid facade and carved heads - they would represent famous women of the time. It has since been transformed into apartments.

Flurin houses

The Flurin family, whose main boulevard bears the name, is one of the oldest in the Cauterets valley. Over several generations, this family has marked Cauteresian history by developing thermal medicine and actively contributing to the economic development of the city.

You can admire along the avenue du Mamelon Vert, two large houses built by the Flurin family at the end of the 19th century: the chalet of ashs, with its bricks and red woodwork, and Castelgayard, in Angoulême stone, Inspired by the Pau Castle.

An isba in Cauterets: the galitzine chalet, or blue chalet

Just near the esplanade, in the turn that goes up to the Spanish bridge, your attention is drawn to a strange blue chalet, of Slavic inspiration, with crazy charm although strangles in a Pyrenean village!

It was in 1840 that Russian princess Galitzine bought land on the left bank of Gave, virgin of any building. The princess built a set of buildings, including an ISBA, extended by another house embellished with an Orthodox chapel and a four -story tower with a pepper roof.

The whole was connected to the blue chalet by bridges, now deleted. The legend says that the princess welcomed her lovers in each of the tower floors, they joined the villa by these bridges, without any possibility of crossing!

The construction of the Hôtel d'Angleterre a few years later, by obscuring the view of the valley, finally led the princess to sell her property. She never returned.

The station: Norwegian mountain atmosphere

This construction, which is one of the oldest in the city, is very surprising in its atypical mountain look decor Western.

It is a reproduction of the Norway pavilion of the Universal Exhibition of 1889 , transferred and built identically in early 1900 - in kit and only two months! - A real feat given the size of the building.

This was necessary to bring the spa guests in increasing number, to the thermal baths then located towards the Pont d'Espagne. This station hosted the first electric train in France, a rack train which slowly led them to their care….

This station has kept its beautiful green metallic frame and its stone porch, and a marquise where there is a clock that has always worked since its creation.

Closed in 1949, it now houses the offices of the bus station and a theater. The building has been registered since 1981 as historic monuments.

The thermal baths of Caesar

We end this visit with these historic thermal baths, built in several stages in the 19th century. The architecture takes up the codes of marble and columns of Roman architecture . At the location of the rock baths, the thermal baths dedicated to children was formerly, whose facade of the time was preserved.

This is an opportunity to go back to the history of Cauteresian hydrotherapy, which started well before this golden age.

From the 12th century, Cauterets was renowned for its warm waters , whose baths were arranged by the monks. Its waters are renowned to treat sciatica, ulcers, drop and even deafness.

It was in the 16th century that this reputation grew up, already - thanks to the influence of a personality: Marguerite de Navarre, who frequently stayed there from 1541 to 1549.

In 1605, the King had a general superintendence of the Kingdom's Baths and Fountains created. Several intendant water doctors will then follow one another and study the thermal properties of Cauterets waters.
It was in 1714 that Jean-François Borie wrote the first work "The research of the mineral waters of Cauterets with the way of using it".

If the qualities of Cauterets waters are recognized, its supply leaves something to be desired. The work to routing by channels began in 1800, but it was not until the middle of the 19th century, thanks to the mastery of the techniques of capturing sources , so that their waters finally reach the thermal baths without losing their therapeutic qualities.

The La Source chalet awaits you to organize your stay, and take full advantage of this magnificent village. Do not hesitate to contact!