Things to see and do in the area
Our location in Issor in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountain range, is perfect to discover what is essentially a paradise for activity seekers including-walkers as there are an endless number of walking routes in the area including the GR10 route, for cyclists there's also numerous routes you can discover for road cycling, the Tour de France passes through the village most years including 2006 and this year 2007. Likewise, this area is rich in mountain bike trails known as VTT in French. This is a superb area for skiers, nature lovers, artists, fishermen, and the roads are superb for motorcyclists and car enthusiasts. Not forgetting the weather here is beautiful for the majority of the year as we are only 30 km's from the Spanish border.
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS IN BEARN: 19th January: Horse-riding grand prix, Pau. From 26th February to 4th March: Carnival Biarnes in Pau. From 5th March to 4th April: Festival Danses Plurielles in Pau. From 7th to 16th MArch: Festival Jazz Naturel in Orthez. From April to end July: Navarrenx World Salmon Fishing Championship. Easter: Antiques Fair in Salies de Bearn. 1st May: Traditional Pyrenees donkey fair, songs and dances, jumble sale in Oloron-Ste-Marie. 2nd, 3rd and 4th May: Mountains and songs festival, traditional polyphonic singing in Laruns. 28th May to 1st June: Transhumance Atlantics music festival in Laas. 31 May to June: historic Grand Prix Automobile in Pau. 7th, 8th and 9th June: Grand Prix Automobile in Pau (Formula 3). Mid-June to Mid-July: Festival de Pau (theatre, dance, music). Beginning July: Transhumance in the Ossau Valley. Movement of the flocks to the summer pastures, a great moment of joy, song and emotion in the life of the shepherds and villages. 5th July: Hestejada Aussalesa in LAruns, Bearn song contest. Exhibition and sales of craft products. 13th July: La Junte de Roncal, the oldest peace treaty between France and Spain ar Col de La Pierre-St-Martin. Ceremony officially marking the ancient peace settlement. 21st to 23th July: Tour de France in Bearn. 24th to 29th July: Orthez Festival. For 5 days the feria comes to town: funfair, concert/dances, bull-fighting, street bands and bodegas. 31st July to 4th August: Monein Fete, its fruit (including the renowed Roussane peach) and its Jurancon wines. Everything stops for "la hesta" in Monein. 15th August: Traditional Festival in Laruns "Hesta de Nostre Dama", where you can discover the beautiful Ossau valley costumes to the sound of the flute and tambourin drum. 16th August: Blonde d'Aquitaine Cattle Festival, historic parade, agricultural exhibition in Sauveterre de Bearn. 6th September: "La Garburade" (competition to find the best garbure in the world: garbure is a traditional soup to the foothills of the Pyrenees and more especially to Bearn) in Oloron. 2nd weekend of September: Salt Festival, floats, food markets, salt-barrel carrying race, etc. 4th weekend of September: Bearn song festival in Siros. Perhaps it is not possible to understand all the words, but the voices will transport you, and the Gascon stories are somewhat racy. 4th and 5th October: Cheese Fair and olden style market. Traditional festival "par excellence". An unforgettable moment in Bearn kife in Laruns. End October:Complete International Horse-riding competition in Pau. Annual meeting for the best international riders in PAu. 7th December: Grape-picking festival. Open day in the wine-making workshops of the producers on the Route des Vins du Jurancon.
