Pyrénées National Park

Pyrénées National Park sits right along the border between France and Spain, offering some of the most beautiful mountain scenery in Europe. Created in 1967, it covers over 45,000 hectares of protected land where nature thrives undisturbed. The dramatic landscapes include towering peaks, crystal-clear lakes, and green valleys that change with the seasons.

The park is famous for its rich wildlife - you might spot chamois goats navigating steep slopes or marmots sunning themselves on rocks. The rare Pyrenean desman, an unusual aquatic mammal found nowhere else in the world, calls these mountains home. Griffon vultures soar overhead, their massive wingspans creating shadows across the mountain faces.

Basque and Béarnaise cultures add a unique human element to the region. Local shepherds still practice traditional transhumance, moving their flocks up to mountain pastures in summer. This centuries-old practice has shaped both the landscape and local cuisine, with regional cheeses like Ossau-Iraty reflecting the area's pastoral heritage. The park's villages maintain their authentic mountain character, with stone houses and slate roofs that have withstood the test of time.

The Cirque de Gavarnie, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, ranks among the park's most spectacular features - a natural amphitheater of towering walls and Europe's highest waterfall plunging 422 meters down sheer rock faces. Whether blanketed in snow during winter or bursting with alpine flowers in summer, the Pyrénées National Park offers a reminder of nature's grandeur in every season.