Navarrenx

In Béarn, 40 km west of Pau, Navarrenx was born at the end of the 13th century with the construction of a bridge over the Gave d'Oloron. It facilitates access to the Pyrenean passes and Navarre, hence the name given to the bastide. Situated on a major route to Compostela, the Puy-en-Velay route, the town still welcomes thousands of pilgrims. They admire the church of Saint-Germain, listed for its remarkable interior decoration.
The most beautiful village in France, Navarrenx is remarkable for its fortifications, classified as Historic Monuments. The first bastioned town in France - a century before Vauban, its military architecture is worth a visit: the 1657 m long ramparts, the Powder Magazine, the Military Fountain which provided water to the garrison in case of siege, the Arsenal (1680) whose courtyard could have housed 30,000 cannonballs or grenades, and the Saint-Antoine gate.

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