Attractions and Places To See around Barcus - Top 20

With the patronage of "John the Baptist," this parish has chosen a saint who is considered a forerunner of Jesus Christ. In Christian theology, he is the voice of one crying in the wilderness prophesied in the Old Testament book of Isaiah: "A voice calls out: 'In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God!'" (Lutheran Bible). John is the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, who was visited by the Blessed Virgin Mary when she learned from the Archangel Gabriel that she herself would give birth to Jesus Christ, and her—until then childless—relative was still pregnant in old age. The feast day of Saint John the Baptist in the calendar of saints is June 24.

Authentic Basque village, Mauléon-Licharre is considered the capital of the espadrille. It is also that of the small province of the Basque Country, Soule. The heights of its old town are separated from the lower town by the course of the Season. We find in this part the castle of Andurain de Maytie.

Classed among the Most Beautiful Villages in France, Navarrenx reveals remarkable heritage. This medieval fortified town has the distinction of being one of the first fortified towns in France. It has an austere and military side and features classical-style buildings.

A city that is one of the most beautiful villages in France!

Once again we have reached a milestone on the "Via Podiensis", our pilgrimage route to St. James (Chemin de Saint Jacques) through France; and here too, in the village of Navarrenx, our small group of pilgrims is charmed by the beautiful atmosphere of the place. But we still have to move on the next morning ... still the (comparatively short) way to Saint-Jean Pied-de-Port, and then - after crossing the Pyrenees - further on the "Camino Frances" through the north of Spain to the Tomb of the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia.

Beautiful panorama from the top of Erretzu. We are facing Pierre Saint Martin, Issarbe and Pic d'Orhy. You can even make out the peaks of the Pic d'Ossau. On the other side beyond the Col de Sustary, there is the Madeleine. It is a beautiful walk where you will have to reckon with good slopes. The climb can hang from Sustary or from the Montory side.

Navarrenx is very worth seeing. At the beginning of the 14th century, Navarrenx was converted into a bastide. In the 16th century it was redesigned by the King of Navarre based on the model of the Tuscan city of Lucca. The floor plan is in the shape of a turtle. The wall wall, the bridge Porte St-Antoine, the powder tower and the central square are impressive.

FROM THE RAMPARTS TO LA VAUBAN ... a century before Vauban! Navarrenx, or in Latin Sponda Navarensi, meaning the border of Navarre… It was obvious that this city would arouse the envy of many neighbors and others further afield. Henry II of Albret will even compare himself to "a louse quarreled by two monkeys" when referring to the two Kings of France and Spain peeping over his land. Bastide from the 14th century, it was not until the reign of Henri II d'Albret, grandfather of King Henri IV, to see the construction of its impressive ramparts begin in 1538. 10 years of construction, 1.7 km long, 10 meters high, reputed to be impenetrable and revolutionary, don't these walls and their plan remind you of someone, a famous military architect for example…. Vauban will you tell us? Well little scoop, here in Navarrenx, we are pioneers. These Vauban-style ramparts were thus built a century before him! It is therefore to Fabricio Siciliano, an Italian architect, that Navarrenx owes its fame. Source: https://www.tourisme-bearn-gaves.com/