Château de Pau
The turreted Renaissance château rising above the Gave de Pau river is where Henri IV was born in 1553, and its royal apartments drip with Flemish tapestries and gilded furniture that have barely changed since Napoleon III's restoration. No other single building tells the story of Béarn, Navarre and France's most beloved king quite so vividly.
A Palace Shaped by Royalty
The keep dates to the 14th century, but it was Henri II of Navarre who transformed the fortress into a Renaissance showpiece, adding the distinctive round tower that anchors the skyline today.
Inside, the Salle des Cent Couverts displays one of France's largest collections of Flemish and Gobelins tapestries — 96 pieces in total — while the cradle of Henri IV, fashioned from a giant tortoiseshell, sits in the king's bedroom like a fairy-tale prop.
Gardens, Terraces and Views
The formal gardens designed under Napoleon III spill down toward the boulevard des Pyrénées, giving you a natural transition from royal interiors to open-air panorama.
Allow at least 90 minutes: the guided tour of the state apartments is the only way to access the upper floors, and guides here are genuinely enthusiastic about the building's layered history.
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