Gourette () is a winter sports resort in the French

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

. It is located in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes in the ''

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety- ...

'' of

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlant ...

, on the D 918 road which passes through the Col d'Aubisque mountain pass. The closest air access is Pau Pyrénées Airport.

Winter offerings

In winter, the resort offers one of the largest skiable areas in the Pyrenean chain with 30 marked trails, and extending between 1,400 and 2,400 metres in altitude, covering about 90 hectares of mostly north-facing slopes. The area also hosts snowboarding and

snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

trails. In 2005 the region spent over 50 million

euro The euro (symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

s to improve its winter resort facilities, including trails, lifts, accommodation and other infrastructure.

Summer offerings

In summer, tourists visit the valley of the Gave d'Ossau and its lakes for

sightseeing Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A His ...

, biking, rock climbing, and mountaineering, including the ascent of Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2,884 metres/9,462 ft). The French

GR 10 GR 10 is a French GR footpath, or hiking trail, that runs the length of the Pyrenees Mountains. It roughly parallels the French–Spanish border on the French side. Those attempting the entire trail often choose to walk it from west to east, fr ...

hiking trail, which covers over 800 km from one end of the Pyrenees to the other, passes through the village.

Tour de France

The 2007 Tour de France passed through Gourette. The road through the Col d'Aubisque pass, cresting at an altitude of 1,710 metres (5,610 feet), has slopes from 7.5 to 10% and is considered a '' Hors Catégorie'' climb in Union Cycliste Internationale race classifications.

External links

Official website of the resort

Mémoire du Cyclisme website
Ski stations in France Tourist attractions in Pyrénées-Atlantiques {{PyrénéesAtlantiques-geo-stub