www.cauterets.com. Daily bus service from Lourdes. Cauterets is one of the main Pyrenean walking, mountaineering and winter-sports centres, squeezed into a spectacular wooded valley, on the edge of the Parc National des Pyrénées Occidentales. Though the town still attracts devotees to its spa facilities, most visitors use the town as a base for exploring the mountains.

First stop for would-be hikers, the Maison du Parc, on avenue de la Gare, offers general information about the national park, a small museum and seasonal film shows. The Maison de la Montagne, place Clemenceau, supplies more detailed information about trails, weather conditions, climbing lessons and guided walks in summer, plus advice on routes, maps and where to hire gear from mountain bikes to boots and skis. The GR10 runs just south of town, and there are numerous short- and medium-distance hikes in the vicinity.

See also Roussillon: French Catalonya, Walking in the Pyrenees.