HISTORY LINKED TO THE SPA INDUSTRY

The health-giving waters of Eaux-Bonnes have been renowned ever since the 16th century, a time when the soldiers from the Béarn, hit by musket fire at the battle of Pavia (1525), came to heal their wounds. 

It was as from the 19th century that the spa really made Les Eaux-Bonnes famous thanks to the countless celebrities who came to stay: Duchess of Angoulême, the Duchess of Berry, Rosa Bonheur, Delacroix, Sarah Bernhard, and many more).

Numerous doctors also helped to boost the reputation of the spa. Théophile de Bordeu published books and a thesis underlining its benefits, Dr Darralde, the spa practitioner, treated the Empress Eugénie, whilst Dr Valéry who had his practice in the town, attracted celebrities such as the politician Louis Barthou, the musician Francis Planté and the poet François Coppée.

Such an influx led to the mushrooming of buildings in the centre of the resort. The spa itself was rebuilt and the buildings endowed with Haussmann-style facades. Bandstands and viewpoints were an open invitation for strollers.

The private mansions of the la rue Castellane and the Hôtel des Princes are also representative of that historic past. The Empress Eugénie,faithful to her favourite holiday place of residence, inspired many of the landscaped improvements brought to the town with the tulip trees, spruces and larches which still adorn the Empress’s Promenade, the Darralde garden or the Horizontal Promenade, walks which are all carefully signposted and equipped with informative plaques produced in cooperation with the National Forestry Board.

AND TO COUNTRY TRADITIONS

The hamlets of Aas and Assouste proudly display their traditional slate roofs. These little villages, mainly inhabited by local shepherds or farmers, are home to a rich heritage. 

The particular feature of Aas is that it invented the inimitable “whistlers language”, whereas Assouste which gets its name from « Lous Oussales » meaning bear tamers, is particularly proud of its interesting architecture : a Romanesque chapel, one of the oldest in the valley with a sculpted capital, a restored, 16th century manor, a renovated wash house and old houses typical of the Béarn with their characteristic lintels over the doors and the frequent presence of the grey-black marble from Arudy or pink marble from Bielle.

Each week, the local « story-tellers », all eager to share the history of the villages and of the valley with visitors, offer guided tours of the resort. Some cannot resist embroidering on history by adding new legends to their stories, including the tale according to which Napoleon 1st came to stay in Gourette!