"La Mongie, village in the bend" Bagnères-de-Bigorre by Martinewezel

Bagnères-de-Bigorre Travel Guide: 13 reviews and 36 photos

Mer & Golf -Pic du Midi resort / view from balcony

Very small town

Altitude 1900m.
Location: the first town , 400m East downhill the Col du Tourmalet, depending from the larger city Bagnères-de-Bigorre in the valley.

This is a typical ski-village with numerous ski lifts. Lots of tourists in winter, few in Summer.
The village is quite artificially built in a bent. Restaurants, hotels, condos and souvenir shops is all what you can expect.
Still, the place is unique for it's scenery.

Wonderful scenery

La mongie

The view we had over the peaks and the Pyrenean meadows, was really worth the trip. The photo above was made on the balcony of our condo. Check out my hotel tip.
La mongie is a "pastorale zone", which means that sheep and cows run free in the village and the surrounding meadows. Don't drive too fast, the animals lord over the road. (watch the videos)

At the foot of the "Pic du Midi"

La Mongie

La Mongie is famous by the tramway to the "Pic du Midi".
Altitude: 2877m.
An attraction for the wide view over the peaks and the aerologic observatory on the top.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Pure air, unspoiled nature
Cons:Sometimes (very often) foggy
In a nutshell:The Pyrenees' wilderness :-)

Last visit to Bagnères-de-Bigorre: Aug 2008
Intro Updated Mar 10, 2011
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Reviews (13)

Wild thistle (cisium rivulare) - Bagnères-de-Bigorre

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sheep with marks on their back - Bagnères-de-Bigorre

Transhumance Local Customs (1)

This is a tradition which is still remaining in the Pyrenees. In June, the farmers of the lower villages, such as... more travel advice

All season bobsled in Hautacam (French Pyrenees) - Bagnères-de-Bigorre

The Bobsled in Hautacam Off The Beaten Path (4)

When we watched the report of the Tour de France 2008 on TV, with the arrival in Hautacam, we also watched a publicity... more travel advice

Cirque de Gavarnie (French Pyrenees) - Bagnères-de-Bigorre

Day trip and hike to the Cirque de... Off The Beaten Path (4)

The Cirque de Gavarnie is a classic must do, when in the area. I remember my parents (now in their eighties) went there... more travel advice

Things to Do (4)
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Warnings and Dangers (1)
Weather!

Comments (8)

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GentleSpirit Sep 4, 2012 at 4:59 AM

This looks like a beautiful place to visit. advisable in fall?
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iandsmith Dec 22, 2011 at 12:24 AM

Ah, just what I was looking for. I'm off to Gorges du Tarn and was looking for info there when I stumbled on these pages where I'm also going to. Thanks for sharing your tips. Cheers, Ian
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balhannah Dec 11, 2011 at 2:07 AM

Lovely page! What great views from your balcony! Great scenery photo's, it looks a wonderful area to explore. Agree with you about the fog, even rain is better than fog!
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Jim_Eliason May 15, 2011 at 6:53 AM

looks very idyllic martine!
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Greggor58 Sep 18, 2010 at 7:57 AM

Terrific Page Martine...I do know that you love mountain terrain...I guess fog is always an issue in the mountains.GREAT photos anyhow and good tips!I'm looking at some ideas for my next jaunt across the Pond.
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BruceDunning Aug 7, 2009 at 12:29 PM

It surely looks lush and green in the summer. Views you took are great and good job of presenting what to do.
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Nemorino Aug 25, 2008 at 4:44 AM

What a great idea to go there in the summer when there aren't so many people! Fine scenery and hikes! That's a strange statue of Octave Lapize on a bicycle on the Col du Tourmalet. (Okay, I'll forgive you for driving through the streets of Lourdes.)
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myriam_c Aug 16, 2008 at 9:26 AM

Schitterend uitzicht Martine. Prachtige streek!