The small town of Oloron-Sainte-Marie, located at the edge of the Aspe and Ossau valleys in Béarn, has a remarkable architectural heritage. This is evidenced by the Cathedral of St Mary, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Way of St James, and its beautiful carved Romanesque doorway dating from the 12th century. The treasure, consisting of gold objects, woodwork and liturgical vestments, and the Baroque organ case also feature among the attractions of the building.
Also worth a look is the medieval district of Sainte-Croix with picturesque old houses and the charming Promenade Bellevue: as the name meaning "beautiful view" suggests, this walk offers a lovely panoramic view of the town skyline and the Pyrenees!
And a bit of trivia: berets! Rosabelle Forzy is the CEO of Laulhère, the last-remaining artisan beret-maker in France. Since 1840, the company has been crafting its berets at the foot of the Pyrenees in southwestern France in a Bearnaise town named Oloron Sainte Marie. "The beret is a pastoral confection from the Pyrenees," Forzy tells TZR. "Oloron Sainte Marie is the beret's original city; located at the crossroads of many paths taken by shepherds leading their herds of sheep between mountains." Berets have been spotted in paintings that date back several centuries (some on the internet even attribute its origins to Noah — yes, the biblical one) but this pastoral history is arguably responsible for its mass popularity according to Forzy. "The beret and Oloron are an inseparable couple and for 180 years, the economic life of the city has been punctuated by berets," Forzy adds.
