Valley of Ossau

thumb|250 px|[[Peak of the South of Ossau]] in summer The valley of Ossau (in Gascon Aussau/the vath of Aussau ) is a Vallée the French Pyrenees, in the department of the Yrénées-Atlantiques in area Aquitaine. Its inhabitants are the Ossalois .

Etymology

The valley was called valis ursaliensis (in 1127) then Orsal and Ossau . One wanted to interpret this designation by the valley of the bear but it is towards the Pyrenean name of river Ourse (or Ousse) rather than towards that of the animal that it is necessary to be directed.

To note that in occitan, /u/ initial is classically remade in /au/.

Geography

thumb|250px|House in the valley of Ossau - [[Aste-Béon]] thumb|250 px|[[Peak of the South of Ossau]] in winter

The valley of Ossau is one of the three large valleys of mountain of Béarn. It geographically stretches North in the South on about fifty km since Rébénacq (to 15 km of Pau) until the Col of Pourtalet (at the Spanish border). It is made of two cantons: partly low valley is the canton of Arudy with a landscape of Pyrenean Piedmont. Partly high-valley is the canton of Laruns which offers the low one, average and high-mountain. It is crossed by the gave of Ossau and is dominated by the Pic of the South of Ossau which culminates to 2884 Mr.

Located in Top Béarn at the south of Pau, she is traversed by the Gave d' Ossau, connects mother of the Gave d' Oloron (48km).

It is Eastern of the three principal valleys inhabitants of Béarn digging the chain of the Pyrenees. It is also a glaciated valley which offers its emblem to the valley, at the town of Pau, the Section paloise: the Peak of the South of Ossau.

It communicates with the Vallée of Ouzom and the Lavedan (Argelès-Gazost), in the east, by the Col of Aubisque and with the Aragon, in the south, by the Col of Pourtalet.

In the villages of the valley, the habitat and the farm buildings are gathered around narrow streets marrying the relief.
Kitchen gardens, orchards and pastures follow one another when one moves away from the dwellings to approach the forest. This organization explains the exceptional integration of the villages in the landscape.

the Lakes of the valley of Ossau
the Collars of mountain
the National park of the Pyrenees

History

The emblem of the valley of Ossau: the bear and the cow are represented on the frontage of the town hall of Aste-Béon.

According to the legend, the Viscount of Béarn defied the Archevêque Morlaàs which raised a Ours, while supporting to him that one of its Vache S would carry it with the combat, which arrived… Symbol of pastoralism, the cow is queen in the heart of Ossalois.

Administration

18 communes belong to the valley: Arudy, Aste-Béon, Béost, Bescat, Rod, Bilhères, Buzy, Castet, Water-Good, Manages-Bélesten, Izeste, Laruns, Louvie-Juzon, Louvie-Soubiron, Lys, Rébénacq, Holy-Colome and Sévignacq-Meyracq.

These communes did not made of community of communes. They form part with in an individual capacity of the Pays of Oloron and of Haut-Béarn at the sides of the communities of communes of the piémond oloronais, of Josbaig, the valley of Winder and the valley of Barétous.

Tourism

The Small Train of Artouste, small train highest of Europe to discover with open sky of the sumptuous panoramas.

Space museographic the Cliff with the Vultures, to discover the fawn-coloured Vulture and the Vulture percnoptère.

The House of the National park of the Pyrenees proposes left and randos with the Guards the Park.

The natural space of the Lake Castet, with discovered moist environments. Many animations and activities of leisures for all.

The excursion and trott them on the natural sites: GR. 10, Way of the Pilgrimage of Saint-Jacques-to-Compostelle, Pedestrian Turn of the valley of Ossau, marked out paths of the Park and the villages.

To discover the Pastoralisme, plates of pastures, manufacture of cheese of Ossau, festivals of the transhumance of the herds, fair to cheeses of Laruns.

Guided visits of the inheritance, paths of discovered villages.

The ski the winter with the two stations of Gourette and Artouste.

Random links: