This trip is part of a long route along the French side of the Pyrenees. It runs from East to West in four stages, of which this is the fourth trip. The trip promises to be a relaxing, in-, sometimes exciting trip over the high mountain passes through the breathtaking Pyrenees.

You start your route in Gourette, the winter sports area of the spa town of Eaux-Bonnes. In Gourette itself you will find most hotels and restaurants, mainly on the slopes or at the foot of the ski area. The entire resort is ski-in and ski-out. Gourette is especially an ideal winter sports resort for families, because there are many facilities for children and many challenging slopes for adults. Refueling is a problem here; you will not be able to get to Laruns, about 10 km further. However, you can refuel enough cooling water just outside Gourette at the Cascade du Gros Hêtre, a waterfall of about 10 meters, visible from the bridge.

The first building of the Eaux-Bonnes spa resort referring to hydrotherapy dates from the 16th century; the current establishment dates from 1830. In the second half of the 19th century, the heyday of the resort, the facades of the buildings bore a "Second Empire" style with semicircular arches and red brickwork. The private mansions on the rue Castellane and the Hôtel des Princes were created at that time. It was also the period when many personalities stayed there, such as Empress Eugénie, the Duchess of Angoulême, the Duchess of Berry, Rosa Bonheur, Delacroix, Sarah Bernhard...

Near Aste-Béon, in the Pyrenees National Park, lies the nature reserve Réserve naturelle de Vallée d'Ossau with the Falaise aux Vautours (vulture rock). About 50 of the 100 pairs of griffon vultures in France nest there. Because griffon vultures start nesting so early and take so long to care for their young, the nature reserve is closed from 10 January to 15 August. On clear days, however, you can easily see the animals flying back and forth without having to enter the nature reserve itself. They are fed at fixed locations, where carcasses of sheep, goats and cows are placed. From April to October, you can follow the lives of the vultures and their young on a large screen in the visitor centre: an ornithologist operates a camera hanging above their nests from a distance and explains the events. A path around the centre shows the lives of the birds and the shepherds from this region in a surprising and interesting way. Besides griffon vultures, other species of birds of prey also nest in the limestone cliffs and forests.

Then it is time to look for the petrol station at Laruns. Over the bridge on the left, you can already see the Intermarché complex. In the somewhat larger village of Bedous a coffee stop is planned and then, after coffee, it gets going and you can enjoy only spectacular views of the mighty mountains of the Atlantic Pyrenees.

The Gorges de Kakuetta is a gorge of almost two kilometers long and is open to the public. In some places in this very deep and rugged gorge the distance between the rock walls is less than three meters. In the Gorges de Kakuetta there are so many mosses, lichens and ferns that it seems as if the gorge has its own microclimate and the Gorges de Kakuetta is considered a special attraction. If you decide to visit this beautiful gorge, it is wise to bring sturdy walking shoes. The path through the gorge contains loose stones and the paths in the gorge can be slippery here and there. In some places in the gorge you can take breathtakingly beautiful photos. A visit to this beautiful gorge is therefore a nice change and an experience in any case. And if you do stop here, the pedestrian suspension bridge Passerelle d'Holzarté, a little further on, is also a spectacular interruption.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a medieval town at the foot of the Pyrenees in the French Basque Country. An important sight that you should not miss is the Église Notre-Dame de Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. A striking feature of the building is that the bell tower has a gate (Porte d'Espagne) that leads to the main street. A very nice thing to do in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is to take a walk along the medieval city walls. The city walls were built in the 13th century and partly renovated in the 19th century. Thanks to this improvement, it is possible to walk along the wall from the Porte de Navarra to the Porte Saint-Jacques. On top of the hill is the Citadel, built around 1625-1627 and has been adapted and improved over the years. Unfortunately, it is not possible to visit the inside of the citadel, as the building currently houses a high school. In Rue de la Citadelle, there is an interesting museum: Prison des Évêques, or the Bishops' Prison. The name of this museum refers to two different historical realities: the presence of bishops of the Bayonne diocese at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century, and the penitentiary vocation that the building had from the end of the 18th century. Today, the building serves as a museum and hosts both permanent and temporary exhibitions. Saint-Jean is a great place to have lunch.

In the Netherlands it is a little less known, but in France every kitchen prince or princess has it in the spice cabinet: piment d'Espelette, dried, ground red pepper. You also see this regularly in dishes in restaurants. It has a sweet-spicy taste and smell. A smell that you smell everywhere when you walk around the village of Espelette. There are shops everywhere where you can buy the pepper, dried and ground or whole on strings. Incidentally, you see these strings hanging against the facades of houses a lot during the autumn, to dry them in the sun. The rest of the year there are only a few hanging here and there for decoration. In addition to the shops, there are of course also a few restaurants where you can taste the pepper in practice. But after the pepper comes the drink to quench and that means a drink break. Thanks to the fame of piment d'Espelette, the village is a popular destination among the French. You will also find several spacious parking lots around the village. The tourist office is located in the Château des Barons d'Ezpeleta, a building from the seventeenth century, on the site of which a castle has probably stood since around the year one thousand. On the top floor there is also a small exhibition space with changing exhibitions. An ideal opportunity to take a look around this monumental building.

Saint-Jean-de-Luz combines many of the best aspects of the Basque Country: cosy, atmospheric streets with half-timbered houses, excellent restaurants with typical Basque dishes, and both the sea and the mountains within easy reach. Saint-Jean-de-Luz was once a fairly insignificant town, owned by clergymen from Bayonne. It was only after the 15th century that it grew into a modest town, which was of little strategic importance. That is why, for example, no defensive works were ever built around the town. Nevertheless, Saint-Jean-de-Luz did play its part in history. In the 15th century, fishermen from the town travelled as far as Newfoundland to catch cod and whales. From the 16th to the 18th century, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, together with neighbouring Ciboure, was an important port for pirates who scoured the seas on behalf of the King of France. After the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees, which ended the war between France and Spain, King Louis XIV married Philippe IV's daughter, Marie-Thérèse d'Autriche, in the church of Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The houses where the king and queen stayed, the Maison Louis XIV and the Maison de l'Infante, can still be visited. Saint-Jean-de-Luz has a fairly clear centre. The main shopping street is the Rue Léon Gambetta. Here you will find many nice boutiques and shops with typical Basque products, of which the espadrilles are the most famous. After walking around the centre, starting at the market hall, you will soon arrive at the church where Louis XIV gave his yes-word to the Spanish Infanta on 9 June 1660. The Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste is a monumental building with a typical Basque interior. The wooden balconies on the sides and back are common in Basque churches. The oldest parts of the church date back to the 15th century. At the time of the royal wedding, the church was undergoing extensive renovations, and it was not until the mid-18th century that the church had its current dimensions. With all the woodwork, paintings and the impressive altarpiece at the front of the church, which was placed here in 1669, there is plenty to see in the church. And then, finally, you look for a suitable spot to reminisce about the day.