Hautes-Pyrénées

Hautes-Pyrénées is a département in southwestern France.

History

Historically the département was part of Bigorre, a county at times independent but later part of Gascony province. Large parts of the area were held by the English after the Treaty of Brétigny, 1360. In the 16th century, it was part of the Huguenot domain of the monarchs of Navarre, brought to France by Henri IV. For its early history, see Bigorre and Gascony.

Geography

The Hautes-Pyrénées is a mountainous agricultural landscape of villages, farms, fields, upland pastures and winding mountain roads. Spanning the border between France and Spain, the département is centered around the peak of Mont Perdu.

See also: Pyrenees

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Miscellaneous topics

Each year millions of devout Catholics make the pilgrimage to the village of Lourdes in the Hautes-Pyrénées to visit The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

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