Reasons to Love Bagnères-de-Luchon

Where else but in France can you enjoy city elegance and skiing side by side? It would be hard to find a better example of such dual luxury as in the beautiful Pyrenean town of Bagnères de Luchon. You can enjoy coffee on the sunny terrace of a chic French café, then jump into a cable car and be whisked up the mountain in just eight minutes. This is one of my favourite places to track down property for my clients and spend days off en famille.

Bagnères de Luchon is an ancient spa town and ski resort with grand houses and hotels testifying to its illustrious past when the who’s who of Europe descended to take the waters, from Flaubert to Bismarck and more recently, the Queen Mother. The spa was built in 1848 on the site of the old Roman baths, where the waters are reputed to help rheumatism and ear, nose and throat problems.

In spring, summer and autumn, health seekers and holiday makers come to Luchon for the waters and mountain activities. In the winter, it is the turn of the skiers and winter sports fans. It is also one of the few places where you don’t need a car. From Toulouse and from Pau is a train right into town and once you are here, everything is within walking or cycling distance with gondola or bus access to the slopes.

Known as ‘the Queen of the Pyrénées’, the centre of Luchon is a little slice of Paris. The busy, tree-lined boulevard Allées d’Etigny has restaurants spilling out on to pavements, as well as boulangeries, pâtisseries and chocolatières with the enticing aromas of fresh bread, vanilla and roasting cocoa beans.

The town is full of flowers, fountains and gardens and well equipped with shops; you can buy pretty much anything you need in the town. Luchon also produces 30 million bottles per year of its own mineral water that has been classified since 1990 and is said to be particularly therapeutic.

Action en hiver

Bagnères de Luchon has something for everyone, transforming itself from glamorous playground in the summer months to chic ski destination between December and April. In summer, there are walks for all levels, lakes such as Lac d’Oô for swimming and paddling, plus tennis courts, a golf course, fishing and biking trails.

In July and August, you can take your bike up to the high trails via the gondola. There are also opportunities for paragliding, climbing, pony-trekking and kayaking. In the evenings, there is sport of a different kind at the famous casino, built in 1880 and modelled on Monte Carlo.

In winter, the attached ski resort of Superbagnères can be accessed by cable car (or road) while the bigger resort of Peyragudes is just a shuttle bus away. The skiing is excellent and varied, without the crowds or the prices of the Alps and there are incomparable views of Spain and Aneto, the highest peak in the Pyrénées. For non-skiers, there is snowshoeing, dog sledding and the ultimate indulgence –a relaxing spa treatment to ease tired muscles in the thermal baths, hot springs and spa.

If there is a better place to wile away one’s leisure time, I have yet to find it.

5 great things about Bagnères-de-Luchon

1. Fantastic micro-climate – over 3,000 hours of sunshine per year; winters are particularly bright and sunny

2. Something for everyone from skiing and adventure sports to walking, golf and spa treatments as well as gourmet restaurants and chic boutiques

3. Eco-living – arrive on the train and walk or cycle to shops and restaurants

4. The unusual combination of elegant architecture and a stunning mountain setting

5. Great and varied skiing at two of the best ski resorts in the Pyrénées