Laruns
Encyclopedia
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
department in south-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It is situated at the confluence of two mountain streams, the Gave d'Ossau
Gave d'Ossau
The Gave d'Ossau is the torrential river flowing through the Ossau Valley, one of the three main valleys of the High-Béarn , in the Southwest of France....
and its tributary, the Valentin.
Formerly part of the province of Béarn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
, Laruns is now within the département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
, itself in France's Aquitaine région
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
. It forms part of the arrondissement of Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Arrondissement of Oloron-Sainte-Marie
The arrondissement of Oloron-Sainte-Marie is an arrondissement of France, located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, in the Aquitaine région...
, and is the chef-lieu
Chef-lieu
A chef-lieu is a town or city that is pre-eminent, from an administrative perspective, in any given sub-division of territory in France and some French-speaking countries.-In Algeria:...
of the canton of Laruns
Canton of Laruns
The canton of Laruns is a canton located in the arrondissement of Oloron-Sainte-Marie, in the département of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Aquitaine région of France...
.
Geography
Laruns is geographically the third-largest commune in metropolitan France, after ArlesArles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is the capital of the Camargue in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department by the Mediterranean Sea. Population: 2,478...
. It includes a large area of upland, around and between the Gave d'Ossau and its tributaries, stretching as far as the border with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
at the Col du Pourtalet
Col du Pourtalet
The Col du Pourtalet, El Portalet or Portalet d'Aneu is a mountain pass and border crossing in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain. The pass reaches an elevation of , and links the Ossau and Tena valleys....
, 30 km (18.6 mi) to the south of the village of Laruns.
The principal artery of communications through the commune is the D934 road, which runs south from the town of Pau, 40 km (24.9 mi) to the north, to the Col du Pourtalet. The D918 road branches off the D934 in Laruns village, and follows the Valentin before crossing the Col d'Aubisque
Col d'Aubisque
The Col d'Aubisque is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees 30 km south of Tarbes and Pau in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques , in the Aquitaine region of France....
to Argelès-Gazost
Argelès-Gazost
Argelès-Gazost is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.The Parc animalier des Pyrénées is located in Argelès-Gazost.-References:*...
in the next major valley to the east. There are no direct roads westward from Laruns.
Because of its large geographic size, the Laruns contains several recognisably distinct communities in addition to Laruns itself. These include:
- Pon, an area of Laruns
- Espalungue, an area of Laruns
- Gêtre, an area of Laruns
- GabasGabas, Pyrénées-AtlantiquesGabas is a hamlet in the valley of the Gave d'Ossau in the French Pyrenees. It is located where that river is formed by the confluence of two mountain streams, the Gave de Bious and the Gave du Brousset, which flow respectively from the western and eastern sides of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau.The...
, a hamlet below the Pic du Midi d'OssauPic du Midi d'OssauThe Pic du Midi d'Ossau is a mountain rising above the Ossau Valley in the French Pyrenees. Despite possessing neither a glacier nor, in the context of the range, a particularly high summit, its distinctive shape makes it a symbol of the French side of the Pyrenees...
, and where the valley road is crossed by the GR10 long distance footpath that runs the length of the Pyrenees - Geteu, a former commune merged into Laruns in 1828
- GoustGoustGoust is a hamlet in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department of southwestern France. For centuries it was governed as an independent republic, and was never formally annexed by France. Noted for its centenarians, one pensioner was reported to have reached the age of 123.- Geography :Goust is located on...
, a small plateau with an ambiguious international status; formerly recognized as independent by France and Spain, now considered a de facto part of France, if not de jure. - Eaux-ChaudesEaux-ChaudesEaux-Chaudes is a spa in the valley of the Gave d'Ossau in the French Pyrenees. The village is located beside the river, at the southern entrance to the Gorge du Hourat. It is separated from the spa town of Eaux-Bonnes by the Massif du Gourzy....
, a spaSpa townA spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
situated at the southern entrance to the Gorge du Hourat - Artouste-Fabrèges, a ski resortSki resortA ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
situated in the valley of the Gave du Brousset, and the beginning of the summer scenic route to the Lac d'ArtousteLac d'ArtousteLac d'Artouste is a lake in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. At an elevation of 1997 m, its surface area is 0.56 km²....
via the Petit train d'ArtoustePetit train d'ArtousteThe Petit train d'Artouste is a narrow gauge tourist railway situated in the French Pyrenees close to the Spanish border and some south of the town of Pau... - Miegebat
Neighboring communes and municipalities:
- North: Gère-BélestenGère-BélestenGère-Bélesten is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
and Aste-BéonAste-BéonAste-Béon is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*... - East: Arrens-MarsousArrens-MarsousArrens-Marsous is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.In the middle of the village, the Maison du Val d'Azun is an information centre and small museum of the area.-References:*...
(Hautes-PyrénéesHautes-PyrénéesHautes-Pyrénées is a department in southwestern France. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.-History:...
), Louvie-SoubironLouvie-SoubironLouvie-Soubiron is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
, BéostBéostBéost is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
and Eaux-BonnesEaux-BonnesEaux-Bonnes is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.Nearby is the impressive villa Cockade, the construction of which is detailed in Dornford Yates's novel The House That Berry Built.... - West: AydiusAydiusAydius is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
, BedousBedousBedous is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
, Cette-EygunCette-EygunCette-Eygun is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
, EtsautEtsautEtsaut is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
and UrdosUrdosUrdos is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*... - South: Sallent de GállegoSallent de GállegoSallent de Gállego is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain.The town is located in the central Pyrenees besides the reservoir of Lanuza on the foot of some of the highest summits of the chain, close to the border with France...
(HuescaHuesca (province)Huesca , officially Huesca/Uesca, is a province of northeastern Spain, in northern Aragon. The capital is Huesca.Positioned just south of the central Pyrenees, Huesca borders France and the French Departments of Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
).