Summary

Barèges is a shady spa village set in a narrow, steep-sided valley, and the second oldest French ski resort. It shares with La Mongie the Domaine Tourmalet, one of the biggest ski areas in the Pyrenees at 100km. The lift base is at Tournaboup, 4km up the valley, and the slopes span widely across four major sectors, with contrasting treelined runs above Barèges and open bowl skiing towards La Mongie. The whole area is best suited to intermediates, but there are some gentle greens for novices and decent unexploited off-piste. While they can’t compete in size with the mega-resorts of the Alps, the Pyrenean resorts have considerable attractions – price, Gallic charm and fewer crowds to name three.