SPA
and GOLF in France
AQUENSIS at BAGNERES-de-BIGORRE
PRICE:
from €399 (depends on numbers, season etc)
includes:
3 nights in double/twin room in 3* hotel with breakfast
dinner on the first evening
2 day pass into the Aquensis spa complex (per person)
2 'care' packages per person for use over the 2 days
3 day car hire (type VW Golf, unlimited mileage, CDW)
ENQUIRE
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SPA break
in the Pyrenees
AQUENSIS
- The height of well-being: a brand new luxury Spa centre in
the Pyrenees
Bagnères
de Bigorre is a pretty little town set at the foot of the imposing
Pic du Midi and the Pyrenean mountain chain.
In
ancient times the Romans discovered the virtues of the local
warm spring waters and gave the name Vicus Aquensis to the
site, thus beginning the long saga of Bagnères as a
spa town.
2000
years later Bagnères has created the largest spa/leisure
complex in the Pyrenees – Aquensis – the City of
the Waters. An ultra-modern centre has evolved out of the old
nineteenth century Casino, totally devoted to water-based therapy,
well-being and thermo-spa activities. A cathedral of wood and
glass with three stories of vital equipment dedicated to the
search for vitality and equilibrium. You will be welcomed as
a personal guest with a tailor-made programme of care activities
to help you toward better health and vivacity.
An
optional trip to the summit of the Pic du Midi and accommodation
in the 3* designer hotel 'Laurent Fignon Centre' complete this
exceptional break.
The
4 day/3 night programme
Day
1 : the Laurent Fignon Centre and the Spa complex
• Arrival
at Toulouse or Pau airport. Reception of hire car and hundred
minute drive to Bagnères de Bigorre, charming little
spa town at the foot of the Pyrenees. Famous for its rugby
connections (home to French internationals Gachassin, Aguirre
and Bertranne) the town has a rich architectural heritage
with Roman remains and a particular ‘romantic’ style – unique
to the region – comprising marble doorways and window
frames, turn-of-the-century public parks, bandstands and
numerous statues. Bagnères is 20 kms from Tarbes and
Lourdes, 60 from Pau and 150 from Toulouse.
• Settling in to a double room at the 3* hotel which has just opened in
the Laurent Fignon Centre, dedicated to the bicycle. For this is Tour de France
country and the interactive centre celebrates a hundred years of the Tour and
the nearby great Pyrenean passes, le Tourmalet and Aspin.
The hotel has a lounge bar, restaurant, gym and sauna.
The French designer, Philippe Starck, has left his
touch everywhere with a light, almost poetic
décor in every part of the hotel.
• Dinner in the hotel's gourmet restaurant
• Overnight in hotel
Days
2 and 3 : Relaxation and well-being
• Breakfast
at the hotel
• Free morning to discover Bagnères and its region, the hills and
mountains, the villages .. or a leisurely visit to nearby Lourdes.
• Lunch where you will: picnic in the hills or at one of the many small
restaurants in the area.
• Afternoon: Visit to the Aquensis complex in the heart of the old town
from 4pm onward.
• Personal welcome by the staff who will advise you on your care programme
over the next two days. You will be given bath-robes and towels and shown around
the centre.
• Each day you will have a two-hour access to all the centre’s amenities:
*
Large pool: under a vast cathedral of wood bathed in natural
light. The water is in movement with jets, currents, hot
and cold atomisers, ‘curtain of water’ and 25
metre swimming lane.
* Small pool: hydro massage and aqua-music in this separate bath: calm,
musical ambiance.
* Hammam: a long series of rooms with progressive temperature rise, benches
of heated marble, hot and cold plunging pools, massage room, relaxation
room with vaulted, starred ceiling. Hot mint tea is served and Hammam linen
distributed.
* Sauna: two Finnish saunas with a refreshing cold waterfall.
* Terraces and viewpoint: outdoor wooden terraces with view over the mountains
are equipped with Jacuzzis.
-
On
day 2 you have access from 6 pm to a Balneo care session
(30 minutes) of which the care packages are: bath, mudpack
and Douche.
-
On
day 3 you have access from 6 pm to to a personal massage
or orential care package (30 minutes)
• Overnight at hotel.
Day
4 : On the summit of the Pic du Midi *
• Breakfast
at hotel
• Depart for La Mongie, ski resort at the foot of the Tourmalet pass. Here,
on the finishing line of the Tour de France 2002, we take the cable car for the
top of the Pic du Midi. La Mongie is one of the largest ski resorts in the French
Pyrenees with over 120 kms of pistes on either side of the Tourmalet.
• Arrival at the summit, 2877 metres above sea level. From here you have
a breathtaking view of the Pyrenean chain for more than 150 kms: they say one
can see a quarter of France from this extraordinary vantage point.
In the 19th century an Astronomical Observatory was built on the Pic, despite
the extreme conditions (cold, snow, frost… and lack of oxygen) it
prospered and is today of world-renown.
• Tour of the Observatory’s visitor centre: history of the installation,
the scientific results and a little walkabout in the universe.
• Visit to the Observatory’s terrace with magnificent views over
the 3000 metre peaks of the chain: Vignemale, Mont Perdu, Aneto…
• Lunch on the Pic or below in the valley: your choice.
• Return to la Mongie by cable car.
• Departure for airport
NB: this day trip is optional and not included in price.
(€25 adults, €12 children)
ENQUIRE
*
IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS:
The
site of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre (alt. 2877m) has been designed
to give visitors a taste of the sensations procured by high mountains
in complete safety, but it must never be forgotten that these
are high mountains !
Visitors should bring with them a warm jumper or jacket and sunglasses.
The site is not recommended for pregnant women, young children and people with
heart ailments. For safety reasons, animals are prohibited.
In the case of bad weather the cable car may stop running at any time to ensure
visitors’ safety
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