Borce, a medieval village in the Aspe Valley

WITH ITS STONE HOUSES, BORCE IS AN IDYLLIC MOUNTAIN VILLAGE AT THE FOOT OF THE FRENCH PYRENEES, SURROUNDED BY LUSH FORESTS AND RUSHING RIVERS.

Borce, a medieval village in the Aspe Valley

WITH ITS STONE HOUSES, BORCE IS AN IDYLLIC MOUNTAIN VILLAGE AT THE FOOT OF THE FRENCH PYRENEES, SURROUNDED BY LUSH FORESTS AND RUSHING RIVERS.

A town people pass through,
for centuries

With its stone houses, Borce is an idyllic mountain village at the foot of the French Pyrenees, surrounded by lush forests and fast-flowing rivers. The natural setting of the former region of Béarn perfectly blends with the architectural beauty of the village’s historic buildings.

Since the Middle Ages, El camino de Santiago has passed through Borce, which has welcomed Jacobean pilgrims on their way to the Somport. Today, the GR10, the famous trail that crosses the Pyrenees—connecting the Mediterranean to the Atlantic—also passes through Borce.

What’s around

  • Parc’Ours. Borce’s animal park, right in the village.
  • Chemin de la Mâture. A trail carved into the rock wall, over open space. It’s the best-known excursion in the valley.
  • Fort du Portalet. A fortress hanging over the gorges, on the way to Urdos.
  • Cirque de Lescun. The most photographed amphitheater of limestone peaks in the Pyrenees.
  • Somport. The crossing into Aragon, and on the other side: Candanchú, Astún and Canfranc.

How to get here

By car. From France via the N134 from Oloron-Sainte-Marie, which runs all the way up the Aspe Valley. From Spain via the Somport tunnel, which is open all year: the upper pass is usually closed during heavy snow, but the tunnel remains open.

By train and bus. The TER Pau – Oloron-Sainte-Marie – Bedous goes as far as Bedous, in the same valley. From there, the line 550 bus goes up to Canfranc in Spain, stopping in Accous, Cette-Eygun, Etsaut, Urdos and Somport.

Note: the 550 does not stop in Borce. The closest stop is Etsaut, the village opposite. From there, you can reach Borce at any time of year by walking along a trail, or by car.

The pedestrian footbridge over the gorge is something really beautiful and interesting to see: it’s a sightseeing walk to visit the Fort du Portalet on foot, open from April to October.

On-demand transport: A minibus from the Communauté de Communes du Haut-Béarn travels through the villages of the Aspe Valley, including Borce.

It operates Wednesdays all day, Thursdays in the morning, and Saturdays all day (it does not run on public holidays).

Reservation is required the day before, before 5:00 pm, at 05 64 19 02 59.

1: Restaurante y Épicerie–2: Gîte Saint-Jacques–3: Gîte Saint-Michel