It borders Spain and encompasses a large part of the central Pyrenees.
Capital/prefecture: Tarbes (approximately 40,000-50,000 inhabitants).
Highest point: Vignemale (3,298 m) – the highest mountain in the French Pyrenees.
Features: Mountains & nature → Pyrénées National Park, Cirque de Gavarnie (UNESCO), Néouvielle Nature Reserve, Pic du Midi de Bigorre (observatory and tourism).
Famous places: Lourdes (famous pilgrimage site), Cauterets, Bagnères-de-Bigorre, Saint-Lary-Soulan, Argelès-Gazost.
Winter sports & summer activities: skiing (including Tourmalet and La Mongie), hiking, thermal baths (spa resorts), and climbs from the Tour de France.
Scenery: high peaks in the south, hilly and rural in the north towards the Adour Valley.
In short: a spectacular mountain department with stunning scenery, pilgrimage tourism (Lourdes), skiing, and a wealth of outdoor activities.
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