Is anyone familiar with Pau? It’s on my list of villages to check out as a potential landing place for my wife and I. We’ll be there in October to check it out. We’re in our 60’s, retired, and active. I’m an avid hiker so the Pyrennes are a primary attraction for me. I speak French to a B1 level and the wife is learning. I’m curious if there’s an english-speaking ex-pat community, which would help with the transition. And any other general information about Pau would be great.
Regards,
RJ
It’s not a village! But a reasonably lively cosmopolitan town, with a shortage of doctors apparently.
A widespread problem.
But in specific areas rather than common to the whole of France. A selling point of our house is that despite being a diddly squat village we have a full range of doctors, dentist, nurses, kinés, midwife etc etc.
It’s definitely not a village. I often visit both the nearby part of the Pyrenees and the countryside to the north. If I wanted to move it would be high on my list. I only know one person who actually lives near Pau and she move there from near Beaune and says it was a good move. I have no idea about the anglophone population but I would be surprised if there wasn’t one there.
We’ve a village not far from us with a big sign at the entrance saying ‘généraliste recherché’ or some such. Not sure why anybody would live there frankly, so the search continues.
I know lots of students in Pau, they love it. Very outdoorsy and active. Nice castle, birthplace of Henri IV. No idea how many foreigners there are.
The Wright Brothers established the world’s first flying school in Pau because it was the least windy place in Europe. It was also a popular place for balloonning for the same reason.
If lack of wind doesn’t excite you, think forest fires in the current climate. The Mediterranean end of the Pyrenees is bedevilled by forest fires and strong winds
I would go a bit nearer to the coast. I hear Dax is an incredible place to live, some incredibly keenly priced houses around Dax too…
Thank you everyone for your replies. I was afraid it might be too small of a place and we’d easily get bored there. I’m not looking for thriving nightlife, however, a nice selection of restaurants, cafes, boulangeries, along with social opportunities would suit us fine. Sounds like it’s worth a visit, which I’ll do soon.
I do have an add-on question - about Annecy. That’s one of our other areas of interest. I spent a month there a few years back and really liked it. Close to Geneva, with a big airport and cosmopolitan attractions, as well as minutes from the French Alps, and in a gorgeous setting. Any thoughts on Annecy, particularly when compared to Pau?
As already said, Pau is a great town with everything you want.
Please, if you do settle there, do not join the mamby pamby brigade and campaign to kill the Pau Grand Prix…
Annecy and Pau are chalk and cheese. Annecy is a bijou and a tourist magnet. You will certainly find a large anglophone population there.
Agree with David! I wouldn’t live in Annecy if you paid me but thousands of (mainly American?) expats seem to love it. Too touristy, too twee, too expensive, too elite. We visit for a day or so which is lovely, especially round the lake, and then are pleased to come home.
it is telling perhaps that the ‘university’ seems to specialise in tourism related subjects. Pau on the other had offers more advanced studies and is a proper university town.
I first visited Annecy in 1982 when I lived in Grenoble and loved it. A close friend lived there in a lovely house surrounded by greenery and with a view of the lake. I can still see it in my mind’s eye. I was very impressed and would have moved there at the drop of a hat. I even thought about it as our retirement home location twenty years ago, but decided it was too north. I was last there about seven summers ago on my way to Geneva, I dropped in for a nostalgic look and it was crawling with tourists, you couldn’t move. I fully agree with Jane, sadly tourism has killed it. especially for me who can remember how it was. I too wouldn’t dream of living there now.
Sounds like we’re Pau-Pauing the idea of Annecy. 
If I were to live in the Pyrenees, the choice between Pau and Annecy isn’t a hill I’d die on.
Except that Annecy is rather a long way away!
Sorry if geography has spoiled my pun. 
mountains…?
How do you like the heat in Summer?