Mild autumn
La Conciergerie in autumn, winter and early spring is a special place. Enjoy the changing seasons and all the region has to offer.
Base yourself in the heart of the Béarn to sample all or some of the following :
Horse riding, cyling and walking, winter fêtes and festivals,
wine tasting and shopping. October is quite often still very warm with temperatures in the mid twenties. From the end of November you can ski at La
Pierre St Martin which is an hour from here. It has
an exceptional setting, a vast skiable area adapted to both young and experienced skiers
and is cheaper than it's alpine counterparts.
Gourette
is larger and just a little further to the east. 
Artouste
is a small resort with panoramic fields of snow facing
the Pic du Midi d'Ossau with 150 hectares open to winter sports. A well kept
freestyle space equpped with a sound system, entertaiment, half pipe, cross-country,
snow run and snow-board.
Iraty In the heart of the largest deciduous forest in western Europe, the Iraty
resort combines beauty and serenity. In this majestic setting, cross-country
skiers can admire the breath-taking scenery.
Short winter
La Conciergerie is a warm and cosy place to celebrate Christmas, and you can do as the French do and eat extremely well. Oysters, seafood and champagne feature in a typical festive meal here.
Foie gras and the local Jurançon wine are specialities. The local market and food shops all sell fresh seafood or sanglier (wild boar), geese and turkey.
There are many restaurants that also have a celebration for New Year's Eve (St Sylvestre) where you can dine on huge five or six course meals lasting all night.
Warm spring
Spring comes early to the Béarn in the form of light mornings and warm afternoons. There is no better time of the year to explore the mountains as the snow begins to thaw and the
flora and fauna of the Pyrénées show themselves again. This is also when the Béarnaise start to think about the fêtes that are so popular here.
One of the most famous and well attended is in Geronce in February.
This is an excellent site that shows local events throughout the year.
The fishing season begins in mid-March too, so the 'Gaves' are alive with salmon and trout anglers. We have more information on our
fishing page.