The Napoleon - Eugénie route in Luz-Saint-Sauveur

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It was following Napoleon III's visit that this small town in the Pyrenees began to flourish. This route highlights the buildings that the Emperor was directly or indirectly responsible for. Firstly, there is the spa district of Saint-Sauveur, then the bridge that bears his name and spans the Gavarnie river, and finally the small Solférino chapel, a reminder of his victory over the Prussians.

Details

n°1513604
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.14 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 191 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 191 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 761 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 657 m
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Description of the walk

Car park at the Luz-Saint-Sauveur shopping centre.

(S/E) Leave the car park on the right and, before the bridge, turn left onto Avenue du Maoubest, which runs alongside the Gave.
After a few hundred metres, first turn right then left to follow the Gave river and pass behind the fire station.
Follow this path, which then passes between the Gave river and the holiday centre.

(1) Turn right and cross the footbridge. When you reach the main road, cross it carefully and turn left. Walk carefully along the Route de Sassis, passing through the hamlet of Hounta with the campsite on your left. Continue along the road, passing the power station buildings.

(2) Ignore the road on the left and continue straight ahead until you reach the crossroads.
Continue straight ahead and walk alongside the thermal baths on Avenue de l'Impératrice Eugénie.
Continue along the avenue to reach Pont Napoléon.

(3) After the bridge, turn left and walk along the left-hand side of the road. At the end of the road, cross the D12A departmental road or Route de Gavarnie.

(4) Take the path opposite. It heads north to the Chapel of Solférino.

(5) Go around the chapel and descend the road. After passing the cemetery, cross the Ruisseau de l'Yse stream, turning left.
Turn right onto Rue Sainte-Barbe. Follow it around a left-hand bend to reach the fortified church of Luz.

(6) Go around the ramparts and turn right in front of the church entrance. Turn right before the town hall onto Rue d'Ossun. Follow Avenue de Saint-Sauveur to the right until you reach the car park on your right (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 711 m - Shopping centre car park. Walk along the - Bastan (cours d'eau) - Affluent du Gave de Gavarnie
  2. 1 : km 1.24 - alt. 657 m - Turn right to take the footbridge. - Gave de Pau
  3. 2 : km 2.34 - alt. 695 m - Straight ahead uphill
  4. 3 : km 3.66 - alt. 701 m - Napoleon Bridge
  5. 4 : km 4.17 - alt. 739 m - Marked trail "Napoléon et Eugénie"
  6. 5 : km 4.98 - alt. 760 m - Solférino Chapel
  7. 6 : km 5.86 - alt. 719 m - Fortified church - Église Saint-André (Luz-Saint-Sauveur)
  8. S/E : km 6.14 - alt. 711 m - Shopping centre car park

Notes

Route change in summer 2024: the route along the departmental road (D12) between points (1) and (2) is unfortunately mandatory due to the permanent closure of the banks along the river.

Worth a visit

Descriptions taken from Wikipedia.

The Saint-Sauveur thermal baths: in operation since the 16th century, they were very popular with high society in the 19th century for spa treatments (Duchess of Angoulême and Berry, Empress Eugénie, English aristocrats), the thermal baths of Saint-Sauveur are still recommended today for gynaecological, phlebological and ENT conditions thanks to their thermal water at a natural temperature of 33°C, rich in rare gases, mineral salts and sulphur. They were completely renovated in 1995 and equipped with a fitness area open in both summer and winter. In 2004, a spa with a balcony overlooking the Gave de Gavarnie and a stone hammam were added.
The thermal baths have been listed as a historic monument since 9 October 1975.

The Napoleon Bridge: Napoleon III fell in love with the Pyrenees and made several spa visits in the company of Empress Eugénie. His great work in Saint-Sauveur was the realisation of an idea that was dear to him: to connect the two banks of the Gave de Gavarnie with a bridge. First "American", then "wire", the decision was finally made to build a single-arch stone bridge. Work began immediately under the leadership of Mr Bruniquel, a civil engineer, and lasted two years, ending in June 1861. The bridge deck is 68 metres long and stands 63 metres above the river. The arch supporting it has a diameter of 42 metres. The vault rests directly on the steep rocks bordering the river. The water level at the base of the vault is 40 metres; it is 63 metres at the keystone and 65 metres at the bridge.

The Solférino Chapel: This chapel with its Byzantine tower was rebuilt in 1859 on the orders of Emperor Napoleon III, on the ruins of the ancient Saint-Pierre chapel, whose construction dated back to the time when Saint James was evangelising northern Spain. For a long time, the priest there blessed the flocks as they set off for the high mountain pastures.

Saint-André Church: Known as the "Templars' Church", but in fact belonging to the Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Saint-André Church was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. In the 14th century, the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem built ramparts around the church to protect the inhabitants of Luz from attacks by Spanish bandits known as "miquelets". At that time, a large moat surrounded the church and a drawbridge allowed it to be crossed. A few years later, the Chapel of Our Lady of Piety was built inside the ramparts to ask God to end an epidemic of Black Death that ravaged the Toy region around 1650. In 1865, a new gate was opened to facilitate entry.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 11 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
3.7 / 5
BoB60'
BoB60'
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

An easy walk around Luz, pleasant except for the long stretch along the road... Lovely views, hardly anyone around on this chilly late November day.

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remycontant
remycontant

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice outing, the only slight downside is perhaps the tarmac, a little too much for our liking, but otherwise great, beautiful scenery and easy going

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lucile.mercadal
lucile.mercadal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A brief historical tour,
Architecture and landscape await you

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Jicih14
Jicih14

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

You can shorten the route by connecting points 1, 6, 5, 4 and 3 on the map and discover the panorama and Luz Saint Sauveur, then return by the same route.
For the entire loop, there is little of interest between 1 and 6, unless you enjoy asphalt and petrol or diesel fumes.

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Miki33170
Miki33170

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike

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Gerard Biez
Gerard Biez

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little hike. No difficulty.
Gérard 🌞 🌞

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BINS35
BINS35

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant short hike around Luz, with a lovely view from the Solferino chapel, offering a panoramic view of Luz.

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zehnich
zehnich

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is no longer up to date; a change of itinerary should be made. We find ourselves stuck around the 2-kilometre mark.

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M1O9M5O3
M1O9M5O3

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A nice little walk on our arrival on the first day (afternoon). A warm-up for the hikes to come. We added a circular to pass by the Château Ste Marie Esterre. 14 km for a leisurely 3 hours. The weather was uncertain, which meant we could cut the walk short in case of rain. Indeed, you have to go around the power station by following the road.

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ludorene
ludorene

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Please note that between points 1 and 2, it is impossible to follow a path along the river, as there is none, and this would require crossing the EDF hydroelectric power station, which is a restricted area with a fence. You will need to walk along the road to the thermal baths, which has no pavement and some traffic.

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Gabriel 31
Gabriel 31

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A short hike to warm up. Nothing too challenging, except for the arrival at Napoleon Bridge.

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