Gère-Bélesten

Presentation

Gère-Bélesten, a town shaped by its history and its neighbourhoods

A town born from two villages

The town was formed by the merger of two villages in the late Middle Ages, giving it a rich and diverse identity today.

The historic district of Gère

The district of Gère, the most picturesque, nestles at the foot of the mountain.
It preserves precious reminders of its past, notably Gère Castle and its fortified house, vestiges of a bygone era.

Bélesten, administrative hub and Romanesque heritage

The Bélesten district is home to a Romanesque-style church, reflecting its ancient architectural heritage.
The town hall is also located here, making this district the administrative centre of the municipality.

The Monplaisir district and its vanished past

A more recent development, the Monplaisir district evokes a past that has now been erased.
It once boasted a racecourse that hosted horse races for spa-goers from Eaux-Bonnes seeking entertainment.
Today, unfortunately, there is no trace left of this past.

An original conversion

The municipality stands out for a unique feature: a former railway tunnel (from the Buzy-Laruns line) has been converted into a cheese-curing room, keeping local expertise alive.

A link between the banks

Finally, a footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists allows visitors to cross the Gave d’Ossau and reach, on the right bank, the Moulaprat district, situated within the village of Aste.

Source: CCVO