Salies-de-Béarn

Salies-de-Béarn in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a small medieval spa town in the Basque Country built on one of the most concentrated natural brine springs in the world — the legendary Saleys salt spring, whose waters contain over 300 grams of salt per litre (ten times saltier than seawater), have been exploited since Roman times and made Salies one of the most important salt-production centres of medieval Gascony. The brine, once the basis of the town's considerable wealth as reflected in its beautifully preserved Renaissance and Gothic architecture, is now channelled into therapeutic bathing facilities recognised particularly for rheumatological and gynaecological conditions. The Béarnais landscape of rolling foothills, Jurançon vineyards and the first snowy ridges of the Pyrenees provides a pastoral elegance that complements the town's historic character. Salies-de-Béarn combines authentic historical depth with the gentle pleasures of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques countryside.