Maréchal Joffre Street

Maréchal-Joffre Street, in Pau

Maréchal-Joffre Street was, in the Middle Ages, the main artery of Pau, the Grande Rue starting from the castle. The Pau audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this historic street, a witness of the birth and the development of the Béarn town.

The former Grande Rue of the medieval town

Maréchal-Joffre Street was, in the Middle Ages, the main artery of Pau, then called the Grande Rue. It started from the castle, the cradle of the town and the residence of the viscounts of Béarn, and stretched ever a little more towards the east, as the town developed. Geography explained this course: the town could hardly extend in the other directions, the south being barred by the escarpment dominating the gave. It is therefore along this axis that Pau grew, welcoming the houses, the shops and the urban life. Today renamed in tribute to Marshal Joffre, a hero of the First World War, this commercial street has kept its role of lively artery. A witness of the birth and the evolution of Pau, Maréchal-Joffre Street tells the urban history of the town.

What to see

Here you wander along the former medieval Grande Rue, the main artery that started from the castle and stretched towards the east as Pau developed, today a lively commercial street renamed in tribute to Marshal Joffre. Maréchal-Joffre Street tells the urban history of Pau. It is a stop for those curious about history, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

Maréchal-Joffre Street crosses the historic heart of Pau, from the surroundings of the castle, reachable on foot. It is a public street freely accessible; the shops have their own hours. You walk along it during a walk in the centre.

What was Maréchal-Joffre Street in the Middle Ages in Pau?

It was the Grande Rue, the main artery of the town, which started from the castle and stretched towards the east, an axis along which Pau developed, the town being hardly able to extend in the other directions.

Where is Maréchal-Joffre Street?

In the historic heart of Pau, from the surroundings of the castle, in France.