Tarbes


Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France. It is the capital of Bigorre. It has been a commune since 1790. It was known as Turba or Tarba in Roman times. Tarbes is part of the historical region of Gascony.
Formerly of strong industrial tradition, Tarbes today tries to diversify its activities, particularly in aeronautics and high tech around the different zones of activities which are increasing. The recent development of and other regional specialties also shows a willingness to develop the agri-food industry thus justifying its nickname of "market town". Its 42,888 inhabitants are called Tarbaises and the Tarbais.
It is the seat of the diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes. The 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment and 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment are stationed in Tarbes.

Geography

Location

Tarbes is a Pre-Pyrenees town within the rich agricultural plain of the river Adour, southwest of Toulouse, to the east of Bayonne, southwest of Auch and northeast of Lourdes. Tarbes is 1 hr 30 mins from the Atlantic Ocean, 2 hrs 50 mins from the Languedoc coast and 35 minutes from the nearest ski resorts. It is located at an average elevation of.
To the south of Tarbes, along with the pilgrimage town of Lourdes, is the border with Spain. The Pyrenees mountains, lying along the border between France and Spain, can be seen from the town.

Hydrography

Tarbes is crossed to the east by the Adour river and to the west by the Échez and by the Gespe, a tributary which joins the Échez on the territory of the commune.

Neighbouring communes

Climate

Tarbes features an oceanic climate, with relatively hot summers, mild winters and abundant rainfall. Tarbes benefits from its privileged location in the area of the Adour, a milder microclimate than at Lourdes, from a higher altitude, and somewhat less rainy than in Pau, and sunnier. Summers are warm and often stormy, while spring is rainy and cool and autumn is mild and sunny. Winter, meanwhile, is less rigorous but can still hold some surprises. The lowest temperature was recorded in January 1985 with a temperature under shelter of. Conversely, there was a maximum temperature of in August 2003.

LocationSunshineRainSnowStormFog
Paris1,630 hrs/yr/yr15 days/yr19 days/yr13 days/yr
Nice2,694 hrs/yr/yr1 day/yr31 days/yr1 day/yr
Toulouse2,010 hrs/yr/yr7 days/yr26 days/yr44 days/yr
Pau1,850 hrs/yr/yr6 days/yr27 days/yr42 days/yr
Tarbes1,940 hrs/yr/yr9 days/yr29 days/yr31 days/yr
National average1,973 hrs/yr/yr14 days/yr22 days/yr40 days/yr

Toponymy

The town was named for the first time in the 5th century as Civitas Turba ubi castrum Bigòrra. It was an important city of the Novempopulania. Gregory of Tours in the 6th century named Talvam vicum.
In the Middle Ages it was called Tarbé, Tursa, Tarvia and also Tarbia. Not to be confused with the Tarbelli, whose capital was Dax.

Legendary origin of the name

Legend holds that the Queen of Ethiopia, Tarbis, proposed her love to Moses and that he refused. Inconsolable, she decided to leave her throne and hide her disappointment. After many wanderings, she arrived in Bigorre and built her home on the Adour to found the town of Tarbes, and its sister, on the banks of the Gave de Pau, arose as Lourdes.

History

Antiquity

In the 3rd century BC, the foundations of Tarbes began to emerge, based on the testimonies of the exhumed remains which had been buried. By need for salt trade, merchants who were likely Aquitanians travelled across the Pyrenean foothills. To continue their journey, they had to use a ford in order to cross the Adour which descended from the mountain. It was more prudent to split the loads to cross the ford as a result of which a pause was necessary. The bottom of the valley was dominated by a sandy emergence which prompted people to settle there.
Then, Tarba experienced a Roman colonisation and acquired ancient villas and large agricultural estates, found particularly in the Ormeau quarter. The existence of craft has been verified by the remains of the workshops of potters and weavers. The urban core, meanwhile, assumed the administrative functions and would have had an early Christian church in the 4th century.

Middle Ages

In the 5th and 6th centuries, as a result of the barbarian invasions which swept in successive waves, the city shrank around the castrum, of which a remnant remains in the rear courtyard of the prefecture.
In about 840 AD, the Vikings led a devastating raid following which the Bishop of Bigorre reported that the city Bigorre was beginning with the cathedral, named with originality, la Sède.
At the end of the 12th century, the count of Bigorre settled in his castle of Tarbes, resulting with the court of justice being in his suite. Then, the capital of Bigorre received a Royal Seneschal.
Two noble houses were founded in the 13th century, outside the walls, one the convent of the Cordeliers near Carrère Longue, the other being that of the Carmelites in the vicinity of the Bourg Crabé.
At the end of the medieval centuries, the city was composed of six separate fortified towns, juxtaposed and aligned on an east–west axis, where the original core was ordered around the cathedral. There were thus la Sède, Carrère, Maubourguet and Bourg Vieux flanked to the east of the Count's castle, with Bourg Neuf and Bourg Crabé each surrounded by their own walls.
During the Wars of Religion, in 1569, the troops of Jeanne d'Albret burned the cathedral, the convents and other churches as well as the bishopric. Despite the strategic destruction to try to defend Bourg Vieux, the inhabitants were massacred.

Early Modern era

In the 17th century, after the plague and the problems of housing people of war, Tarbes ensured its revival with the reconstruction of the Episcopal Palace in 1652, the foundation of a third hospital in 1690 and two new convents. Irrigation of the land and the water power used by the craftsmen were produced by the system of canals derived from the Adour.
The 18th century announced a growth of the population, and the development of agriculture, crafts and trade. The town expanded and new quarters appeared. Then, the Constituent Assembly, which included Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac, decided to undertake administrative reform and Tarbes benefitted by becoming capital of the department of the Hautes-Pyrénées.

19th century

Prerogatives of a chef-lieu

From 1800, Tarbes became the chef-lieu and headquarters of a prefecture. In 1806, Napoleon I re-established the and Tarbes gave birth to the Anglo-Arabian horse breed. In 1859, Tarbes was connected to Paris by rail.

Legacy

In the 19th century, various legacies enrich the public spaces of Tarbes. In 1853, bequeathed to the city the eponymous garden, still unfinished. In 1877, a donation by the former Mayor Antoine Brauhauban was responsible for the construction of an imposing hall which bore his name. The end of the 19th century still saw the construction of the two fountains of Place Marcadieu, a legacy of the benefactor Félicitée Duvignau.

Industrial development

After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, General Verchère de Reffye transformed the experimental workshop of Meudon construction of an artillery workshop. Thus, Tarbes became an industrial and working-class town but also asserted its military vocation by the construction of the Larrey, Soult and Reffye quarters.

20th century

During World War I, Tarbes intensified its production of artillery by virtue of its geographical position in the back country. Marshal Foch, Commander-in-Chief of all allied armies, was born in Tarbes in 1851.
During World War II, the Resistance was also part of the everyday life of the town of Tarbes, which was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
After the return of peace, the industry diversified and there was an expansion of the population. Tarbes remained a city of strong military character.

21st century

Today, Tarbes has also become a university city and the main activities are now within the tertiary sector. In addition to its privileged geographical situation, less than an hour from the Pyrenees mountains, two hours from the Atlantic Ocean and three hours from the Mediterranean via the La Pyrénéenne autoroute, the city offers a certain lifestyle and boasts a cultural life which is packed with clubs and sport.

Heraldry

Economy

Being farther away from Toulouse than other cities of Midi-Pyrénées, Tarbes may appear to display greater economic independence. Also it often occupies the second place in the regional urban hierarchy. It maintains close relations with Aquitaine and, in particular, with Pau, a nearby town of the Pre-Pyrenees.

Industry

Tarbes is the second industrial city of the region. this is particularly illustrated in the field of railway construction and aeronautics with the presence of nearby companies such as Alstom and Daher. Daher-Socata manufactures business and tourism aircraft there, including the TBM 850 and TB 20. Its headquarters and its main industrial site are located on the outskirts of the Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport in the canton of Ossun, south of Grand Tarbes, where its facilities are spread over, of which are covered surfaces. At the end of 2006, its strength stood at more than 1,050 people.
Ossun, a neighbouring commune of the agglomeration, is also home to TARMAC, a company dedicated to the dismantling of aircraft for which it was necessary to construct an imposing building. The platform is, again, installed on the Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées airport area, and revolves around the three complementary activities of storage, maintenance and deconstruction. Boostec, based in Bazet, collaborated with EADS-Astrium to build the Herschel space telescope, launched on 14 May 2009.

Zones of activity

In addition to the Aerospace Valley involving DeciElec, Socata/Daher, Pearl and Tarmac, Tarbes is developing several business parks.
Tarbes also houses the second University centre of the Midi-Pyrénées with a University Institute of technology and National School of Engineers of Tarbes having more than 5,000 students.

Tourism

The Tarbes–Lourdes–Pyrénées Airport is still the second of the Midi-Pyrénées. Also in the town centre, the Rex Hotel, a designer hotel addressing a rather affluent clientele, and the arrival of brands such as H&M and new places of leisure seem to attest to the attractiveness of the town.

Agriculture

Often presented as a "market town", Tarbes is home to important halls and market squares, allowing opportunities for local agriculture. Symbol of the local food industry, a Cooperative of including emerged at the heart of the Bastillac zone.

Transport

Air

The small Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport is situated from the town centre. This airport is served by HOP! which provides three daily and two weekend air services to Paris-Orly. Jetairfly, which ensures a connection of two flights a week during the summer. Ryanair serves London Stansted, Dublin, Lisbon and Milan Bergamo, with two and three flights a week, respectively. Meridiana connects to Rome and finally Air Nostrum offers two flights per week to Madrid Barajas. The airport also offers seasonal charter flights to and from the largest European cities.

Rail

The Gare de Tarbes railway station offers direct connections with Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Bayonne and several regional destinations.

Road

Tarbes is also served by the A64 allowing in the direction of Toulouse, to drive freely to Lannemezan or Capvern, and towards Bayonne and joining Pau, which is also accessible from the.

Public transport

The communes of are served by a bus network called Alezan. An electric shuttle for the town centre. Finally, it is possible to rent cycles in the Place du Foirail, under the Vél'en Ville system.

Politics and administration

Tarbes is the capital of the Hautes-Pyrénées department and concentrates various utilities including the court of grand instance, a branch of the Bank of France, the Chamber of Commerce and local industry, the Chamber of skilled crafts, crafts and Services.
In 2011, the municipality of Tarbes was rewarded with the label " @@@@".

Political trends and results

The municipal history of Tarbes under the Fifth Republic was marked by several waves.
In the elections of 1959, the outgoing Socialist mayor, Marcel Billières, was a victim of the resilience of the Communist Party but especially also the shift to the right, which managed to seize the city hall with the election of Paul Boyrie. He was comfortably re-elected in 1965 and 1971. However, his sudden death a few weeks before the 1977 elections caused confusion in the ranks of the outgoing majority.
In this election, the Communist prevailed in the first round, at the head of a list of union of the left. He was reelected in 1983 with 54.8% against Jean Journé, but took ill with a heart attack during the count. Raymond Erracarret was elected mayor by the municipal council. The new councillor regained his chair in 1989 with 54.1% against Jean Journé, then with a reduced majority in 1995, against Gérard Trémège.
2001 then marked a brand new change: Gérard Trémège, after a merger of the lists of DL-UDF and RPR, became mayor with 50.1% of the vote. He was re-elected on 17 March 2008 under the UMP-Radical Party label "Valoisien" this time with 54.3% and again on 23 March 2014, this time in the first round with 52.95% of the votes.

List of mayors


StartEndNamePartyOther details
March 2001In progressUMPPresident of the from 2008 to 2014
Vice-President of the from 2014
Regional Counsel from 2004
March 1983March 2001PCFGeneral Counsel
March 1977March 1983Paul ChastellainPCF
March 1959March 1977Paul BoyrieRI
March 1953March 1959Marcel BillèresSFIO

Cantons

Since the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015, the city of Tarbes is subdivided into 3 cantons:.
NamePopulation Cantonal Code
Tarbes-113,5146510
Tarbes-213,4026511
Tarbes-313,9846512

Intercommunality

Since January 2017 Tarbes is part of the. This was created by the merger of the Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Tarbes with 6 neighbouring Communautés de communes. Grand Tarbes had been created in December 1995 from the former Communauté de communes de l'agglomération tarbaise. The Communauté d'agglomération has competences related to transportation, travellers, culture, sports, environment, the university and the city's policy. It now includes 86 municipalities and has some 123,000 inhabitants.

Schools

The city has also a medical centre spread over three sites that make up the Intercommunal Hospital Centre of Tarbes - Vic-en-Bigorre. On 6 June 2003, the institution changed its name and became the Hospital Centre of Bigorre : A short stay site and two geriatric sites ; in 2016 the new hospital of Tarbes and Lourdes will be in Lanne, opposite the airport. The Ormeau Polyclinic in collaboration with the Pyrenees-Bigorre Clinic is the second centre of health in Tarbes. Every year in October, are organised the Pyrenean Days of Gynecology, of worldwide recognition.

Demography

In 2012, the commune had 41,664 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses carried out in the town since 1793. From the 21st century, the communes with more than 10,000 inhabitants have a census take place every year as a result of a sample survey, unlike the other communes which have a real census every five years.
The population of the commune of Tarbes established on 1 January 2013, at 43,034 inhabitants, thus placing the commune as fourth of the Midi-Pyrénées region after Toulouse, Montauban and Albi. In 1995, the Communauté d'agglomération of Grand Tarbes was created which, regionally, ranks third behind the Grand Toulouse, Castres-Mazamet, Grand Albigeois and before Montauban. The urban centre has 95,029 inhabitants. It includes the more urbanised communes and those nearest to Tarbes, whether or not in the Communauté d'agglomération of Grand Tarbes. We can include the communes of Juillan, Ossun, Azereix, Lanne, Barbazan-Debat, Bazet, Oursbelille, Momères and Horgues. In addition, the perimeter of the Grand Tarbes is three times less than that of the urban area which, with 115,857 inhabitants, is the second of the Pyrenees behind Toulouse and ahead of Albi and Montauban.

Outstanding public buildings and places

Public buildings

The city hall and the courthouse, classical buildings of the 19th century, adjoin the Rue Maréchal-Foch. Built in 1907, it is denoted by its candid monumentality. It is surmounted by a bell tower and faces the Place Jean-Jaurès enthroned with a statue of Danton. On the façade, one can read the motto "Concord, liberty, equality, fraternity, labour." The Hôtel Brauhauban, an 18th-century mansion, is one of its annexes.
Not far away, the Police headquarters occupies two mansions built on the north walls filled in the 18th century to give birth to the current Rue Georges-Clemenceau. The Academy of Inspection of Hautes-Pyrénées occupies a former school, built at the end of the 19th century.
In the La Sède quarter, the was housed in the old Episcopal Palace, rebuilt in the 17th century. Not far away, lies the old college of Tarbes which became the Lycée Impérial in 1853 and was renamed Lycée Théophile Gautier in 1911. The Council General of Hautes-Pyrénées also has several buildings including the former seminary of priests of the 18th century. The departmental archives are housed in a remarkable building from 1936.
Three places are devoted to the markets: The market hall and the Place Marcadieu, Brauhauban market hall and the Place du Foirail. Near the Brauhauban market hall is an Italian theatre, known as the Théâtre des Nouveautés, which was built in 1885.

Fountains and squares

The city has many fountains. The Place Marcadieu and Place Verdun reproduce the same pattern: They each have two fountains spread at either ends and not in the middle.
Félicitée Duvignau initiated this peculiarity, in Place Marcadieu, by bequest wishing for the building of fountains at each end of this vast esplanade. This relates to an eponymous Baltard-type market hall building in 1883. Inaugurated in 1897, the monumental fountain of the Quatre-Vallées, combining cast iron and sculpture, figures the valleys of Bagnères, Aure, Argelès and the plain of Tarbes. At the other end of the square, the more modest "Source de l'amour" , presents an echo of the style.
The Montaut fountain is set at the centre of this public space and was moved close to the square of the same name. Named after its donor, it is carved in stone by Nelli of the Pyrenees and was first erected in 1874.
In 2008, the ensemble was further complemented by the construction of a nearby square planted with palm trees, in the north of its namesake Sainte-Thérèse Church.
The Place de Verdun has fountains of a much more contemporary appearance. To the south, the Grande Fontaine forms a playful bell of water. It is assisted in the north by the Droits de l'Enfant fountain, where a water jet raises a ball which can be rotated by only the force of the wrist.
The Alhambra fountain, a replica of the mythical Alhambra fountain in Granada, Spain. The fountain is located at 43 Rue Maréchal-Foch in an open-air shopping area. Around the fountain is a landscaping of greenery.
The Fontaine de l'Inondation which was installed in the Place de Verdun in 1901 was relocated, in 1934, to the Place de la Courteboule in the Soult quarter. It features a family and its goat fleeing the waters contained therein. This is an allusion to the flood of 1875.
Other fountains can also be mentioned such as the one of the Cours Reffye, the one in Place Saint-Jean and that of La Gespe in the Place André-Guerlain.

Military heritage

The is composed of an park with Empire-syle buildings including the Maison du Cheval. It was created by Napoleon in 1806 and is the birthplace of a refined breed of horses, the Anglo-Arabian, which are provided to the regiments of hussars. The buildings were built with mostly local materials: Grey marmorifere stone, pebbles of the Adour, bricks and slates. It has a riding school and stables including boxes and with a set of remarkable chestnut panelled ceilings.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, Jean-Baptiste Verchère de Reffye establishes, in the old store of tobacco in Tarbes, an artillery workshop commonly referred to as "Arsenal". It was used for military armament production until 2006. The site is today turning towards the tertiary sector. The old tobacco store houses the Municipal Archives and the Massey Museum reserves. In front stands the House of associations and its bell tower.
The development of the Larrey, Soult and Reffye quarters saw the assertion of the military role of Tarbes in the 19th and 20th centuries. Several barracks were built. With regard to the Larrey barracks, the majesty of the central building, long and flanked by two side buildings, is reinforced by the existence of an accessible courtyard from a portal framed by two pavilions of neoclassical inspiration. The ensemble is located in the axis of the Leclerc martial walkways which concentrate memorials including the monumental equestrian statue of Marshal Foch erected in 1935. is represented riding Marboré, a horse owned by the Fould family.
The Reffye high school is an old military barracks surrendered by the army after World War II.

Industrial remains

The former site of the Arsenal has been renovated to accommodate shops, places of leisure, municipal or community buildings and companies. The industrial architecture of the place is preserved. Its genesis took place in 1871 with Jean-Baptiste Verchère de Reffye as the main protagonist. Its industrial deterioration occurred following the 2003 announcement of the closure of the GIAT site, heir to the arsenal of 1871.
This area is adjacent, in Aureilhan, to the Oustau ceramic factory which was founded in 1873 by. The factory buildings, abundantly decorated with glazed bricks, were protected as an Historic Monument in 1994.

Religious buildings

Cathedral, churches and mosque

Alongside the former Episcopal Palace which became the prefecture, the Notre-Dame-de-la-Sede Cathedral has a classical façade dating from the 17th century. In contrast, the apse chapel is topped by a lantern tower which was enlarged in the Gothic period and the transept dating from the 12th century are primarily marked by the Romanesque origins of the building. The high altar has a Baroque marble canopy, the implementation of which has been attributed to. One can still see the ceiling painted by and the carved in the oratory. Saint Vincent de Paul was ordained deacon, here, in 1598.
A little further from the city centre, in the direction of Pau or Ibos, is located the Sainte-Anne Church.
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church, commonly known as St. John's Church, is located in the heart of the commercial centre, straddling the pedestrianised Rue Brauhauban, and the Rue Maréchal-Foch. Repeatedly devastated during the Wars of Religion, its structure, dating from the 15th century, remains marked by the trend. In the Middle Ages, the building played a major role in the city and the States of Bigorre met there. The church houses a remarkable organ and many Baroque chapels. The high altar is a work of Jean Brunello. The Neo-Romanesque bell tower dates from the 17th century.
Of Languedoc Gothic style, the Sainte-Thérèse Church is opposite the market halls and the Place Marcadieu. Its history began with the establishment of the Carmelites in the 13th century. The bell tower, which is one of the oldest items, dates from the 15th century and is a remnant of the ancient abbey. The church was, however, largely renovated in the 19th century by the architect of the city, Claude Tiffon. It houses a superb organ, beautiful woodwork, some beautiful Baroque statues and paintings of Raymond-Marc Lagarrigue.
The Church of Saint-Antoine was constructed, near the site of the Arsenal, in 1896. It is thus to link to the past workers of this parish who were Conventual Franciscans.
The Church of Saint-Martin, the Sainte-Bernadette Church and the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Church, which is pyramid-shaped, are of contemporary architecture.
Founded in 1986, the Serbian Orthodox Church of Notre-Dame Source de Vie is decorated with beautiful murals.
In 2005, the first stone of the Omar Ibn al-Khattab Mosque was laid.

Chapels

The current Théophile Gautier high school, once led by the Doctrinaires, houses a chapel which has an altar which is classified as an historical monument. It was directed by the Bigorre sculptor during the Baroque period.
The Jeanne d'Arc institution includes a chapel with decor of Art Deco inspiration.
The Ayguerote hospital, which became retirement home, includes a Baroque chapel.
The Carmelite chapel was founded in 1870. Now owned by the town of Tarbes, the chapel became a place of exhibitions. The cloister is not accessible to the public.
The Henri Duparc Conservatory has gradually invested in its adjoining chapel.

Old mansions

The Hôtel de Bricquet.
In the La Sède quarter the prefecture and the cathedral are visible, the family home of Marshal Foch dating from the 17th century was converted into a museum. It is typically of Bigorre and remains recognisable by its yellow façade. It is possible to visit the room where he was born, and the office of the Marshal, and to observe objects which are related to him.
Other fine examples of Bigorre houses are visible on the Rue de la Victoire, Rue Clémenceau and also Rue Regiment-de-Bigorre. They are recognisable by their carved wooden doors, their coloured plaster frames which enhance grey marmorifere stone, with their wooden roofed balconies and their slate roofs pierced by skylights.
Opposite the Saint-Jean Church, the birthplace of Bertrand Barère is visible.
At the mercy of the movements of his father, Théophile Gautier was also born in Rue Brauhauban. The house is still visible today. The family, however, lived there for only three years. The Rue Brauhauban is also home to the birthplace of another poet of the 19th century, Laurent Tailhade.
English Imperial style or even villas dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, adorn the Massey Garden, the Bel Air Park, the Paul Chastellain Park and their respective quarters. The Villa Massey, in the heart of its namesake garden, is Neo-Moorish. Villa Fould, formerly the residence of Baron Achille Fould, Minister of State of Napoleon III, has been restored. It now houses the headquarters of the Pyrénées National Park. A little further away is Villa Bel Air from the beginning of the 20th century.
Art Nouveau buildings line the Rue Maréchal-Foch and Rue Bertrand Barrère.

Green spaces

Tarbes obtained its fourth flower in 2002 under the Competition of floral cities and villages and seeks to maintain this distinction. Tarbes has also received the Grand Prix national of flowering.
The Massey Garden houses a museum, the cloister of the, the, an orangerie, a wildlife park, a bandstand. Depending on the season, it is possible to visit by horse-drawn carriage and small train. It is thus a privileged relaxation area near to the Carmel exhibition hall, the Louis Aragon media library and the Berrens Park tennis courts.
At the centre of the Bel Air Park, sits the old Château Delong better known today as the Villa Bel Air which has become a children's recreation centre. The Sellerie Park, with a more urban aspect, is backed by a separate road.
The Chastellain Park is the haven of greenery of the Villa Fould which contains the administrative headquarters of the Pyrenees National Park.
The Échez Park, a recent green space, is attempting to unite the university quarters of Bastillac and Solazur.
Within the Laubadère quarter, Bois Blancs Park is, similarly, a contemporary creation. It includes five islets symbolizing the five continents plus a central island used to host events. Spaces dedicated to games and sport adorn the area devoted to Europe.
Along the leafy Leclerc paths are gathered various monuments commemorating the two world wars, and which has the equestrian statue of Marshal Foch.
The path of the banks of the Adour, also called Camin Adour, is equipped with a fitness trail and is a popular landscaped walking space enjoyed by the people of Tarbes.

Culture

Museums and exhibition spaces

The is best known for hosting the International Museum of the Hussars. However, it also presents a rich collection of fine arts. The building, located within the Massey Garden, is of Moorish style.
The exhibition room of Carmel is complementary. This place of awareness of art is a former Carmelite convent dating from 1870.
The Museum of Deportation and Resistance, inaugurated in 1989, was the brainchild of the associations of former deportees and former resistance fighters.
The museum space of the House of the Pyrénées National Park evokes the local flora and fauna.
The French national stud displays old saddles, carriages, a farrier's workshop, etc.
In the birthplace of Marshal Foch, his room has been reconstituted, along with its alcove and his office. It preserves the memories of his personal and military objects, etc.

Musical culture

The city of Tarbes is to the delight of audiophiles, with the last independent record store of the south-west, which moved premises from Pau. Located in the city centre, at 43 Rue Maréchal-Foch, it is reserved for vinyl collectors with numerous musical genres. This place attracts French and foreign travellers as they pass through the Bigorre city.

Theatres

In addition to the exhibition halls, the various stages and theatres of the city, including that of La Gespe devoted to contemporary music. La Pari, the performing arts stage, is still a place for contemporary creativity. The main theatre remains that of the Nouveautés but Le Parvis, a multidisciplinary cultural institution combining music, dance and cinema on the outskirts in the heart of the Le Meridien commercial centre, sees many pieces played within.
A cinema with eleven rooms "all-digital and 3D" opened its doors in 2010 in a former GIAT industrial building, renovated for the occasion.

Events

Throughout the year, Tarbes offers all kinds of activities, here is a comprehensive list:

Local media

Newspapers

The group of La Dépêche du Midi has a local daily edition as well as a comparable second edition branded as the La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées.
The Group publishes the weekly La semaine des Pyrénées.
A version of the weekly Le Petit Journal is also available in the department.

Radio

FM channels include several local radio stations with their premises in the urban area: Pic FM,, Atomic, etc.
Other radio stations in the region broadcast local information bulletins such as.
Some national radio stations still have studios in the city such as Fun Radio and NRJ.

Internet

Several web portals of local influence are based in Tarbes, such as .
There are still several information websites, sometimes having their own web TV broadcasts such as .

Gastronomy

Clubs

Political figures

Tarbes is twinned with: