National Museum and the Castle of Pau

The National Museum of Pau Castle is a Renaissance royal residence where Henry IV was born. Currently, the interior presents collections of artistic craftsmanship, including valuable Renaissance tapestries and porcelain from Sèvres.

The castle was built in the Middle Ages as a defensive fortress. For a long time it was in the hands of the rulers of the Kingdom of Navarre. It was from this dynasty that the later King of France Henry IV came. The castle was rebuilt during the Renaissance. In the nineteenth century, it served as a prison, which significantly affected the castle's interiors. Some of them were reconstructed during renovation, but most of the rooms serve primarily as exhibition halls.

The castle is built on a hill. It has the shape of the letter T, with two square towers in the corners. The facades are harmonious and symmetrical. The whole is covered by sloping roofs with decorated window bay windows. This collection of the National Museum shows mainly artistic products from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century. In addition to tapestries and porcelain, you can see jewelry, clocks, glassware and trinkets.