Tarbes is a city with a long and rich history, situated on a fertile plain in the foothills of the Pyrenees. It is home to the most famous French horse stud and the Massey Garden, included in the list of the most beautiful gardens in the country.
From the 5th century, Tarbes was the seat of the bishopric. The historic cathedral has survived to this day, and due to numerous reconstructions, it is now a mixture of different architectural styles. As the city grew rapidly in the 19th century due to the industrial revolution, its medieval center was thoroughly rebuilt. The vast majority of buildings are currently eclectic, neoclassical and Art Nouveau buildings. Only a few churches, restored in the spirit of the Gothic Revival style, have survived from earlier centuries.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Napleon founded stables in Tarbes, which is one of the most important places to visit the city. The National Horse Stud is open to the public. You can see stables, a riding school and auxiliary buildings in the Empire style. There is also a museum devoted to the history of breeding and the presence of horses in the lives of the inhabitants of the Pyrenees.
The biggest attraction of Tarbes is the Massey Garden, founded in the 19th century. Ornamental plants from all over the world are grown here. There is also a transferred fragment of the monastery cloisters from Saint-Sever-de-Rustan and a palace, the architecture of which is modeled on Moorish architecture.
