On the Plateau du Bénou above Bilhères, pastoral landscapes meet archaeological remains; in the village, architecture and former uses tell the story of a history shaped largely by pastoralism. For your plans, this offers two distinct highlights: a hike to the cromlechs and traces of life in the village and surrounding highlands.
Pastoral Landscapes and Views Across the Valley
Bilhères-en-Ossau lies halfway up the slope, at an elevation of between 650 and 750 metres, and offers remarkable panoramic views across the valley. The Plateau du Bénou is shared with the neighbouring commune of Bielle. Its landscape includes green pastures, meadows and grazing land, as well as fern-covered heathland and forests. Nearby, the road leads to the plateau and on to the Col de Marie-Blanque, which connects the Aspe and Ossau valleys. The distinctive peak of the Turon de Técouère is another feature of the landscape: it is a remnant of Quaternary glacial erosion.
Cromlechs and Hiking Trails
Above Bilhères, around thirty cromlechs and Bronze Age tumuli lie on the Plateau du Bénou. There is also an engraved menhir and sandstone slabs that were used as sharpening and polishing stones in the Neolithic period. These remains vary in form and use, ranging from stone circles and tumuli to worked or engraved stones.
The hike “Les cercles de pierres au départ de Bilhères” leads to this archaeological landscape. It starts by a stream near the Chapelle de Houndas, follows the yellow trail markers and reaches the Lous Couraus cromlech row. The route is 7.3 kilometres long, climbs 350 metres, takes about three hours and is rated easy. As route details may change, check them locally before setting out.
Another option is the “Balade à Roulettes N°20 Le Bénou.” It follows an easy path through the pastures of the Plateau de Roland, passing old farmhouses and barns along the way. This gives you a choice of different routes and highlights for exploring the landscape, without requiring both routes to cover the same area.
Architecture and Traces of Village Life
The Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the village centre has medieval origins and a Neo-Gothic appearance. It was restored and extended from 1863 onwards. Its architectural features include a polygonal apse, a four-bay nave with rib vaulting and a porch-tower church topped by a slender spire.
Bilhères’ old houses also shape the village’s appearance: their characteristic façades feature richly and decoratively embellished doors dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The tourist and heritage walks in Bilhères and Bielle each use around twenty information panels. They cover houses recorded in Gaston Fébus’s land register in 1385 and illustrate the history of a society shaped largely by pastoralism over the centuries. The panels may be updated.
Five streams running through Bilhères offer further insight into the area’s history of local use. They once powered nine mills, five of which are still visible today. Higher up, Cuyalas, the shepherds’ mountain huts, continue to bear witness to the lives of herders. Together with the houses and information panels, they complement the archaeological remains with insights into the area’s pastoral way of life.
Seasons on the Plateau du Bénou
In early July, the Plateau du Bénou hosts a traditional gathering for the transhumance. The herds come together before setting off for the high pastures. In winter, the plateau offers family-friendly snow activities, including sledging and snowshoeing. In summer, visitors can go horse riding. These seasonal themes offer distinct highlights: the gathering of the herds in early July, snow activities in winter and horse riding in summer.
Discover more destinations: Musculdy, Orriule, Orthez, Sauguis-Saint-Étienne, Gurmençon, Maslacq, Viven, Sévignacq-Meyracq
For the full travel overview: Pyrenees-Atlantiques.
