Travel Guide Gan

Gaston II of Foix-Béarn founded this bastide in 1335. He gave it the homonymous name of Ghent (in Belgium) in memory of the prosperous campaign of Flanders during which he distinguished himself. The village rapidly expanded southwards, outside the limits of the original bastide. At the end of the 14th century, Gan had more inhabitants than Pau. In the 16th century, a fire put an end to the influence of the town, after reconstruction only three houses with turrets remain. But some monuments remain, such as the north gate, commonly called "de prison" dating from 1371, listed as a historical monument, or the church of Saint-Barthélemy, rebuilt on the site of the primitive church of Saint-Jean. Birthplace of Pierre de Marca, a politician who became Archbishop of Paris, Gan is an important wine centre with many Jurançon wine growers, its cellar is known all over the world. It is the nerve centre of Jurançon. Its honey is world famous and the craft industry is still alive, the marble is a pride, and do not hesitate to visit the Gallo-Roman mosaics of the Villa du Pont d'Orly. From a natural heritage point of view, the town presents with the Tuilerie lake an important fossiliferous site of great geological value where you will find 600 species from the Tertiary, Eocene period. The area is classified and listed in the inventory of remarkable natural environments with, in addition, with a very specific ecosystem.