Tarbes () is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. It is part of the historical region of Gascony and is the capital since 1790 of the Hautes-Pyrénées department.

It is the second largest metropolitan area of the old Midi-Pyrénées region, after Toulouse.

Name
The city is named for the first time during the 5th century like Civitas Turba ubi castrum Bigorra. It is also an important city of the Novempopulania. Gregory of Tours, in the 7th century, called the city as Talvam vicum.

During the Middle Ages, the city was named as Tarbe (1214), Tursa, Tarvia (1284) and also Tarbia.

History

A small town founded in the 3rd century B.C. became a Roman colony under the name of Tarba. It was destroyed by the Vikings in 840 and rebuilt by the Bishop of Bigorre or Tarbes.

From the twelfth century on, Tarbes became the capital of the County of Bigorre. During the religious wars, the cathedral was burnt in 1569 by Protestants but the bishop had it rebuilt in 1652.

In 1790, Tarbes became the capital of the new department of Hautes-Pyrénées.

Geography
Tarbes is located in the southwest of France, at the foot of the Pyrenees, in a fertile plain of the valley of the river Adour, at  to the northeast of Lourdes,  to the southeast of Auch,  to the east of Bayonne and  to the southwest of Toulouse.

It has an area of  and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

Two rivers flow through the city: the Adour by the east and the Échez by the west.

Neighboring municipalities

The following municipalities (communes) are around Tarbes:
 To the north: Andrest, Bazet (going to Bordeaux)
 To the northeast: Orleix, Aureilhan (going to Auch)
 To the east: Séméac (going to Saint-Gaudens, Toulouse)
 To the southeast: Soues, Barbazan-Debat
 To the south: Laloubère, Horgues (going to Bagnères-de-Bigorre)
 To the southwest: Juillan, Ossun, Hibarette, Odos (going to Lourdes, Argelès-Gazost)
 To the west: Ibos (going to Pau, Bayonne)
 To the northwest: Bordères-sur-l'Échez, Oursbelille

Climate
Tarbes has an oceanic climate with relatively hot summers, mild winters and abundant rainfall, Cfb in the Köppen climate classification.

Population
The inhabitants of Tarbes are known, in French, as Tarbais (women: Tarbaises).

The city of Tarbes has a population, in 2014, of 40,900; its population density is of  inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in Tarbes

Administration
Tarbes is the prefecture of the Hautes-Pyrénées department since 1790. It is also the capital of three Cantons:
 Tarbes-1, formed with a part of Tarbes (13,514 inhabitants) (2014)
 Tarbes-2, formed with a part of Tarbes (13,402 inhabitants) (2014)
 Tarbes-3, formed with a part of Tarbes (13,984 habitants) (2014)

It is part of the intercommunality Le Grand Tarbes ().

Sister cities 
Tarbes is twinned with:
  Huesca, Spain, since 7 May 1964
  Altenkirchen, Germany, since 24 June 1972

Transport
The Gare de Tarbes railway station offers direct connections with Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Bayonne and other cities in the region. There is a motorway that connects Tarbes with Bayonne and Toulouse. Tarbes is also served by the small Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport situated 10 kilometers away of the city centre.

Education 
 Institut national polytechnique de Toulouse

Gallery

Related pages
 Arrondissement of Tarbes
 Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department

Notes

References

Other websites

 City Council website 
 Office de Tourisme - Tarbes  
 Grand Tarbes website  
 Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées) Information 

Departmental capitals in France
Communes in Hautes-Pyrénées