Tarbes

Tarbes () is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrenees 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-Pyrenees department.
It is the second largest metropolitan area of the old Midi-Pyrenees 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-Pyrenees.
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 Echez 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: Semeac (going to Saint-Gaudens, Toulouse)
To the southeast: Soues, Barbazan-Debat
To the south: Laloubere, Horgues (going to Bagneres-de-Bigorre)
To the southwest: Juillan, Ossun, Hibarette, Odos (going to Lourdes, Argeles-Gazost)
To the west: Ibos (going to Pau, Bayonne)
To the northwest: Borderes-sur-l'Echez, Oursbelille
Climate
Tarbes has an oceanic climate with relatively hot summers, mild winters and abundant rainfall, Cfb in the Koppen 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-Pyrenees 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-Pyrenees Airport situated 10 kilometers away of the city centre.