Look out for the Tour de la Monnaie , set slightly apart , and home to a royal mint until the French Revolution . And look down onto the geometric patterns of the Renaissance Gardens . Then head across the deep ditch via the Pont d ’ Honneur to the courtyard and main entrance . Inside , the birthplace of Henri de Bourbon – later Henri III of Navarre and Henri IV of France - houses rich collections of drawings , paintings and sculptures , plus an important collection of Louis XIV and Louis XV tapestries .
Opposite the castle entrance , the Hotel Sully is one of several mansions in the Quartier du Château . Legends has it that brushing the Basset Hound door-knocker will mend a broken heart . More imposing buildings line Rue Joffre , formerly named simply Grande Rue , and now one of an increasing number of pedestrianised streets in the town centre .
But head down the steps behind the castle to discover the Hédas district , one of the oldest parts of the city and recently given an urban makeover . Women once came here to fetch water from the Hédas brook , which now flows underground . Today , a pleasant walkway links play areas and tiny parks , nestled beneath the backs of multi-storied properties facing the mountains .
Pau is full of surprises and I discovered one of its best on Rue Tran , which runs parallel with Rue du Hédas . Just take a right up Rue des Cordeliers . Here the Musée Bernadotte recalls the extraordinary life of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte , a humble solider born in Pau in 1870 who rose to become