The Gave d'Ossau is the torrential river flowing through the

Ossau Valley The Ossau Valley (French: ''Vallée d'Ossau''; Gascon: ''Aussau'' / ''la vath d'Aussau'') is a valley of the France, French Pyrénées, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''departments of France, département''. Administration 18 communes of France, ...

, one of the three main valleys of the High-

Béarn The Béarn (; ; oc, Bearn or ''Biarn''; eu, Bearno or ''Biarno''; or ''Bearnia'') is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Bas ...

(

Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pyrénées-Atlantiques (; Gascon Occitan: ''Pirenèus Atlantics''; eu, Pirinio Atlantiarrak or ) is a department in the southwest corner of France and of the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Pyrenees mountain range and the Atlanti ...

), in the Southwest of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is formed in Gabas from the confluence of two

gave GAVE may refer to: * Gave (Melgaço), a parish in Portugal * Gave (placename element), a French word meaning ''torrential river'' in the west Pyrenees * Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a medical condition * Gabinete de Avaliação Educacio ...

s coming from both sides of the

Pic du Midi d'Ossau The Pic du Midi d'Ossau (2,884 m) is a mountain rising above the Ossau Valley in the French Pyrenees. Despite possessing neither a glacier nor, in the context of the range, a particularly high summit, its distinctive shape makes it a symbol of ...

: * the

Gave de Bious GAVE may refer to: * Gave (Melgaço), a parish in Portugal * Gave (placename element), a French word meaning ''torrential river'' in the west Pyrenees * Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a medical condition * Gabinete de Avaliação Educaci ...

, from the Pic d'Astu (west) * the

Gave du Brousset GAVE may refer to: * Gave (Melgaço), a parish in Portugal * Gave (placename element), a French word meaning ''torrential river'' in the west Pyrenees * Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a medical condition * Gabinete de Avaliação Educaci ...

, from the Anéou Circus (east). After joining the

Gave d'Aspe The Gave d'Aspe is a torrential river flowing through the Aspe Valley, one of the three main valleys of the High- Béarn (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), in the southwest of France. It is long. It is formed in the ''Aspe Cirque'', below the Aspe pea ...

, in

Oloron-Sainte-Marie Oloron-Sainte-Marie (; oc, Auloron e Senta Maria; eu, Oloroe-Donamaria) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Aquitaine), southwestern France. History The town was founded by the ...

, it forms the

Gave d'Oloron The Gave d'Oloron is a river of south-western France near the border with Spain. It takes its name from the city Oloron-Sainte-Marie, where it is formed from the rivers Gave d'Aspe and Gave d'Ossau. It joins the Gave de Pau in Peyrehorade to form ...

. It is considered the upper course of the Gave d'Oloron by Sandre. Throughout its length, the river is paralleled by the D934 road that runs from Pau to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, via the

Col du Pourtalet The Col du Pourtalet, El Portalet or Portalet d'Aneu is a mountain pass and border crossing in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain. The pass reaches an elevation of , and links the Ossau and Tena valleys. The road across the pass is known as ...

. In Castet, a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

forms the

Lac de Castet Lac de Castet is a lake in Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territori ...

Main tributaries

* (R)

Gave de Soussouéou GAVE may refer to: * Gave (Melgaço), a parish in Portugal * Gave (placename element), a French word meaning ''torrential river'' in the west Pyrenees * Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a medical condition * Gabinete de Avaliação Educacio ...

* (L) Gée from the Coig Arras, in the Gorges du Bitet * (R) Valentin, from

Gourette Gourette () is a winter sports resort in the French Pyrenees. It is located in the commune of Eaux-Bonnes in the ''département'' of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, on the D 918 road which passes through the Col d'Aubisque mountain pass. The closest a ...

** (R)

Cély Cély (), also known as Cély-en-Bière (), is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Demographics The inhabitants are called ''Célysiens''. See also *Communes of the Seine-et-Marne de ...

, from the

Col d'Aubisque The Col d'Aubisque ( oc, Còth d'Aubisca) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees south of Tarbes and Pau in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Aquitaine region of France.Chany, Pierre (1988), La Fabuleuse Histoire du T ...

* (L) l'Arrioutort, in

Laruns Laruns (; oc, Laruntz) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is situated at the confluence of two mountain streams, the Gave d'Ossau and its tributary, the Valentin. Formerly part of the province ...

* (R) Canceigt. * (R) Sourde, in Aste. * (L) Arriou Mage, in Bielle. * (R)

Lau Lau or LAU may refer to: People * Lau (surname) * Liu (劉/刘), a common Chinese family name transliterated Lau in Cantonese and Hokkien * Lau clan, one of the Saraswat Brahmin clans of Punjab * LAU (musician): Laura Fares Places * Lebane ...

Départements and towns

: Gabas,

Eaux-Chaudes Eaux-Chaudes is a spa in the valley of the Gave d'Ossau in the French Pyrenees. Location The village is located beside the river, at the southern entrance to the Gorge du Hourat. It is separated from the spa town of Eaux-Bonnes by the Massif ...

Béost Béost (; oc-gsc, Biost) is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in southwestern France. See also * Ossau Valley * Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 communes of the Pyréné ...

Aste-Béon Aste-Béon (; oc, Asta e Bion) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Astois et Béonais'' or ''Astoises et Béonaises''. Ge ...

Gère-Bélesten Gère-Bélesten is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also * Ossau Valley * Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 communes of the Pyrénées-Atlant ...

, Bielle,

Castet Castet is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also * Lac de Castet * Ossau Valley * Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 communes of the Pyrén ...

Louvie-Juzon Louvie-Juzon (; oc, Lobier de Baish) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. See also * Ossau Valley *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the ...

Izeste Izeste (; oc, Isesta) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. Its inhabitants are called ''Isestois''. Notable people * Théophile de Bordeu (born in Izeste in 1722; died in ...

Arudy Arudy (; Gascon: Arudi) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Arudyens'' or ''Arudyennes''. The commune has been awarded o ...

, Oloron-Sainte-Marie.

References

External links

Ossau.net web site
{{Authority control Rivers of France Rivers of Pyrénées-Atlantiques Rivers of Nouvelle-Aquitaine