Above Bilhères, on the Plateau du Bénou, there are around thirty cromlechs, Bronze Age tumuli, an engraved menhir and sandstone slabs that were used as sharpening and polishing stones during the Neolithic period. Those who have chosen Bilhères as their destination may wish to rent a holiday apartment here.
Landscape
Bilhères-en-Ossau is located halfway up the slope at an altitude of between 650 and 750 metres and offers remarkable panoramic views over the valley. The Plateau du Bénou features extensive green pastures with meadows, grazing land, heathland and forests, and is shared with the neighbouring municipality of Bielle. The distinctive summit of the Turon de Técouère is a remnant of Quaternary glacial erosion.
In the immediate vicinity of Bilhères, the road leads to the Plateau du Bénou and onwards to the Col de Marie-Blanque, a pass connecting the Aspe and Ossau valleys.
Culture
The Church of Saint John the Baptist in the centre of Bilhères has medieval origins and a neo-Gothic appearance. It was restored and extended from 1863 onwards. Its architectural features include a polygonal apse, a four-bay nave with rib vaulting and a porch-tower church with a slender spire.
The old houses of Bilhères have typical façades with magnificent, decoratively embellished doors dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. In the higher areas of Bilhères, Cuyalas, or shepherds’ mountain huts, still bear witness to the life of the shepherds.
The tourist and cultural-history trails in Bielle and Bilhères use around twenty information panels in each of the two villages. They cover houses recorded in the land register of Gaston Fébus in 1385 and illustrate the history of a society that was predominantly pastoral for centuries. Five streams run through Bilhères and once powered nine mills; five of them are still visible today.
Hiking
The hike “Les cercles de pierres au départ de Bilhères” is 7.3 km long, involves 350 metres of ascent, takes around three hours and is classified as easy.
The hike “Les cercles de pierres” begins at the stream near the Chapelle de Houndas, follows the yellow waymarkers and reaches the cromlech row at Lous Couraus. The hike “Les cercles de pierres” also leads to the cromlech site at Lou Couraus.
Experiences
The “Balade à Roulettes N°20 Le Bénou” route follows an easy path through the pastures of the Plateau de Roland; old farmhouses and barns line the route.
At the beginning of July, the Plateau du Bénou hosts a traditional transhumance gathering, where the herds come together before setting off for the high pastures. In winter, the Plateau du Bénou offers family-friendly snow activities such as sledding and snowshoeing. In summer, it is possible to go horseback riding on the Plateau du Bénou.
More local pages: Aste-Béon, Dognen, Urdès, Ustaritz, Lasse, Ahaxe-Alciette-Bascassan, La Bastide-Clairence, Mauléon-Licharre.
