Vernet-les-Bains was the first village arboretum in France, a designation that means over 2,000 trees of more than 320 species have been planted and labelled throughout the town and its surrounding paths. The collection ranges from native Pyrenean species — silver fir, beech, rowan — to rarities from Asia, the Americas, and the Pacific. White metal labels on each tree give the Latin and common name and the origin.
Walking the arboretum circuit takes about an hour and can be combined with the riverside path along the Cady. The collection is best in spring when many of the ornamental species are in flower, and again in autumn for the colour. It is an unexpectedly serious botanical collection for a small mountain town, and the labelling is meticulous.