The town of Pau, in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains, was a popular vacation spot for British tourists and one of several centers for photography in France in the 1850s. Jean-Jacques Heilmann, who lived in Pau, photographed the road that ran through the mountains to the village of Eaux-Chaudes with its popular hot springs. The road had just been built in 1849. It greatly eased access to Eaux-Chaudes and offered dramatic views.
