Pau is a town and commune of southwestern France, préfecture (capital) of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département. It is famous for the Boulevard des Pyrénées, a walk of three-quarters of a kilometer from the château to the Parc du Beaumont and the royal Beaumont Park with magnificent views of the mountains in the Pyrenees mountain range. Along the elevated path the iron hand-rails have plaques explaining which mountain is directly in front of you and how high it is. The Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (founded in 1972) is situated in the town and accounts for Pau's high student population.