Canfranc may rise again — 5 years later, it HAS!

mspath · Oct 1, 2017

For those who plan to walk the Camino Aragonés reporter Chris Bockman in today's BBC
describes possible future plans for the splendid Canfranc railroad station at the old Spanish/French frontier.
See Is Europe's ghostliest train station about to rise again?

peregrina2000 · Oct 1, 2017

That is a great story!! LTfit and I slept in Canfranc, but we missed the tour because we were eating lunch and lost track of time. I was so bummed. We did hear all about how the kids in town for years were able to sneak into the station and play to their hearts' content. And then one day a French taxi driver got in somehow and found a huge stash of papers documenting all of the stolen gold that the Nazis sent out through Spain and the materiel that Franco supplied them in return.

What a huge undertaking it will be to restore that building. Wonder if they will have special pilgrim prices in the hotel?

filly · Oct 1, 2017

'From our own correspondent' radio programme on Radio 4 omitted two important points.... namely that there is an SNCF bus replacement service to assure continuity of service and secondly that the building has been beautifully reroofed with added glass pinnacles. I must say that when I walked past last year there was no sign of further impending restoration. I was able to look around from the rear without hindrance (and could have gained access...) The Camino Aragones via San Juan de la Pena was superb.... No reference was made in the programme to the actual Somport Pass which is why the train crossing is there in the first place....

Deleted member 3000 · Oct 1, 2017

The other side of the station:

jhamsuy · Oct 1, 2017

My wife and I are headed up there this Tuesday to start walking. We will be finding our way from Madrid. So any tips are welcome. Hoping to go the whole way through to Santiago. Saludos!

LTfit · Oct 1, 2017

falcon269 said:
The other side of the station:

View attachment 36559 View attachment 36560 View attachment 36561 View attachment 36562

Yes, I also have quite some eery pictures which I took around the station. It felt very weird, a snapshot in time.

The outside is spectacular but as Laurie mentioned we missed the tour.

ranthr · Oct 2, 2017

I thought the station was restored into a hotel since I passed some years ago. Hoped to get back and stay there but I guess it will take some time before it is an option.

ranthr · Oct 2, 2017

falcon269 said:
The other side of the station:

View attachment 36559 View attachment 36560 View attachment 36561 View attachment 36562

How did you get behind the fence??

Deleted member 3000 · Oct 2, 2017

ranthr said:
How did you get behind the fence??

There was no fence at the time (then only a partial fence for a year).

Patch · Oct 2, 2017

Wow, that looks really run down now. Stopped there for a couple of days 15/20 years ago when i walked the GR10. We could just go into the old station and look around, it was all in pretty good nick then. But what i do remember more was they were driving a flock of sheep through the town up into the pastures in the mountains. I have never seen so many sheep in all my life. They were the width of the main road and footpaths (which is pretty wide) and as far as the eye could see in either direction. It took about 15 minutes for the flock to work its way through the town. All controlled by 3 shepherds and about 10 dogs, the noise was deafening as apart from the bleating every 10 sheep seemed to have a bell on it.

mspath · Oct 2, 2017

The story continues with color photos in today's Telegraph--
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/d.../galleries/canfranc-abandoned-train-station/#

Glenshiro · Oct 7, 2017

I visited Canfranc Estacion in late November 2008, on one of the two (very small) trains from Zaragoza which travel there each day. The trip took 4 1/2 hours and cost €12.57. I had forgotten to allow for the fact that it would be snowing in the high Pyrenees at that time of year. The staff at Canfranc had cleared about 20 yards of platform but our train (myself and 2 other passengers) sailed past and I had to trudge back through snow to get to the exit and the coach which SNCF send (they closed the French side of the line in 1970.)

The coach driver appeared after about 10 minutes, clutching two bulging carrier bags full of cigarettes (cheaper in Spain than in France) and drove me, his only passenger, up to Col Somport, the border, and then down, via 85 hairpin bends on a road knee-deep in snow, to Oloron St-Marie to catch a train to Pau.

There were large signs outside the station then announcing its refurbishment and re-opening, so I wouldn't hold your breath!

peregrina2000 · Jan 29, 2023

A little more than 5 years, and more than 16 MILLION euros, the five star Canfranc Station Hotel is up and running. Pretty glitzy!

La histórica estación de Canfranc renace reconvertida en hotel de lujo

Clientes, vecinos y turistas se muestran encantados con el alojamiento, que este viernes ha realizado una apertura parcial de sus instalaciones

www.diariodelaltoaragon.es

Lots of photos on the official hotel welbsite. Rate for a weekday in February started at $225 US. Cheaper rates for a weekend in May, when the snow is gone!

J Willhaus · Jan 29, 2023

Maybe we will stop in this summer. Last summer everything was still all fenced and you had to go around when you got off the train. It looked pretty fabulous then even!

Flog · Jan 29, 2023

Hmm, it's great that they've rescued an iconic building, steeped in history alright, and it's been drawing plenty of tourists for quite a while now. When I first saw it four years ago, I was fascinated, spellbound even, by such a glorious, audacious building in it's spectacular setting. Now, in all it's newfound splendour, I feel the whole thing looks overcooked. Just my opinion of course.

Theatregal · Jan 29, 2023

peregrina2000 said:
A little more than 5 years, and more than 16 MILLION euros, the five star Canfranc Station Hotel is up and running. Pretty glitzy!

Wow! Bravo for saving and restoring this historic building. I think the restoration is quite elegant and a tribute to its past. I look forward to seeing it. I hope they'll let this peregrina stop in for a coffee

Thanks for posting Laurie!

Yoyo · Feb 16, 2023

I just came across this article on the Canfranc Train Station, a place that has always intrigued me, but I haven't had the opportunity to explore yet.

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/canfranc-station-hotel-opens/index.html

J Willhaus · Feb 16, 2023

Yes, I saw it this morning, too. The restoration wS still in progress last summer when we were there. I checked the price of a room since we will be on the Aragones again this summer. It was way more than a budget pilgrim accommodation, but reasonable by US travel prices at $145 per night. Does not include breakfast.

jouffroy47 · Feb 17, 2023

Thanks for posting ! I hope to pass by there when I continue along the Voie d'Arles/Aragonés this fall.

lt56ny · Feb 17, 2023

jouffroy47 said:
Thanks for posting ! I hope to pass by there when I continue along the Voie d'Arles/Aragonés this fall.

I walked from Canfrac Estacion late last October. You are in for a treat. Unfortunately when I was there I could not walk all the way up to the front of the station as it was blocked off. I also wanted to start the Camino in Samport but it was almost 2 when I arrived from Zaragoza. At the bar across from the station I was told the bus would come about 3:15 and I could probably get a taxi "around" then also. I didn't want to walk at night and thought I may have to if I waited. The 5k walk to Canfranc is beautiful. I am sure it is from Somport too. Wonderful new albergue in Canfranc. I would recommend having food to cook in the kitchen. The bar was fun and welcoming for a tapa and a beer but the food was not so good in my opinion. I don't know if you have walked this route before but it seemed that all the albergues/donativos (except Ruesta which was closing about 11/15) were closing at the end of October. I only stayed in the albergues and they were all wonderful. Would love to do it again one day. Thought of this year but I have decided to start on the Vasco. Will get there early enough next time to start in Somport.

WalkingInGers · Feb 17, 2023

lt56ny said:
I walked from Canfrac Estacion late last October. You are in for a treat. Unfortunately when I was there I could not walk all the way up to the front of the station as it was blocked off. I also wanted to start the Camino in Samport but it was almost 2 when I arrived from Zaragoza. At the bar across from the station I was told the bus would come about 3:15 and I could probably get a taxi "around" then also. I didn't want to walk at night and thought I may have to if I waited. The 5k walk to Canfranc is beautiful. I am sure it is from Somport too. Wonderful new albergue in Canfranc. I would recommend having food to cook in the kitchen. The bar was fun and welcoming for a tapa and a beer but the food was not so good in my opinion. I don't know if you have walked this route before but it seemed that all the albergues/donativos (except Ruesta which was closing about 11/15) were closing at the end of October. I only stayed in the albergues and they were all wonderful. Would love to do it again one day. Thought of this year but I have decided to start on the Vasco. Will get there early enough next time to start in Somport.

Look forward to seeing it.

Steven Dwyer · Feb 18, 2023

The photos in the article brought back memories of my Camino 2005. I was able to get inside the abandoned station Through a gap in the fence. Happy to see it is finally being reopened.