The Petit train d’Artouste is an almost 10 km long narrow-gauge tourist railway in the French Pyrenees.
This train route is 8 km long and was built by the Camins de Fierro d’O Meyodía company between the years 1920 and 1932 to supply materials for the construction of a bridge in Lake Artosta .
this little tourist train will allow you to climb almost at an altitude of 2,000 meters, you will have a breathtaking view of Lake Artouste.
But first, during these approximately 8 kilometers of journey, on the mountainside, you will have the opportunity to observe sublime valleys.
Today the railway carries 130,000 passengers per season. The train, made up of two to three cars, simple flatbeds with wooden seats, is pulled by one of three Renault locomotives. It only runs on Sundays during the summer.
Access : Coordinates: / Location : Laruns, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France.
Highlights :
- The Artouste little train station is located in the Ossau valley, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
- The Petit Train d’Artouste is the highest tourist railway line in Europe: rising up to 2000 meters above sea level.
- There are several types of tickets: Hiking, Discovery, Camper, depending on whether you only want to spend the day.
- The museum located at the train’s departure point, in Fabrèges. Entrance is included in your ticket.
- The train is located in the heart of the Ossau valley, 1 hour from Pau and 30 minutes from Panticosa (Spain).
- At the arrival of the rail excursion, you can find the Lake Artouste and its impressive dam.
- Hiking : The Lake Artouste and its impressive dam it is the start of several hikes in the area.
Go next : Fabrèges Lake (at an altitude of 1,240 m) / The Artouste ski resort , in the Pyrenees, with a 150-hectare ski area and 17 slopes spread over 25 km.
