I saw again in my cd rom vault a couple of pictures which should be in my blog for you and me, This is a wonderful passage between my dear France and Spain, The town of Canfranc is part of the community of Jacetania , in the Huesca province, autonomous community of Aragon, Kingdom of Spain, It is 88 km from Jaca. (see posts ), This is a glorious road warrior trail taken even before there was paved roads ! with my dear late wife Martine VW Golf ,The N 134 crosses the Pyrenees at the Col du Somport at 1 632 meters above sea level. The Tunnel de Somports (see post) is now under for 8 602 meters long of it ,with 2 848 meters in France and 5 754 meters in Spain. Of course, in my way passed by Canfranc and took a peek at the train station for which these pictures are from, Therefore, here is my take on this is the Canfranc Estacion !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
From an architectural perspective, this is a building with an elongated floor plan and symmetrical structure, divided into five sections, with the central and lateral sections being forward and higher. It reaches 241 meters in length and has 75 doors on each side, giving it a considerable size building. The central body houses the lobby where the ticket office was located. Large windows, classicist pilasters, and Deco woodwork combine to create a sumptuous space. The side bodies housed the customs post, the police station, the post office, and an international hotel. It also had two underground passages. On the exterior, these volumes feature a curved, four-pitched slate roof, crowned by four pyramidal pinnacles on their flanks. The two floors of the body open onto the track area through semicircular arches, and above these two galleries, mansard openings opens into the slate roof, denoting the clear influence of French architecture. The exterior follows models of 19C French palatial architecture. The first floor of the building is open on the eastern and western fronts to the platforms, covered by a canopy on metal columns and pillars. Above this rises the second floor, opened by semicircular openings in the forward sections and by lintelled openings in the recessed sections, which also have mansard roofs covered with slate. The medium-distance trains operated by Renfe Viajeros are the only ones that stop at the station. They connect Zaragoza with Canfranc twice a day in both directions. Although there are no rail connections to France, SNCF operates TER buses that cover the Canfranc-Bedous route.
They have opened a Barcelo group hotel of Canfranc train station. a Royal Hideaway Hotel 5*, back in January 2023 ,This station was inaugurated in 1928, and railroad and history buffs know that the Canfranc International Train Station was one of the most important railway complexes in Europe in the first part of the 20C. The railroad is open up to here, from Zaragoza awaiting ok between France and Spain to continue into Pau ,still debating by the two countries, The Canfranc Estacion Hotel is a luxurious five-star palace. Nicknamed “the Titanic of the Pyrenees” with its 241 meters long located about 1,200 meters above sea level in the Pyrenees, This liner with 400 windows, now expects to welcome many tourists. Operated by Royal Hideaway Hotels & Resorts, the luxury branch of the Barceló group of Spain.
The construction of the Canfranc International Railway Station was part of the project to create a border crossing across the Pyrenees connecting Spain with France, utilizing the line that linked Tardienta with Huesca and Huesca with Jaca. Thus, all that was needed was to connect Jaca with Canfranc by railway and the Somport tunnel, placing it in the Arañones Valley. The French Midi and Northern Spain railway companies presented the project for the international station between 1909 and 1910. Construction began in 1915, following the Great War or WWI, and was completed in 1925. Inaugurated by the President of the French Republic, M. Gaston Doumergue, and King Alfonso XIII, the station entered service on July 18, 1928, enjoyed a period of splendor in the 1930s, and was closed between 1945 and 1949 due to political disagreements with the French government.
The town of Canfranc on the Canfranc Estacion : https://www.canfranc.es/turismo_canfranc_pirineos.php?idRec=5
The Aragon autonomous community tourist office on Canfranc : https://www.turismodearagon.com/ficha/canfranc/
The ADIF transports of Spain on the Canfranc Estacion : https://www.adif.es/w/74217-canfranc
The Barcelo group Royal Hideaway Canfranc hotel : https://www.barcelo.com/en-es/canfranc-estacion-a-royal-hideaway-hotel.html
There you go folks, a wonderful ride and beautiful memories of always, And me, always looking forward to do the run again, awesome experience, This is awesome territory of my dear Spain, Again, hope you enjoy the post on this is Canfranc Estacion !!! as I
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 