The Little Train of Artouste

Cliffside walk

Imagine rocky cliffs in full sunshine, their peaks piercing an indigo sky. That's the delicious vertigo offered by the Artouste little train. Climbing to an altitude of 2000 m, it is one of the highest trains in Europe! It's a unique opportunity to reach the summits, discover the Artouste lake and meet the sheep on the move... without getting tired.

The Petit Train d'Artouste was originally created to transport the men and materials needed to build the dam at Lac d'Artouste (in 1920). It was only 12 years later that it began to be used for tourism. So it's almost 100 years old! To find out all about this adventure, visit the museum located at the train station in Fabrèges. Admission is included in your ticket.

This space was named M3 (pronounced m cube) in reference to the millions of cubic metres of water stored in the Artouste dam. At 24 million m3 and 120 m deep, the Artouste lake is the largest reservoir in the Pyrénées Atlantiques. This source of hydroelectricity has been part of the economy of the Ossau valley.

So how do you get to this little wonder of the heights?

Head to Lac de Fabrèges (at an altitude of 1,240 m), from where you can take the cable car (eggs!) to the legendary Petit Train d'Artouste. It runs for 10km along the mountainside and takes you for a 50-minute ride to the top. Invigorating!

Hikes to the summit

From the arrival point (Sagette station), it's just a 15-minute walk to the Artouste lake and its impressive dam. This is the starting point for a number of hikes, from the gentlest to the most challenging. You can, for example, take on the mountain as far as the Arrémoulit refuge or push on to the Pic du Lurien (allow 1? hours for a challenging walk, i.e. with a good gradient). Then return to the valley on the Petit Train d'Artouste.

There are several types of ticket: Hike, Discovery, Camper, depending on whether you just want to spend the day or sleep up there. You can spend the night at the Arrémoulit hut or pitch your tent... and contemplate the stars. They're so bright in the mountains !