Canfranc Estación: staying in the ‘Titanic of the mountains’
After a long wait, this ‘show-stopping’ 104-room hotel has finally opened its doors
Canfranc International railway station in the Spanish Pyrenees inspires “almost instant comparisons” with the fictional Grand Budapest Hotel in Wes Anderson’s film of that name, said Victoria Brzezinski in The Times. “Ten times bigger than London’s St Pancras”, this “splendid beaux-arts construction surrounded by snow-capped peaks”, was the second-largest railway station in Europe when it opened in 1928. But technical issues, diplomatic difficulties, a fire and the Spanish Civil War bedevilled its early life; and after a derailment destroyed a bridge in 1970, the railway line closed and its most famous stop – now nicknamed the “Titanic of the Mountains” – shut for good.
This year the station has finally reopened its doors as a “show-stopping 104-room hotel”. The old booking hall has become an “almost ecclesiastical triple-height lobby manned by a bellboy in a 1930s-inspired uniform and kepi (pleasingly, he even has a moustache)”; restored stucco and original brass lamps frame a marble staircase that leads guests under the tracks to the forecourt; and shields line the lobby walls, including one for the République Française (France is just over the border), and another emblazoned with Alfonso XIII’s coat of arms.
The interiors have an “old-world feel”; and the food served in the “beautiful” Restaurante la Estación is a “triumph”; or you can opt for the seven-course tasting menu served in two vintage rail cars a few steps from the main hotel.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Between meals, there’s plenty to do. In winter when the station is “iced like a wedding cake”, people come to ski or snow-shoe; in other seasons, visitors can trek, ride or climb. The scenery is “filmic”, and the staff are happy to help book other activities, from hot-air balloon rides to ziplining and caving. It’s also well worth taking a historical tour of Canfranc. “After nearly 100 years of bad luck”, it seems the station’s fortunes “have finally turned”.
Doubles from £133; barcelo.com
Sign up for The Week’s Travel newsletter for destination inspiration and the latest news and trends.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The worst fast food restaurants in America
feature American Customer Satisfaction Index's most recent ranking of our nation's fast food restaurants
By The Week Staff Published
-
'The House GOP is begging to lose their majority'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Pig kidney transplant recipient dies
Speed Read Richard Slayman has passed away two months after undergoing the historic procedure
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Idea of You review: 'impossible escapism' starring Anne Hathaway
The Week Recommends Steamy romcom about a 40-year-old who falls for a boy band singer
By The Week UK Published
-
Expressionists: a 'rousing' exhibition at the Tate Modern
The Week Recommends Show mixes 'ferociously glowing masterpieces' from Kandinsky with less well-known artwork
By The Week UK Published
-
The Buddha of Suburbia: an 'orgiastic odyssey'
The Week Recommends Emma Rice brings Hanif Kureishi's 1990 novel to the stage
By The Week UK Published
-
6 stylish homes in Portland, Oregon
Feature Featuring a wall of windows in Collins View and a historic ballroom in Portland Heights
By The Week US Published
-
Tom Crewe's 6 favorite works that challenge societal norms
Feature The novelist recommends works by Margaret Oliphant, Patrick White, and more
By The Week US Published
-
On the trail of India's wild lions at Sasan Gir National Park
The Week Recommends The sanctuary is a 'roaring' conservation success
By The Week UK Published
-
Recipe: almond marmalade cake
The Week Recommends This syrupy cake can be toasted for brunch
By The Week UK Published
-
Venice Biennale 2024: from the good to the bad to the downright 'bizarre'
The Week Recommends Central exhibition features the work of some 330 artists
By The Week UK Published