🚉 Hidden Spain: Discovering Canfranc Station
🚉 Hidden Spain: Discovering Canfranc Station
A Spanish Pyrenees photo journal
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Edition #93 is coming from the Spanish Pyrenees, around Canfranc.
These days I am in and around Canfranc Station, near to the French border.
I have been sharing some photos on Notes, so you can also tune in there.
We rented a wee bolt hole for a while to get some rural renewal and creative TLC.
Originally, the aim of this trip was to snowboard in the Pyrenees and enjoy the local pistes of Astun and Candanchu, but the snow is sparse, so hiking is now the plan.
Yesterday, I did my first 8km hike today around the locality to get orientated.
Central to the area, is the former Canfranc International Railway Station, which is the main landmark visible from various points in the forests and mountains nearby.
Today, I started exploring some local sights and points of interest.
The local points of interest (not all planned to be honest!) I discovered were guided by the excellent local route signage.
Most of the routes discovered today are very well marked.
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Arboretum is my new word of the week, meaning botanical collection.
This initial short 15 minute Arboretum route is easily accessible from the village and introduces some local specialities, including stone structures used for shelter:
False dome stone huts and structures are to be found in various points in this region. They were originally used for shelter.
Constructed with a built-stone technique, the roof was finished with a dome and a outlet, that functioned like a chimney to let smoke out from a wood-fire, for heat. The next one I found was nestled in woodland with the cutest door.
Later in my walk, I crossed the village via a river and started to hike up the other side of the valley, following the signs for the Casita Blanca.
The White House Refuge (Refugio in Spanish), which is as 1310 meters, was built during the reforesting and reconstruction (reinforcement and protection) of the slopes surrounding Canfranc, which were a measure to protect the station and the local community.
As I made my way back from the White House to the village, I picked up part of the Camino Aragonés route and markers, which as symbolic all around the world. Which includes, Canfranc to Somport (to the North, towards France) and Canfranc to Villanua (to the South).
I took some photos here and my next route is planned already!
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May the road rise to meet you,
love n light,
💚 Ro