TRAIN DE LA RHUNE

The famous Train de la Rhune climbs valiantly up the slopes of the massif to an altitude of 905 metres. La Rhune dominates the Basque Coast, offering one of the finest 360° panoramas from sea to mountain. During the ascent, discover the flora and fauna of the Basque mountains. The massif is home to free-roaming Pottok ponies, Manech sheep and vultures. You can get there and back by train, but if you're feeling brave, you can take the 730-meter-high trail from the summit to the departure station.

The Train de la Rhune has a rich history. In the ^19th century, the slopes of the Rhune were covered by 90 trails, apparently used by Neolithic hunters, transhumant shepherds and, in 1859, by Empress Eugenie, who climbed it on a mule. It was therefore time to get organized and find solutions to attract the growing number of visitors. In 1909, the idea of a cog railway linking the Col de Saint-Ignace to the summit of La Rhune was born, and the project was accepted. On June 24, 1912, the department of Basses-Pyrénées (now Pyrénées-Atlantiques) authorized the construction and operation of the railroad. The Société anonyme des chemins de fer basques was founded the following year, and work began on the project, which was interrupted from 1914 to 1919 due to the war. Construction resumed at the end of the war, and was completed in 1924.

Now in its 100th year, the Train is in top form. Over the years, it has always competed with its counterparts around the world: the world's first cog railway was built in the USA in 1869, Switzerland's Mount Rigi in 1871 and Pilatus Bahnen in 1899, the same year as the French, Jungfraubahn in 1912, and so on. All today's equipment is vintage. These wooden carriages, like all those in the park, have been entirely restored to their original condition by local companies. In all, over 1,000 hours of work were put in, using the same tree species as in 1924: the roof is made from Pyrenean fir, the floor from Landes pine, the panelling from Ariège chestnut, and the platform from iroco, an exotic, rot-resistant African wood. The cars delivered in this way are tested for several weeks, then subjected to draconian brake tests before being declared fit for service. A train that has a bright future ahead of it when you consider that every year it welcomes over 350,000 visitors. In 2023, the Train has been given a new look thanks to a major renovation.