Canfranc Estación
Canfranc Estación 2024

Visiting Canfranc Estación, Spain

After reading this Travel + Leisure article about the author’s stay in Zaragoza and Canfranc Estación, Nik and I immediately knew we wanted to visit both cities during our second stay in Barcelona. We were especially excited about staying at Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel highlighted in the piece.

This luxurious hotel is set in a beautifully restored international railway station in Canfranc, which had been abandoned since the 1970s. The history of both the town and the station are absolutely fascinating. Let’s dive in!

Getting To Canfranc Estación

Located in the Spanish Pyrenees, the mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain, is the village of Canfranc Estación.

Canfranc Estación from the Present Day Train Platform
Canfranc Estación from the Present Day Train Platform. This is the back of the Hotel.

Since the hotel was at the train station we were incredibly excited to arrive by train. Little did we know that the back half of the route is closed for track maintenance. There was no mention of that when we bought the train tickets, so we took a train from Zaragoza to the town of Huesca where we transferred to a bus for the second leg of the journey. The bus made three stops along the way before arriving to the hotel which was the final stop.

Related: All About Our Visit to Zaragoza

Here’s a short video after we arrived, panning from our bus to the hotel:

While not ideal, it was a nice ride through the countryside on a highway that seemed relatively new and due to the rainy weather we saw a rainbow along the way.

Rainbow on the way to Canfranc Estación
Rainbow on the way to Canfranc Estación

Railway Station History

The international railway station opened in 1928 and served as a major hub for cross-border railway traffic between Spain and France. At its opening, Canfranc Estación was the second largest railway station in Europe (after Leipzig in Germany.)

The Opening of Canfranc Estación in 1928, adoc-photos/Corbis/Getty Images

The trains of both countries had different rail gauge, otherwise known as the distance between the two rails of a railway track. That meant trains would arrive from each country and everything from freight to passengers would transfer through the station.

Canfranc Estación, New on the Left and Old on the Right
Canfranc Estación, Old Train Platform in the Foreground, Hotel in the Background, 2024

Speaking of transfers, during World War II, the station served as both an escape route for thousands of Jews and a hub for the illicit trade of Nazi gold.

Albert Le Lay, the head of customs on the French side, has been described as the Schindler of Canfranc because of the way he helped Jews and non-Jews escape across the border into Spain.

Another View of an Abandoned Platform and the Hotel
A View of an Abandoned Platform and the Hotel, 2024

There’s also the story of cabaret star Josephine Baker who served as a spy and smuggled secrets to Winston Churchill passing through Canfranc Estación. (Really, read the article.) She was such a star, that officials barely glanced at her belongings and she was able to move along without much issue.

Canfranc Estación in 2015
Canfranc Estación in 2015 (via Wikipedia)

In the station’s heyday, its north and south wings were occupied, respectively, by French and Spanish customs officials until the stations’s closure in 1970. It then remained empty for years, as seen above.

Present Day View, Lobby Entrance and North Wing
Present Day View of the North Wing
Present Day View, Lobby Entrance and South Wing
Present Day View of the Lobby Entrance and South Wing

Somport Tunnel

The tunnel that connected the two countries was called the Somport Tunnel and was closed in 1970 as a result of a train derailment.

Present Somport Railway Tunnel from the Spain Side
Present Somport Railway Tunnel from the Spain Side

Currently, the Somport Tunnel is home to the Canfranc Underground Laboratory, an underground scientific facility. According to Wikipedia:

The laboratory, 780 m deep and protected from cosmic radiation, is mainly devoted to study rarely occurring natural phenomena such as the interactions of neutrinos of cosmic origin or dark matter with atomic nuclei.

"Entry" to the Canfranc Underground Laboratory
“Entry” to the Canfranc Underground Laboratory

Present Day

Several historic relics from the original era still stand today. Behind fencing is an abandoned platform, complete with railing. Passengers would take the stairwell down to cross the tracks into the old ticket hall or to exit the station.

Canfranc Estación Abandoned Platform
Canfranc Estación Abandoned Platform, 2024

Further down the tracks stands a railway roundtable where maintenance was once performed on engines and rail cars. Not sure what this area will look like once further development completes.

Abandoned Train Depot at Canfranc Estación, 2024
Abandoned Railway Roundtable at Canfranc Estación, 2024
View of the New Platform
View of the New Platform

The Hotel

After years of failed attempts at renovating the station and reviving the area, it was not until 2016 that necessary approvals were acquired and plans to move forward were set in motion. They did a fabulous job with the hotel finally opening in January of 2023. It’s hard to explain the size and grandeur of the hotel upon arriving. There’s not one bad angle of the building.

Canfranc Estación from Across the Street
Canfranc Estación from Across the Street, 2024

In case you’re wondering about the long name, it’s because Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel is part of the Barcelo Hotel Group, and Royal Hideaway is one of their brands in the portfolio. It’s all about the branding in this day and age.

Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel
Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel
Canfranc Estación and Nik
Canfranc Estación, Old and New and Nik taking a Picture, 2024

The idea was to rehab as many existing buildings as possible without building new ones, to construct a new station and to create green space. Some projects are still ongoing and they include turning one of the depots into a railway museum.

Canfranc Estación
Canfranc Estación, 2024

The Lobby

While the facade has been fabulously renovated, it’s the old ticket hall turned lobby that is the star of the show. Colors and tones are meant to evoke the natural, mountainous landscape surrounding the hotel.

Hotel Lobby at Canfranc Estación
Hotel Lobby at Canfranc Estación

The reception desk, with employees in a cool retro-style uniform, instantly reminded me of The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson’s 2014 film starring Ralph Fiennes, about a mountainside resort in a fictional Eastern European country.

The Renovated Ticket Hall that is now the Reception Area
The Renovated Ticket Hall that is now the Reception Area

For something to really make your head explode, this picture of the deserted ticket hall contrasted with the renovated lobby:

Abandoned Ticket Hall of Canfranc Estación
Abandoned Ticket Hall of Canfranc Estación, 2005
The Lobby of Canfranc Estación in 2024
The Lobby of Canfranc Estación in 2024

This view is towards the South wing. When you look closely, no detail is spared, including the trim on the far wall. The restored stairwell is absolutely gorgeous, along with the entire lobby.

Hotel Lobby at Canfranc Estación
Hotel Lobby at Canfranc Estación

Two additional examples of detail that I want to highlight are located high on the walls of each lobby wing.

Above the reception desk, which is part of the South (Spanish) wing, is the Spanish Coat of Arms. You can faintly see it in that old picture too.

Coat of Arms of Spain in the Canfranc Estación Lobby
Coat of Arms of Spain in the Canfranc Estación Lobby

On the opposite side where the French officials were housed is their shield of arms.

Coat of arms of France in the Canfranc Estación Lobby
Coat of arms of France in the Canfranc Estación Lobby

The Room

Our room, one of 104 in the hotel, was on the second floor in the Spanish wing (south side) of the station. We had a very comfortable bed, a nice amount of closet space, a large shower room and a heated toilet seat!

The hallway reminded me of scenes from Stanley Kubrick’s movie, The Shining.

Canfranc Estación Hotel Hallway
Canfranc Estación Hotel Hallway
The Shining Hallway

The view from our room looked out to the old and present day railway station and mountains.

View from our Room
View from our Room

Original station windows have been refurbished into unique decorative pieces in the rooms.

Original Station Window, Now Decorative Artwork
Original Station Window, Now Decorative Artwork

Restaurants and Bars

The hotel boasts about having some of the top dining options in the area. Located outside of the hotel, along its backside in a vintage train car is Canfranc Express, their Michelin Star restaurant.

View of Canfranc Express Train Car Restaurant
View of Canfranc Express Train Car Restaurant
View of Canfranc Express Train Car Restaurant
View of Canfranc Express Train Car Restaurant

Unfortunately it was closed during our visit so we could only take exterior photos.

Back inside, next to reception, is the South hallway that leads to the two other dining spaces. Through the door you first see The Art Deco Cafe, a casual spot for drinks and light bites.

The South Wing and The Art Deco Cafe
The South Wing and The Art Deco Cafe
The Art Deco Cafe
The Bar at the Art Deco Cafe

Just beyond the cafe is The International, the main restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The International Dining Space
The International Dining Space
The International Dining Space
The International Dining Windows Remind me of Sleeper Car Windows

So many of the interior details are meant to remind you of trains. Whether it’s the lamps meant to look like wheels or the table windows reminiscent of sleeper car windows.

Nik and The Art Deco Cafe
Nik and The Art Deco Cafe

Nik and I dined in the cafe our first night, having had a nice charcuterie board and a delicious piece of chocolate cake.

Light Bites at The Art Deco Cafe
Light Bites at The Art Deco Cafe

Breakfast offered a wide-ranging buffet as well as à la carte options made to order. Due to the timing of our departure, we only had one breakfast there but it was delicious. (To be fair, the hotel put together a couple of boxed lunches for us since we would be leaving before breakfast on our last day). In addition to the buffet offerings, I had two pieces of scrambled egg and avocado toast while Nik had the puff pastry of caramelized custard cream and fresh fruit.

Breakfast at Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel
Breakfast at Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel

Our second night’s dinner was at The International.

Julie at The International
Julie at The International

We started with the chicken caesar salad. My entree was the filet mignon with seared duck foie gras. I tried the foie gras, but it isn’t my thing. Nik went with the sirloin and we fished the meal with the brioche French toast for dessert. All of it was great.

Dinner at Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel

Dinner at Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel
Dinner at Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel

The North wing hallway leads to the pool, wellness center, spa and La Biblioteca lounge. (La Biblioteca is Spanish for Library.) The pool was closed for maintenance but both Nik and I enjoyed massages.

View Down the North Wing
View Down the North Wing

The teal-paneled La Biblioteca lounge is at the far end of the North wing and it’s where we ended our nights during our two night stay.

La Biblioteca Lounge
La Biblioteca
La Biblioteca Lounge
La Biblioteca
Julie and Nik at La Biblioteca
Julie and Nik at La Biblioteca
La Biblioteca
La Biblioteca

Cocktails are made table-side by bartender Valentina Vandinci. She was incredibly friendly and quite talented. You can tell she enjoys her work.

Valentina Vandici the Wonderful Bartender
Valentina Vandici the Wonderful Bartender

Canfranc the Town

Canfranc Estación, the town itself, is pretty small. It gave off German or Swiss ski town vibes with how the buildings look, especially since the area is known for skiing and hiking.

View of Canfranc Town
View of Canfranc Town
Canfranc Estación
Canfranc Estación
View of Canfranc Town
View of Canfranc Town

Places that we stopped at included Casa Flores, Pizzeria Km 667 (yes, that is its name) and Cafetería El Andén where we had churros.

Ama Gi Sculpture

A short walk from the hotel is the Ama Gi sculpture in memory of Jewish citizens murdered during World War II. Ama gi is the first known expression of the word Freedom. The sculpture symbolizes the peaks of the Pyrenees. The steel with which it is made symbolizes the rails which were paths of hope to those fleeing Nazi brutality.

Ami gi Sculpture
Ami gi Sculpture
Close-up of Ama Gi
Close-up of Ama Gi and Inscription of Shalom, Hebrew for Peace

Would Love to Return

Since our visit in mid-November 2024, the NY Times featured Canfranc Estación as one of its 25 travel destinations for 2025, coming in at No. 24. The charming town, fascinating history and revitalization of the old station into a hotel is absolutely worth a visit.

Canfranc Estación at Night, 2024
Canfranc Estación at Night, 2024

While Nik and I try not to repeat many trips, or places to stay, visiting Canfranc Estación is one I would do again in the spring or summer for a different experience. And hopefully, should we return, the train takes us the whole way.

For more on the history of the railway station, check out this documentary on YouTube. It’s really quite fascinating and worth a viewing.

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