Inside the ‘Titanic of the Pyrenees' (Canfranc International Station)

In this video, I travel deep into the Spanish Pyrenees to explore the remarkable story of Canfranc, the unluckiest station in Europe.

Also known as the 'Titanic of the Pyrenees', this was once one of the most ambitious railway projects in Europe. Built in 1928 to connect Spain and France through a monumental international station, Canfranc was hailed as a grand gesture of European cooperation. Instead, it was doomed to failure.

The station was gutted by fire a few years after it opened. It survived the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War, but lost its cross-border link entirely in 1970 after a train derailed on the French side — a line that was never repaired. Over the decades, Canfranc became a decaying relic of grand plans gone wrong.

Today, after years of neglect, the site has been transformed into a luxury hotel. But its past is impossible to ignore. In this video, I trace the long and uneven journey of Canfranc — from a geopolitical white elephant to a site of espionage, to a symbol of heritage revival.

Watch my unlucky journey to Europe’s unluckiest train station here:    • The unluckiest journey to the unluckiest s...  

RECOMMENDED PLACES TO STAY
01:58 - Canfranc Estación, a Royal Hideaway Hotel:https://go.stay22.com/s5krl5aU3s

Follow Claire’s Footsteps, who joined me on this journey:    / @clairesfootsteps  

About me

Hello there, I’m Richard, the Travel Tramp. Award-winning blogger and professional travel journalist.

I’m on a quest to explore the world through its borders and boundaries.

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