Canfranc-Station is located 1190 meters above the sea level, the whole district occupies an area of 71.6 km². Up north of the valley the winter sports stations of Candanchú and Astún are located.
Historically speaking, cross-border communications have marked the evolution of the val-ley: the Somport -also called at times the port of Canfranc- is the less steep and thus the most frequently employed border crossing of all the central Pyrenees. From the old horseshoe road, transformed in 1876 into a road, to the construction of the cross-border railway, inaugu-rated in 1928, and the recent road tunnel, the history of communications through the Somport has remained closely intertwined to Canfranc’s own history.
The village’s permanent population amounts to about 600 inhabitants, although its tourist character gives that figure a boost up to as high as 1500 floating permanent dwellers when hotel beds and second residences are taken into account.
Among its main heritage features and historical assets, the FFCC International Station stands out as a marvel on its own. The Station, built in 1915 and inaugurated in 1928 by Al-fonso XIII, was at that time the second largest international train station of the entire continent. The Church of Our Lady of Pilar, designed by Miguel Fisac in 1965, is another historical site of the village.
Testimony to the cross-border character of the area and as a memory of past rivalries, remarkable pieces of defensive architecture can be found all over the area. Perched on a high promontory, the Fort Coll de Ladrones dominates the view of the upper side and surveils the station placement, whereas clusters of Bunkers belonging to the Line P of defense hide in strategic locations throughout the valley, waiting to be found by the trekkers. Right at the southern entrance to the village, the fortified Rifle Turret from the XIX century gives way to the travelers.
Hidden on the deep vowels of the mountain, CSIC Scientific Underground Laboratory carries out a search for the subtlest physical phenomena in and environment of cosmic si-lence.
This summer’s Program is arranged with a good dose of Scientific outreach, as a collabo-ration in a Citizen Science Experiment is scheduled with the Canfranc Underground Labora-tory (LSC) of the CSIC. In addition to this main complementary activity, a series of other lei-sure activities are scheduled throughout the program, taking place on chosen afternoons, evenings and weekend days. Such activities are specified below:
1. Environmental study activities: walks, environmental interpretation, landscape readings, fauna, flora, geomorphology, anthropology.
2. Mountaineering activities: two hikes in the area of La Moleta-Buenavista-Ip and Estiviel-las
3. Afternoon excursions: Gabardito, Camino de Santiago.
4. Visit to neighboring towns: Villanúa, Castiello and Jaca.
5. Mountain sports: Orientation, cartography, hiking, etc.
6. Leisure activities: parties, games and gatherings.
7. Training activities: workshop on European citizenship
8. Awareness-raising activities: heritage guided tours, European values