Location and history of the resort
The station is located in the commune of Laruns in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The station is precisely at the end of the valley ofOssau.
The creation of the station was decided and undertaken entirely by the commune of Laruns in 1966. It then passed under the management of EPSA in 1978 before ending up in bankruptcy. It reopened its doors in 2006 thanks to the initiatives led by the managers of the municipality. Altiservice then takes over the station from this year until April 2019.
Also known asArtouse-Fabrègas. The ski resort Artouse is one of the most famous places of the Pyreneesnot only because of its small ski area (27klm) but especially its little yellow trainthe highest in Europe, which goes up to 1940m, to the lake ofArtouste.
The domain of Artouste
Note that Artouste is not not strictly speaking a village mountain village, but only a ski area, named after its lake (and dam) in altitudeat 1922m.
Le domain of Artouste is known for its eggs, which rise to an altitude of 1,950 m from the lake from Fabrègeswhere you can park. There are some shopsincluding ski rentalsand food and beverages.
At the top, visitors have the opportunity to appreciate the splendor of the place from this height. One can also appreciate the famous snow park whose altitude is 2,100 meters. Another trail in the park is the descent of the valley of the Soussouéou with a height of 1,350 m.
The little train of Artouste (in summer)
Since 2020 the commune has taken over the reigns the Train d’Artouste by setting up the Régie d’Artouste. This train (accessible only in summer), was built in 1922 to allow the workers to reach the dam at the top. It proposes an ascent of 10klm of tracks narrow, with a tunnel of 315m long, and above all, a panoramic view of the Soussouéou valley.
From Fabrègesthere is a train every 30 minutes, and you can make many hikesOnce you arrive at the lake.
Projects in progress
The managers of the station have considered unifying the Artouste station with Gourettebut which is blocked to considerations financial and environmental. A off-road path allowing to connect the two places is operational (for experienced people), but the risks ofavalanches are important there.
On the other hand, officials also want to strengthen the quality of the Ski de Randonnée to offer morebenefits to visitors during the winter. The objective is that all activities offered in the resort are adapted to the topology of the area. Note that the station is a pioneer in Mountain Karting, summer and winter.
The Artouste resort in figures
| ⛷️ Ski resort ⛷️ | Artouste |
| Commune | Laruns |
| Massif | Pyrenees Massif |
| Department | Pyrénées-Atlantique |
| Mountain | Pyrenees |
| ? Ski area ? | |
| Size of the village ski area (in klm): | 27 |
| Size of the village ski area with connection(s) (in klm): | 27 |
| Longest downhill ski run (in km) | 4 |
| Name of the ski area | Artouste |
| Connected station(s) | No |
| ❄ Altitude of ski area ❄ | |
| Altitude at the bottom of the ski area (in m) | 1 400 |
| Altitude at the top of the ski area (in m) | 2 100 |
| Average altitude of the ski area (in m) | 1 750 |
| Total vertical drop of the domain (in m) | 700 |
| Surface area of artificial snow (in ha) | 0 |
| ? Difficulty of ski trails ? | |
| Number of green runs | 2 |
| Number of blue trails | 9 |
| Number of red trails | 6 |
| Number of black runs | 1 |
| Total number of downhill ski trails | 18 |
| ? Ski lifts ? | |
| Ski lifts | 7 |
| Children’s treadmill | 0 |
| Fixed grip chairlifts | 3 |
| Detachable Chairlifts | 0 |
| Funiculars | 0 |
| Gondolas | 1 |
| Cable cars | 0 |
| Total number of lifts | 11 |
| ? Nordic ski area ? | |
| Number of cross-country ski trails (or Nordic area) | 0 |
| Size of the Nordic ski area (in klm): | 0 |
| ?️ Services in the station ?️ | |
| Presence of a snowpark: | Yes |
| Presence of an aquatic complex and spa | Yes |
| Trails accessible on foot from the village : | No |
| Number of year-round inhabitants (including low-lying village) | 1194 |
| Slogan of the station | Ossau Pyrenees Béarne |
| ? Access to the station ? | |
| Nearest train station: | Pau // Laurens |
| Bus shuttle to a train station: | Yes |
| Distance from Paris (in kilometers) | 853 |
| ? Price survey in the station ? | |
| Price list of the ski pass (1 day) in high season (access to the entire ski area) | 19 € |
| Price of the week pass (6 days) in high season (access to the whole ski area) | 95 € |
| Ski equipment rental rate per week (adult) | 90 € |
| Ski equipment rental rate per week (child) | 40 € |
| Rental studio 2 persons (school vacations) | 350 € |
| Family apartment rental 4 persons (school vacations) | 550 € |
| Total cost of stay for 2 adults (excluding transportation and food) | 720 € |
| Total cost of stay for 2 adults and 2 children (excluding transportation and food) | 1 105 € |
| ? Average real estate rate ? | |
| Average price per m2 of an apartment | 1 600 € |
| Average price per m2 of a chalet | 1 400 € |
| Average price of a 60m2 apartment | 96 000 € |
| Average price of a 100m2 chalet | 140 000 € |
| ? Station evaluation on 7 criteria ? | |
| Score on the average snowmaking capacity of the massif / 10 | 8 |
| Note on the ratio between the size of the ski area vs. the stay rate / 10 | 7 |
| Evaluation note of the ski area and ski lifts / 10 | 6 |
| Note on the diversity of activities offered (except skiing) / 10 | 7 |
| Note on the charm and interest of the Village / 10 | 6 |
| Note on the average cost of a stay / 10 | 9 |
| Score on the average evaluation of Internet users /10 | 7 |
| ? Final station average via 7 criteria ? | |
| Final average score according to Skidata.io / 10 | 7,1 |
| ? Ranking according to Skidata.io ? | 106th position out of 232 stations in France |
Map of the ski slopes of Arstouste
Map of the Artouste train
Artouste in 19 Questions and Answers
- What are the activities in winter in Artouste ?
The resort of Artouste is very rich in activities, especially in winter it offers activities like :
Snowboard This resort offers snowboarding for all snowboard lovers. It is even equipped with a Snow Park for even more fun.
Ski Like all ski resorts, the resort of Artouste also offers skiing. You can enjoy beautiful slopes with an incomparable panorama.
Montain Kart This activity will make you discover new sensations. You can explore the resort of Artouste on board your Kart and discover all that it has to offer in terms of landscape.
Adventure Park Adventure Park: This park offers 9 activities perfect for children aged 9 to 14 years old to have fun. Among these activities we can mention the trampoline, the zip line and the tree climbing courses.
- What are the activities in summer at Artouste resort?
The resort of Artouste also offers many summer activities such as :
Mountain biking The resort of Artouste also offers mountain biking with or without electric assistance. You will be able thanks to this activity to benefit from a course 6 marked out routes, the strong feelings ensure.
Hiking This activity allows you to discover at your own pace the nature that has to offer the resort of Artouste. You can enjoy all the benefits of a preserved mountain.
The Trial Trial : it also offers to make Trial for all the amateurs of the kind. With this activity you can race in the mountains on 8 marked courses.
The Mountain Kart Discover new sensations with this activity. It will allow you to have fun at full speed while enjoying the view offered by Ossau valley.
- What to visit in Artouste and its surroundings ?
Among these places that you must visit in Artouste, we can mention : The Train of Artouste, Creperie de l’Ours, Pourtalet pass and Camping des Gaves.
- Where to eat in Artouste ?
The resort of Artouste offers more than 10 restaurants among which we can quote: Créperie de l’Ours, Le Petit Lurien, Restaurant Auberge L’Embaradère.
Artouste offers a number of different accommodations such as the Hotel The Ayguelade, Camping des Gaves, Auberge La Caverne.
- How big is the ski area of Artouste?
The ski area of the resort of Artouste has a size of 27 kilometers, divided into 18 tracks.
- What is the altitude of the ski area of Artouste?
This area has an altitude between 1400 meters and 2100 meters high.
- What is the price of the Artouste ski pass?
Their packages start from 19 euros per day, and 95 euros per week.
- What is the average price of a rental apartment in Artouste?
For a furnished studio for 2 people, the average price is 350, and for an apartment for 4 people, the average price per week is 550 (see figures on skidata.io)
- Does the resort of Artouste have a bike park?
Yes, it has a Bike Park, it measures 22 kilometers and has 6 trails, the longest of which measures 7.5 kilometers.
- How to get to Artouste by train ?
You can easily get there from the train station of Pau or Laurens. Then you can take one of the available shuttles to get to the resort.
- What is the postal code of Artouste ?
The postal code of Artouste is 64440.
- In which department is located the station of Artouste ?
The resort of Artouste is located in the department of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
- Does the resort of Artouste have a tourist office?
The resort of Artouste is part of the tourist office. It is located at Maison de Fabrèges, 64440 Artouste, France.
- Are there any webcam in Artouste ?
Yes, there is a webcam, which you can find at this web address https://artouste.fr/ete/webcam/
- Where to find information about the weather in Artouste ?
You can find the latest weather report from the Artouste station at https://meteofrance.com/meteo-montagne/artouste/643201 .
- What is the opening date of the ski lifts in Artouste ?
In Artouste, the ski lifts usually open the first week of December until the beginning of April, but it all depends on the snow conditions in the area.
- Is there an ESF school in Artouste ?
Yes, it is at the address Office de Tourime Maison de Fabrèges, 64440 Laruns, France.
What is skidata.io’s opinion about Artouste?
In the end, skidata.io gives the average rating of 7.14/10 to the resort of Artouste, which places it among the 108e French ranks. Its strengths are : the cost of a stay, Size of the domain in relation to the rates, average snowfall.
Videos
Translated from the french original version : https://skidata.io/station/artouste/?rand=9113
Fondateur de Skidata.io, j’ai une passion pour le ski, la randonnée en montagne, ainsi que la data.
Mon objectif est de vous aider à comparer factuellement les domaines skiables et villages de montagne.