Pic du Jer Funicular

This funicular connects the town of Lourdes to the top of the Pic du Jer. The line includes two tunnels and a deep cutting together with a spectacular viaduct of twelve spans. The railway is single-track with counterbalanced cars and a passing loop and is 1.1 km long, powered by electricity at the top. It leaves passengers near the summit, at an altitude of 888 m. A walking trail takes visitors to the observatory and a panoramic viewpoint. The station at the lower end of the line is architecturally impressive.

After the railway reached Lourdes in 1866, large numbers of pilgrims began visiting the newly recognised holy site of the Virgin Mary. The construction of the funicular began in August 1898. It was built for tourists by the Compagnie du Funiculaire du Pic du Jer and opened to the public in June 1900. The line has undergone two renovations, the first in 1954-7 and the second between 1985 and 2007. The current cars date from the 1950s.