Small ski area with great attractions
In addition to ski schools and ski kindergarten, there is a spacious practice area with its own lifts, a toboggan run, a small boardercross and a dual slalom run. Challenging downhill runs start at the Roc de la Calme, the highest point of the ski area at 2213 meters altitude, and at the Gallinera altitude station at 2127 meters. The routes also extend in part to the highest peak of the area and are spread over the Plateau de la Calme and the Vallée de la Têt.
In addition to its pistes and routes, Font-Romeu is also known for 3 special attractions. On the one hand, in 1967, halfway between the valley station and the mountain station, a height training center was built for the French team of the Olympic Games in Mexico. The “Centre National d'Entraînement en Altitude” (CNEA) has been offering a variety of altitude training courses for licensed athletes and opens its Olympic rink to the public at certain times.
The second figurehead of the small community is one of the two largest solar melting furnaces in the world, located in the district of Odeillo. The 54-meter high futuristic facility, built for research purposes, consists of 63 so-called heliostats that focus sunlight through mirrors, creating 1 megawatt of thermal power and temperatures up to 3600 degrees.
Another highlight for skiers in Font-Romeu is the famous narrow-gauge railway "Le petit train jaune", which stops at Font-Romeu. The "Ligne de Cerdagne", as the legendary mountain railway is officially called, owes its nickname to its eye-catching yellow color. Since 1910, the electric-powered narrow-gauge railway has crossed part of the Franco-Catalan Pyrenees, meandering through an impressive landscape over numerous, sometimes spectacular bridges, deep abysses and 19 tunnels. On the route, which connects the fortress town of Villefranche-de-Conflent with the international train station of Latour de Carol, rail travelers also have a unique view of the surrounding peaks and valleys such as the Vallée de la Têt with its huge viaducts and unique suspension bridges.
In the footsteps of the Catalan culture
If you also want to learn something about the Catalan culture in addition to lots of winter sports fun, Font-Romeu is also the right place. Above all, the two Romanesque monasteries "Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa" (Catalan Sant Miguel de Cuixà) and the "Abbey of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou" (Catalan Sant Martín del Canigó) near Font Romeu are considered important landmarks of the Catalan culture.
Also worth seeing is the 17th century "Chapelle de l'Ermitage", which represents a stage on the Way of St. James and has impressive votive paintings and Baroque artworks to offer.
For a more active off-piste leisure, Font-Romeu offers the Colette Besson indoor sports center, where skiers can enjoy fitness classes, pilates, strength training, tennis, squash or badminton.
An optimal relaxation program is offered in several spas in town or in the sulfur baths of the nearby villages of Dorres, Llo and Saint Thomas. Here, there are not only classic spa treatments, but also pure wellness feeling in the 36 degrees warm water and various beauty treatments, to relax after a day on the pistes extensively.
In order to make the evening an entertaining and relaxing experience, ski holidaymakers in Font-Romeu have the choice between numerous restaurants, bars, disco, cinema and casino.
Extra tip: The famous hot spring water of the region also invites to a canyoning tour of a special kind, in which even in winter pleasantly warm water temperatures are guaranteed.
