Pic du Midi de Bigorre

About this place

The Pic du Midi de Bigorre is a mountain in the French Pyrenees, 2,877 metres high, about 23 km southeast of Lourdes in a straight line. Its summit is home to the Pic du Midi Observatory. Building of the observatory began in 1878 under a scientific society and passed to the French state in 1882 when costs spiralled. Its large 8-metre dome was completed in 1908, and in 1909 its telescope was used to discredit the theory of canals on Mars. The observatory remains part of a French astronomical research network today. The white observatory buildings and a tall transmitter mast stand on the rocky summit, which offers panoramic views over the whole Pyrenees chain, with snowy peaks and blue lakes in the valleys. At sunset the mountains glow orange and pink, and the ranks of peaks look like waves. Visitors ride the cable car up from La Mongie and walk the terraces around the observatory. It is very cold at the top even in summer and the altitude is high, so bring warm clothes. Check the weather before going, as the cable car may stop in high winds.