The emblematic entrance to Luchon with the famous statue of “La Lionne”, the Barcugnas district and the station.
Heading back towards the town centre, you’ll find Luchon station. It was opened on 17 June 1873 by the Compagnie des chemins de fer du Midi et du Canal latéral à la Garonne. It provided access to Montréjeau and the Toulouse-Bayonne line. The building was built to the company’s standard design, but with the addition of iron canopies to protect passengers waiting on the platform and on the exit side. These iron elements were the work of engineer and contractor Jean-Baptiste Troncquez. The arrival of the railway made it easier to transport building materials, enabling the town’s architectural development. It also made it easier for people taking the waters to come to Luchon and contributed to the growth of the spa industry. Little by little, services from the station intensified. At the beginning of the 20th century, during the Belle Epoque, there were 24 trains a day, including the prestigious Luchon-Express luxury train, which brought to Luchon a wealthy clientele from the world of the gotha, politics, arts and letters. It will be completely renovated in 2025 with the return of the train to Luchon.
Leaving the station in the direction of the town centre, you pass through the Barcugnas district, the centrepiece of which is the small church with its Romanesque marble portal dating from the 12th century. It is the most interesting part of the chapel and its tympanum depicts the stoning to death of the martyr Saint-Etienne, known in Gascon as San Stefane. The bell tower is typical of the region.
A little further on, the statue of the Lioness is a granite work by Louis de Monard. It dates from 1949. There is no particular significance to this statue, which was simply a gift from the state to the municipality of Coste-Floret. Around it, the roundabout was redeveloped a few years ago and completed with a promontory and 2 ponds.
