The Plateau De Beille: The First Nordic Site In The Pyrenees
With the arrival of snow in the French massifs, it's time to practice cross-country skiing and snowshoeing but also sledding, dog sledding and ski joering! In the Pyrenean Massif, the Plateau de Beille offers a grandiose setting for all these winter activities. We invite you to discover this preserved site which can boast the title of the first Nordic site in the Pyrenees.
The first Nordic site in the Pyrenees
Since its opening in 1990, the Plateau de Beille ski resort in the Pyrenees has been attracting a growing number of mountain lovers, to the point of becoming the leading Nordic site in the Pyrenees.
This winter sports resort located in the department of Ariège attracts some 200,000 visitors per year. More precisely, it is located in the south of the Ariège valley, between Tarascon-sur-Ariège and Ax-les-Thermes, and can be reached via the D522 from the village of Les Cabannes.
This site owes its popularity to its grandiose and preserved setting, but also to its family atmosphere and the wide range of activities that can be practiced there between 1800 and 2000 meters of altitude.
The whole mountain on a plateau
The Plateau de Beille, once reserved for cattle breeding, is now a renowned site for cross-country skiing and other Nordic activities.
In winter, visitors can practice Nordic skiing but also snowshoeing, mountain biking, dog sledding and even hiking as the plateau is a stage of the GR10 trail that crosses the Pyrenees from east to west.
In summer, the Nordic village Angaka organizes bivouacs under a teepee or a yurt, astronomy evenings as well as a wide range of hikes, on foot, on horseback or even in cani-rando harnessed to a dog! It must be said that the plateau has 4 short hiking routes and 3 mountain bike routes.
Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy an exceptional 360-degree panorama and immerse themselves in the mountain, its breathtaking landscapes and its pastoral traditions. This plateau also regularly hosts stages of the Tour de France and the L'Ariégeoise bicycle race.
The ski resort in figures
In winter, the Plateau de Beille is a great playground for all lovers of Nordic activities. You can practice all kinds of winter sports while enjoying a direct view of many emblematic peaks of the Pyrenees.
The first Nordic site in the Pyrenees has no less than 21 cross-country ski trails (a total of 39.2 km).
There are also:
- 4 trails for snowshoeing (23.2 km)
- 4 tracks for sledging with covered carpet
- 2 trails for pedestrians with a length of 9.6 km
- 2 downhill ski slopes for beginners with a ski lift
- 1 horse-drawn sleigh track and ski joëring
- 1 dog sledding track
- 2 shooting ranges for biathlon
A rehabilitated site for a more sustainable tourism
After an investment of 8 million euros and a rehabilitation project that lasted 20 months, the Beille resort has been expanded and redesigned to better welcome its visitors and offer them more environmentally friendly facilities.
The Plateau de Beille is an exceptional natural site where tourist activity is not incompatible with landscape preservation. In particular, this project has made it possible to construct an energy-efficient building that is perfectly integrated into the landscape.
Its style is inspired by pastoral huts, with a stone base, a wooden frame and a green roof, and all the materials used are of local origin. Its bioclimatic design makes it a model of sustainable construction in the high mountains.
The Occitanie region, which has ambitions to become the first positive energy region by 2050, supported this project, which was awarded the NoWatt and Sustainable Building of Occitanie labels.
