Natural lake at 1 997 meters above sea level, Lake Artouste takes place in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the region of New Aquitaine. Of glacial origin, the site is located in the Ossau valley, bordered by the Pyrenees National Park, and is accessible via several marked hiking trails.
Lake Artouste benefited from two periods of work of raising, in 1929 and 1962, to feed the Artouste factory, as well as the fall of the Pont de Camps. It now extends over fifty-seven hectares, and has a depth of 115 meters. It remains a very popular fishing site, rich in brown trout, Arctic charr, or cristivomers.
During the construction of the dam, between 1924 and 1929, a railway from the Sagette peak was built to transport workers on the site. Still in working order, this little Artouste train has been transformed into a tourist attraction. The departure is from the ski resort of Fabrèges, on the right bank of the lake of the same name. It allows to appreciate all the local fauna and flora, while admiring the chain of the Pyrenees which extends serenely. Today, it is the second highest tourist rail line in France, and the fifteenth in Europe.
