We use cookies. If you agree with the terms and conditions you can continue to browse the site.

Esquiades.com

Search and Book

France

(38 destinations)

Les Deux Alpes

Tignes

Val d'Isère

View all resorts

Andorra

(3 destinations)

Grandvalira

Vallnord Pal-Arinsal

Ordino-Arcalís

Spain

(14 destinations)

Boí Taüll

Port Ainé

Espot Esquí

View all resorts

Austria

(7 destinations)

St. Anton - Ski Arlberg

Innsbruck SKI plus city Pass

Ischgl

View all resorts

Switzerland

(11 destinations)

Zermatt International

Jungfrau (Grindelwald + Wengen + Mürren + Schilthorn)

Arosa Lenzerheide

View all resorts

Italy

(4 destinations)

Vialattea (Sestriere - Sauze d'Oulx)

Dolomiti Superski

Cervinia

View all resorts

All Ski Resorts

France

(2 destinations)

Hotels in the French Pyrenees

Hotels in the French Alps

Andorra

(1 destination)

Hotels in Andorra

Spain

(2 destinations)

Hotels in the Pyrenees

Hotels in Sierra Nevada

Austria

(1 destination)

Hotels in Austria

Switzerland

(1 destination)

Hotels in Switzerland

Italy

(1 destination)

Hotels in the Italian Alps

Portugal

(1 destination)

Hotels in Serra da Estrela

All hotels

Countries

France (38 destinations)

Andorra (3 destinations)

Spain (14 destinations)

Austria (7 destinations)

Switzerland (11 destinations)

Italy (4 destinations)

All Ski Resorts

Countries

France (2 destinations)

Andorra (1 destination)

Spain (2 destinations)

Austria (1 destination)

Switzerland (1 destination)

Italy (1 destination)

Portugal (1 destination)

All hotels

Oops, we didn't find any results matching your search. Try modifying the destination.

Well, it seems that our searcher has lost his way. As soon as he finds his compass he'll be back.

Where do you want to ski?

Les Angles ski resort turns 60 years old and will celebrate it this Saturday

Published: Jan 3, 2024

Content

1 The new subway car park lot and media library

2 The adapted ski resort

3 The family destination

4 The history of Les Angles

5 Chronographic summary of Les Angles

Pla de Mir was the first expansion area of Les Angles.

On January 9, 1964, the two-people chairlift 'Jassettes' was put into operation. That lift and a ski lift at Llaret marked the culmination of a project initiated by Paul Samson, then mayor of Les Angles, the village that would later give its name to the ski resort.

The official inauguration was left for January 15 of that year, but Les Angles wanted to bring forward a few days the celebration of its 60th anniversary. This coming Saturday, January 6, the Capcir ski resort awaits fans, friends, and especially fans, with an extensive festive program that will be used to inaugurate the new three-storey subway car park lot. It is completely free of charge, and has been used to build the Paul Samson Square.

A giant aperitif, the descent of torches or a fireworks display will complement the festive day which includes bands and street performances, parade, fireworks display, and lots of music.

The new subway car park lot and media library

The car park lot is completely free of charge and has capacity for 180 vehicles. Some spaces are equipped with electric charging points. The upper part is intended for the new Paul Samson square, the mayor who promoted the Les Angles station. A merry-go-round has been placed there and it will be the space for the flea market and some events.

Very close to the car park lot, where the municipal school used to be, the new media library has been built with a movie theater and a large selection of books and films, as well as a coworking area with wifi connection and a place to hold business meetings.

Also noteworthy are the new ticket offices located at the lower station of the Les Pellegrins cable car.

The adapted ski resort

With an Olympic ambassador like Cécile Hernandez, Les Angles is the resort village also designed for people with reduced mobility. For them and their companions, the Pyrénées-Orientales ski resort offers a 50% discount.

Access to the gondola lift Les Pélerins is possible thanks to an entrance ramp. The Pla del Mir and Les Jassettes chairlifts are also adapted for these skiers. A wooden footbridge at the top of the gondola lift allows easy access to the mountain restaurant Le Chalet.

The family destination

Since 2014, the resort village of Les Angles has held the Famille Plus label. A label certifying the quality of the welcome, activities and services offered to families and children, a perfect indication when choosing the village's activities. They offer a personalized welcome, activities and entertainment for children, adapted price list, nearby medical service and ski areas for beginners.

The history of Les Angles

In the 1950s Les Angles was still a small mountain village, perched on the placid waters of the newly created Lac de Matemale, surrounded by deep forests and adorned by the ruins of its medieval castle. Paul Samson watches with interest the development of Font-Romeu, a favourite of the elite thanks to its Grand Hôtel. He has great friends in the central Pyrenees, especially in Saint-Lary-Soulan, where he meets the parents of the ski champion Isabelle Mir, medalist in the 1968 Olympic Games.

The small village of Les Angles in the 1960s.

He soon realized that he had before him the future of his village, the antidote to the rural exodus that was hitting the mountain areas hard and the depopulation it would bring with it. He set out to seek financing from the banks, which were initially very reluctant, and then turned to the prefecture, which did not have much confidence in his efforts either.

In the end, it was the Direction Départementale de l'Équipement (DDE) that welcomed the project, although it made many demands, such as that it had to have a hotel or ski stores. The gamble was so far-fetched (he wanted to borrow a sum equivalent to 50 years of the municipal budget) that the City Council of Les Angles had to agree to put up the Matte forest as collateral.

At that time, the skis were made of wood, the Compagnie républicaine de Sécurité en Montagne (CRS) was in charge of the security of the first slopes, and the tourists had to stay in barns, because the success was so fast that there was no time to build more accommodations. When Les Angles was inaugurated, there was only the Hotel Le Llaret.

The ski resort of Les Angles stopped the depopulation and made the village grow.

The pace of development was rapid. New facilities were inaugurated practically every year, old barns were transformed into cottages and local residents provided accommodation for skiers who, for a time, lived with the cows.

Les Angles tripled its population in winter. The resort invested in snow cannons, opened up to new areas such as Pla del Mir, Baliu and Coste Verde, and built car park lots and ski lockers . It has also worked to maintain a strong Catalan identity, with a range of popular events that set it apart from other resorts.

The first piste opened in 1964. A little more than 50 years later, Les Angles has 55 skiable km with a vertical drop of 800 meters and 45 runs, of which 14 green and 9 blue for the less experienced, and 14 red and 8 black for the more adventurous.

Chronographic summary of Les Angles

- In 1970, the first gondola lift in the Pyrenees was installed;
- in 1973 it was extended to the new Pla del Mir ski area.
- in 1975 the first "Manéou" holiday center was inaugurated;
- in January 1987, the Trace Catalane was created;
- the first snow cannons arrived in December 1987;
- in 1988, the Bleu Neige area (bowling alley, swimming pool and ice rink) was created;
- in 1991, the Snow Park was created;
- in 1994, the Animal Park; and,
- in December 2018, the opening of Angléo, Balnéo & Spa took place.

The economy generated by the ski resort and the complementary activities mean that the village of Les Angles now has a population of almost 600 inhabitants all year round and more than 18,000 during the winter holiday s. Les Angles is currently one of the top 5 resorts in the Pyrenees.