This small village (altitude 1190 m.) was largely created due to the inauguration of a railroad crossing the Pyrenees on 18 July 1928. The trains continued running until the international train accident at nearby L'Estanguet in 1970. Canfranc Estación is most well known due to the rumours of "German gold" arriving here during World War II (see external link below). Also, British espionage smuggled information and people from Vichy France to the consulate in San Sebastián through Canfranc since the nearer Irún bordered with occupied France. The train station is the highlight of the village and was used during the filming of Doctor Zhivago. There has been talk for some time of reopening international train traffic between France and Spain, but until that time the area is profiting from its nearness to the ski resorts of Candanchú and Astún. The current population is 454.
