The tale of the Pic

The great day of the laying of the first stone of the Pic du Midi observatory under the impetus of two members of the Ramond company, General de Nansouty and the engineer Vaussenat.

The Pic became the Vaisseau des Étoiles with the construction of its first astronomical observatory: the Baillaud dome and its 50 cm telescope.

The Pic is in danger. The facilities had been damaged after the Great War and an inspection report on French observatories threatened to close the site. Local councillors, scientists and members of the public rallied together to save the Pic. This marked the beginning of a major period of development for the observatory in terms of its activities and infrastructure.

Following the "Pic 1922" operation, Bernard Lyot, engineer and scientist, took advantage of the new Pic to experiment with his coronograph. The first images of the solar corona taken at the Pic made the observatory an international centre for solar observation until the 1980s.

The Pic's first cable car goes into operation. The observatory enters a new era.

The Pic's first cable car goes into operation. The observatory enters a new era.

The international reputation of the Pic. The scale of the observatory's scientific activity, the quality of its infrastructure, its research and its results have earned it a worldwide reputation. The observatory contributed to major advances in the study of cosmic rays, the sun, the planets and the moon for the Apollo programme.

The installation of TDF. The communications antenna is transforming the face of the Pic and reinforcing its emblematic position in the Pyrenean landscape.

The scientific apogee of the Pic with the construction of the Bernard Lyot Telescope (TBL), the largest astronomical instrument on French soil. This instrument enabled the Pic to maintain its activity and its legitimacy in the face of the development of major international observatories.

In the early 1980s, the observatory was seriously threatened with closure. Competition from international observatories, the state of the buildings and the cost of running them all led to a decision to close the observatory in 1998. This marked the start of a new period of mobilisation, with the implementation of an ambitious "Pic 2000" operation, combining science and tourism.

In 1995, the local authorities joined forces with the scientists to create the Syndicat Mixte pour la Valorisation Touristique du Pic du Midi. In 1996, the French government and the Syndicat signed an agreement to open up the Pic du Midi to tourism. A €40 million project was launched. After four years of work, the threats of the past were removed and the Pic du Midi adventure could continue, looking to the future...

The opening was a success, with more and more visitors flocking to the summit throughout the year. The International Starry Sky Reserve label was obtained in 2013. The Pic continues to innovate: Freeride, Concerts, Planetarium, Interpretation Area, Pontoon in the Sky!

The summit now welcomes 140,000 visitors a year, and is turning its ambitions into reality with a number of flagship projects: Maison du Tourmalet, Hôtellerie des Laquets and a UNESCO World Heritage Site application.