History

In 1934, a private initiative started construction on the Hotel Puigmal and the rack railway to provide access to Núria Valley. This was the first step in a long road which led farming and mining to gradually give way to tourism, the backbone of the economy of El Ripollès. 

And the project faced no shortage of challenges. During the Spanish Civil War, for example, the activities were halted and not resumed until after the conflict. Between 1940 and 1950, it was a luxury tourism destination. However, in 1950 a fire led to the permanent closure of the Hotel Puigmal. 

In 1940, a cable car left here heading to what is today the Pic de l'Àliga hostel, which got its name from this ‘pic’ (peak) which rises majestically very nearby. During the Franco regime, the cable car once again provided access to the building, which was then turned into the Juan Barceló Residence owned by the Obra Sindical Educación y Descanso. Followers of the regime would go to this residence for rest and relaxation. In the late 1960s, fire left its mark yet again. They said that the maquis (resistance to the Franco regime) set this new fire. The cable car leading to the hostel was permanently out of order after the fire. 

Several years after democracy reached the country in 1987, the building came to be owned by the government of Catalonia and was turned into the Pic de l'Àliga Youth Hostel, which can now be reached by gondola.

Architecture

The building’s original structure, which still stands today, reflects a typical mountain construction: stone walls and a sloped roof (although it is made of metal instead of slate so the snow can slide off more easily). The hostel is surrounded by a large courtyard where you can ice skate. 

The water reservoirs are in the hostel's attic and hold more than 3,500 litres. This water is from Font Negra, located at an altitude of 2,400 metres, and it is channelled to the hostel, which is at 2,150 metres. These water channels date from when the building was the Hotel Puigmal. 

On 15 December 2003, the building was renovated to enlarge it and increase its capacity. The ground floor was expanded. The architect in charge of the renovation was Lluís Jordà i Sala.