The Pont d’Espagne was one of the first French sites to be protected.
1928 : The Pont d’Espagne was classified on 28 July 1928 under the French law of 1906 on the protection of natural monuments and sites of an artistic nature.
The classified area in the upstream basin of the Gave de Cauterets affluent was among the first in the Hautes-Pyrénées and one of the largest in France at that time.
The site was protected by the valley’s elected officials and key local figures, who quickly understood the appeal of its landscapes for tourists, given the attraction for thermal springs during this period.
At the beginning of the 20th century, when hydroelectric project developments were in full swing, this classification preserved its natural landscape, and in particular the numerous waterfalls for which the area is now famous.
1967 : The Pont d’Espagne became part of the newly created Pyrenees National Park.
1995 : Vehicle access to the upper valleys of Marcadau and Gaube became impossible following the downstream construction of the Puntas building and car park.
2013 : The region received the International Dark Sky Reserve (RICE) certification, attesting to the quality of its night landscape and starry sky.
