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The president of Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), Carles Ruiz Novella, and the president of the Board of Directors of the Alt Pirineu Natural Park, Josep Queró, inaugurated this morning at the Port Ainé station (Rialp) a new adapted panoramic viewpoint, called "El balconet de Port Ainé". Located at the flat foot of the car park at altitude 2000, which gives access to the JET CIM chairlift, it is fully accessible for people with reduced mobility directly from the asphalt.

In fact, it is one of the accessible viewpoints with the largest mountain panorama in all of Catalonia, offering spectacular 180-degree views looking north. From there, you can admire the Pic de Salòria, the Pica d'Estats, Tavascan, Montsent de Pallars, Llessui, the Pic de Certascan, Mont-Roig, Llavorsí and, in general, the entire axial line of the Pyrenees that borders France. In short, most of the mountains of the Alt Pirineu Natural Park and a good part of those of the Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. Information panels help identify the main peaks and points of interest in the area.

The viewpoint will become the first “selfie point” in the Natural Park area and in the whole of Pallars Sobirà. To increase the sensation of flying over the mountains, the final part of the installation protrudes a few meters from the ground and has transparent glass walls. To avoid the impact of birds, which sometimes cannot see the glass, vinyls with translucent silhouettes of birds of prey have been attached.

Ruiz highlighted the fact that Ferrocarrils mountain stations “are gateways to natural parks, spaces that allow people to get closer to nature: In winter, with snow, but outside the snow season, we also have to convert these spaces into places to enjoy the mountains”. “At FGC we have stations of all types and we work to find solutions adapted to each territory”, he added. In fact, the president of Ferrocarrils explained that the new viewpoint is an example of this conversion that FGC is seeking. “We are an important part of the territory, we want to get involved and work together so that anyone who wants to can live, grow and work there and to generate economic activity, in this case in Pallars”, he concluded.

In this sense, Queró highlighted the joint work that the Natural Park has been developing for years, together with FGC, “which allows us to energize this territory, develop activities there and, above all, do it with respect for the natural environment”.

With this new facility, Port Ainé reinforces its commitment to accessibility and diversification of the tourist offer, offering its visitors a complete experience that combines sport, nature and leisure. The park, at the same time, facilitates visits through inclusive facilities, one of the actions foreseen in its European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (CETS), a management tool that helps protected areas to continuously improve in the development of tourist activity. The construction of the viewpoint complements the improvement works of the Sant Miquel de Roní recreation area, located next to the access road to Port Ainé, through an EAFRD grant from the Natural Park to the Rialp City Council, including new tables, pergolas, the planting of trees to provide shade, creating a climate shelter in the hottest months, and the arrangement of the parking area.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the mayor of Rialp, Gerard Sabarich, the director of the Natural de l'Alt Pirineu, Marc Garriga, the director of FGC Turisme, Toni Sanmartí, and the director of the Espot Esquí and Port Ainé resorts, Xavier Bigordà.