L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre

For other uses, see L'Hospitalet (disambiguation).

L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre (French pronunciation: [lɔspitalɛ pʁɛ lɑ̃dɔʁ], literally L'Hospitalet near the Andorra; Occitan: L'Espitalet) is a commune in the Ariège department of southwestern France.

L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre
Commune
A general view of L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre
Location of L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre
L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre Show map of France L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 42°35′30″N 1°48′14″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Ariège
Arrondissement	Foix
Canton	Haute-Ariège
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Arnaud Diaz[1]
Area 1	26.12 km2 (10.08 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	95
• Density	3.6/km2 (9.4/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	09139 /09390
Elevation	1,279–2,816 m (4,196–9,239 ft) (avg. 1,446 m or 4,744 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The area has a history of vulnerability to winter avalanches: one such in 1895 killed 12 (nearly 10% of the commune's population at the time), and much destruction was also caused in 1906 and 1929.^[3][4] Avalanches have from time to time blocked the N20, the main road through the commune, the most recent case being in 2008.^[5]

Transport

The Andorre-L'Hospitalet station – served by TER Occitanie regional trains between Toulouse and Latour-de-Carol and the overnight Intercités de nuit service between Paris and Latour-de-Carol – is an important international transport node for the nearby principality of Andorra, to which the station is connected by a bus link.

Local government

The village has a Mairie from which local government is organised. There is an elected mayor. The office is currently held by Arnaud Diaz.

Interior of the parish church at L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre.

Community facilities

There is a hotel in the village centre, the Hôtel du Puymorens, which has both a bar and a restaurant open to non-residents, and available to local residents. There is also a small guest house in the main street, operated as part of the French Gîtes system, with a small shop for essential supplies. There are few businesses trading in the village, although there is a small engineering company. There is a primary school, whose buildings include a residential youth centre for visiting groups. A school bus visits L'Hospitalet daily to transport older children to secondary school.

Religion

Roman Catholicism is the only organised religion in the community. There is a parish church, with churchyard, in the main street. Although the village has no resident priest, services are held regularly.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1962	129	—
1968	161	+24.8%
1975	186	+15.5%
1982	171	−8.1%
1990	146	−14.6%
1999	166	+13.7%
2008	89	−46.4%

See also

• Communes of the Ariège department
• Andorre-L'Hospitalet station