Youth hostel Background

28 August 1930, Marc SANGNIER, opens the first Youth Hostel in France and creates the FRENCH LEAGUE OF YOUTH HOSTELS (LFAJ), inspired by the movement founded in Germany in 1911 by Richard SCHIRMANN.

In 1932 on the initiative of Marc SANGNIER the International Youth Hostel Federation was created (IYHF)

The Youth Hostels of the network have remained faithful to their original vocation: offering affordable accommodation all year round, offering sports and cultural activities, and favouring meetings between young people in different cultures in respect of all consciousnesses, in order to contribute to development of peace and fraternity between peoples, all social groups, and the spiritual and secular families of the world.
More than 89 years have passed… ,

Expertise in Youth Hostels remains the same but is developing… The MORE the world changes, the More the young people and the less young people are looking for the same thing :

• a friendly and participative atmosphere
• a quest for simplicity,
• authenticity throughout France and abroad

The LFAJ Hostels welcome people for a single night, a weekend, or a longer stay,

• Individual TRAVELLERS or in small groups,
• Classes and educational trips,
• Sports groups, hikers, cyclists, pilgrims, bikers and others…
• Families

LFAJ Youth Hostels and their staff reserve great plans for “AJISTES” for exploration of their region, practical information, local smallholders and their specialities.

Most of the Youth Hostels set up partnerships with the associations and local structures, both in tourism and culture and become part of the landscapes. Some of them have auxiliary activities like Foyer de Jeunes Travailleurs.

*AJISTE: User of Youth Hostels