Places to see
PRADES
|
Prades is a very pretty French town at the foot of Mount Canigou and surrounded by orchards. It has a big and colourful market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings where you can buy local produce such as the peaches and cherries that are grown in abundance here, fresh vegetables, wonderful cheeses and the excellent wine. Prades holds events and festivals throughout the year. Spanish cellist Pablo Casals fled to Prades during the Spanish civil war, stayed and established the festival that now bears his name and is held each year for two weeks in July-August at the church of St-Pierre in Prades, and also in the Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa. www.prades-tourisme.com |
MONT LOUIS  |
The highest fortified town in France, Mont Louis has a commanding veiw of the Perche and the Cerdagne to the west, the Capcir to the north, and the Confluent to the east. The fortified town consists of a citadel and a lower town built entirely within the ramparts. Also worth a visit is the Four Solair, the massive solar furnace. |
ANDORRA  |
The duty free principality of Andorra is 2 hours away by road. It is beautifully rugged with picturesque villages. Andorra la Vella is the capital and commercial centre. Skiing and shopping are its main attractions! |
PERPIGNAN
|
Perpignan is the largest city in the region, full of good restaurants, shops, museums, galleries. Steeped in history dating to before the 13th century it has many old buildings and churches, as well as the Rose Palace of the Kings of Majorca. |
VILLEFRANCHE DE CONFLENT  |
10 km to the east is the walled town of Villefranche-de-Conflent, a beautiful medieval town with complete fortified walls, and above it Fort Libéria defending the Conflent Valley. Founded in 1090 on the confluence of the Tet and the Cady, it is surrounded by rocky cliffs, and is completely fortified by ramparts and towers. It is the start of the Juan Train, and the caves of Cova Bastera and the Grotte les Canalettes are nearby.
|
ILLE-SUR-TET
|
A pretty town in the Rousillon plain, Ille-sur-Tet is situated between the Tet and its tributery the Boule. North of the town, and 15 minutes on foot, are Les Orges or 'the organs', a wonderful Circe with craggy white walls in the centre of which is a huge earth pillar. A spectacular veiwing point is further along the road towards Montabla. |
MOSSET & MOLITG-LES-BAINS
|
10 Kilometers from Olette is a pretty valley, and the towns of Mosset and Molitg-les-Bains, made famous by Rosemary Bailey in the book 'Life in a postcard'. Mosset has a Perfume Tower as well as the Tour des Parfums - an interactive exhibition about fragrances, and organises themed rambles, visits and workshops connected with the sense of smell. There is also a ski school for children and beginners. Molitg-les Bains is home to the Château de Riell and Spa baths. www.mosset.fr |
SAINT-CYPRIEN
|
Saint Cyprien is a small elegant town with palm tree lined streets and is quieter in summer than the other seaside resorts. It has retained the original Catalan village in its centre. The St Cyprien Plage has a harbour, and an artificial water expance and twisting chutes at Les Capellans which is seperated from the sea by a string of beaches. The hub of activity is concentrated around the marina and the length of sandy beaches where swimming and water sport activities. |
SAINT-ANDRE
|
The villiage of St Andre grew up around the monestery of St Andre founded in 823, where the important pre Romanesque church was eventually built in the 12 Century. Also in Saint-Andre is the Musee Transfrontalier d'Art Roman |
SAINT-GENIS-DES-FONTAINES
|
The pretty town of Saint-Genis-des-Fonteins is most famous for it's Benedictine Abbey. The marble decoration of the parish church and cloisters testify to its importance. The white marble lintel above the doorway dates from 1020. A building of its area, the cloisters are decorated in pink marble from Villefranche-de-Confluent. All the other white and grey marble is from Ceret. |
ELNE
|
At the end of the Roman Empire Elne, named after Empress Helen, was the capital of the Rousillon. Elne is surrounded by peach and apricot orchards, and the superb Catherdral cloisters of Ste-Eulalie-et-Ste-Julie attests to its former splendour. Also worth visiting are the Musee d'Archeologie, the Musee d'Histoire, the Musee Terras with art by Malliol and Terrus, and the Tropique du Papillon, where butterflies and moths fly freely in the troical hothouse. |
TAUTAVEL
|
Tautavel on the banks of the Verdouble has become an important centre of prehistory with the finding of Tautavel Man, and the subsequent establishment of the museum – the European Centre of Prehistory. |
|
|
Ceret in the Vallespir valley is one of the prettiest towns in the area, with excellent restaurants and cafes, and the Cherry Festival. The centre of the old town is filled with cobbled streets and squares all lined with plane trees. Home to some of the most famous European artists of the first half of the 20th Century, the Museum of Modern Art was established in the old town, and has an extensive collection of works. Previous famous residents in Ceret include Picasso, Severac, Brauqe, Soutine, Manolo and Chagall. |
VERNET LES BAINS  |
At the foot of the Canigou, and surrounded by woodland, Vernet-les-Bains is a wine making villiage with a casino and nightclub. Known for its spa clinic and the Cady torrent, the narrow sloping streets of old Vernet are a pleasant stroll. The church of St-Saturnin and the tower of St-Martin dominate the town, with the 12C chapel of Notre-Dame-del-Puig backed into the reconstructed fortified castle. Also interesting is the Musee de Geologie. |
LE VALLESPIR
|
South of the Canigou, the pastoral highland charm in the neighboring Tech Valley in the Vallespir region is known for its sunny days throughout the year. It is surrounded by the Parc National, including the Gorges de la Fou, and the mountain lookout town of Corsavy. The scenic main road through the valley reveals veiws of the Pyrenees and many pretty villages: Ceret, made famous by Picasso; Arle-sur-Tech made famous by Gauguin and Van Gogh; the spa town of Amelie-les-Bains and at the end of the road Prat-de-Mollo with its 13th Century Romanesque church of Ste-Juste-et-Ste-Rufine and the Fort Lagarde, and the nearby spa town of Le Preste. www.ville-arles-sur-tech.fr |
VINYARDS
|
Corbierres and Roussillon wines are from the area, and some vineyards are open for wine tasting. Corbieres Fitou wines of the area strong and full bodied. Lezignan Corbieres is a small acive town in the centre of this wine making area. Promenades lined with plain trees, tiny squares and alleyways surround the church of St-Felix. The Musee de la Vigne et du Vin is also worth a visit. The Knights Templar cellars known as the Cellier des Templiers-cave du Mas Reig at Banyuls are also worth a visit. The Byrrh Caves are in nearby Thuir Dom Brial wines can be found at Baixas: Cave des Vignerons de Baixas. Further famous local wines are Maury and Rivesaltes. |
COAST
|
Drive to the Mediteranean coast through orchards and vineyards with cellars full of mellow Rousillon wines and local Mediterranean delicacies. Visit the Cote Vermeille with sandy beaches at Argelès-Le Racou and St Cyprien, or the fauvist artists' favorite fishing port of Medieval Collioure with its Templar castle, and sit by the harbor eating seafood. Drive south along the coast to Port Vendres and Banyuls with its Multimedia Marine Reserve, and the aquarium at Canet-Plage. Continue into Spain to the Costa Brava and Barcelona returning via Figureas and the Dali museum. North along the coastal plain is the 15th Century Chateau de Salses with its walls up to 29 feet thick, once on the border with Spain Where nearby are the prehistoric remains of Homo Erectus - Tautavel Man |
FORTRESSES
|
Just north of Perpignan are the 15th Century Forteresse de Salsas. Westwards are the mountain fortresses of the Cathars, whilst magical Carcassonne has a 12th Century fortress at its heart, setting for the film Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. |
MONESTARIES
|
There are numerous chapels, churches and abbeys perched in the Pyrenees mountains. The Abbeys at St Martin de Canigou & St Michel de Cuxa are superb examples of Romanesque architecture in beautiful locations. The 1.3 km long path to St Michel de Cuxa starts almost from the gate of the house. You can go by 4x4 to visit the lovely 10th century Romanesque monastery of St Martin du Canigou, perched on Mount Canigou, sacred to all Catalans. Or take the quiet road around the foothills past the monastery of St Michel de Cuxa, also open to the public. |
FURTHER LINKS
|
