Travel guide Pyrénées-Orientales

20% of farmland in the département is organic. Respect for the earth and living things is on the rise in the Catalan region. In vineyards, gardens and orchards, farmers are increasingly turning their attention to the agriculture of tomorrow. Visit our village markets, meet the producers, you'll be seduced and converted.

In the last century, the Pyrenees-Orientales were a source of inspiration for painters drawn by light and nature. Collioure, cradle of Fauvism, remembers Matisse and Derain. Céret keeps Picasso in its memory. And Perpignan, the "center of the world", swears by Dali! And let's not forget the renowned artists born in the region, such as Maillol and Terrus.

The département is a priceless treasure trove for those who know how to lose themselves inland and look up into the freshness of religious buildings, large and small. The region's most emblematic monuments include the Serrabone priory, the abbeys of Saint Michel de Cuxa and Saint Martin du Canigou, and the cloister at Elne.

The Canigó massif rises to an altitude of 2784 m. Visible from afar, this imposing massif has become a symbol for the Catalans, who have dubbed it the sacred mountain. Every year, at the summer solstice, the flame is rekindled at its summit and sent down to all the villages. You must climb it once in your life, for the view from the top is magnificent.

Catalan, a member of the Neolatin language family, was born in the ^8th century. The vast majority of its speakers live in Catalonia. It is a pillar of identity in this region, just as Catalan culture is alive and well, rich in tradition and claimed by a wide cross-section of the population in the Pyrénées Orientales.

The Catalan coastline stretches over 70 km with an amazing variety of landscapes, two thirds of which are sandy beaches bordered by a vast lagoon between Le Barcarès and Argelès-sur-Mer. Then come the pebble beaches and creeks. All styles of water sports activities are available on the coast: kite surfing, paddle, scuba diving...

Conflent, Vallespir, Cerdagne and Capcir are the department's mountainous regions, occupying a third of its surface area. The Catalan Pyrenees are not only a delight for hikers, skiers and mountaineers, they also offer unique ecological diversity and a wide variety of landscapes, from altitudes of 300 to almost 3000 m.

Between January and February 1939, over 500,000 Spanish refugees crossed the border to escape Franco's regime. This is the retreat that history will remember under the Spanish name of " Retirada ". Today, more than 70 years later, many descendants of the exiles live in the département and keep alive the memory of this exodus of no return.

The Catalan region is a land of rugby. With the USAP XV team, this year's French Pro D2 champions, joining the Top 14 elite, and the Catalan Dragons XIII team, competing brilliantly in the English championship and flying the "Sang et Or" colors high, with perhaps a second English Cup to their name this season.

Catalan traditions are just as alive. Going hand in hand with language and culture, they seal the seal of this regional identity. They give rise to numerous events throughout the year. The most famous are the Correfocs, the Gegants, the Castellers or the Sant Jordi celebrations.

How can we talk about military architecture without mentioning Vauban? From north to south and even in the Catalan mountains, the Sun King's architect closed the locks and consolidated the borders with Spain. The state of conservation of the buildings is surprising in Villefranche-de-Conflent, Salses, Mont Louis and at the Fort of Bellegarde in Perthus.

The terraces of the Catalan amphitheater have been planted with vines since Roman times. A mosaic of varied terroirs unique in France! The wines of Roussillon are rich, fruity and full-bodied, each expressing a particular character inspired by the land, the climate and the winemaker. Not forgetting the famous Vins Doux Naturels.