The beautiful castle in the heart of the Albères is said to be haunted by the ghost of a British spy – and is now free and open to visit.
Les Plus Beaux Villages des P-O. There are so many beautiful villages to visit in the P-O that it would be difficult to shortlist….but ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages’ de France has done just that.
Perched high on their unbelievable mountainous rocky outcrops, the castles of Queribus and Peyrepertuse dominate the beautiful rolling vineyards of Maury and Cucugnan.
Originally set up by the Rois de Majorque as a defence system to protect the Roussillon from invaders, the tours de signaux (signal towers) allowed information to be passed quickly around the region, using fire and smoke signals.
They might not all be a pulsing whirl of excitement – some are only small gatherings scantily attended – but it’s a great way to support the local producers.
Around the end of September Barcelona holds an enormous street party, La Mercè Festival.
With quaint, cobbled streets, pretty squares, lively shops, restaurants, and bars, and art and music museums, there is certainly enough temptation to hang around the town, but there is plenty going on around and about too.
An anonymous 12th century sculptor, the Master of Cabestany was not recognised until the 1930s when a Romanesque-style tympanum was unearthed during renovation work at the parish church of Cabestany.
Each year, the Ermitage de la Saint Ferréol bursts with life with the annual Festa Major. Tradition, religion, food and drink… it’s a firm favourite with the locals.
Walk east from Place de la République in Perpignan and you will arrive at the inner-city neighbourhood of St Jacques, a lively, colourful mix of native French, North Africans and Gitanes.