THE BEAUTY OF PERPIGNAN, FRANCE

MOUNTAINS, SEA, VINEYARDS,

CATALAN & FRENCH CUISINE

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Perpignan in French or Perpinya' in Catalan is a vibrant mixture of culture and history and was for many years the capital of the Kings of Majorca. The castle is perched above the "old town" and the narrow winding streets within the original rampart walls are fascinating to explore, with an eclectic mix of everything from designer shops to social housing, to lovely plazas like "La Place de la Republique," where you can enjoy a croissant and coffee or head over to "Le Figuier" for some outstanding tapas! The beach is just 15 minutes away, scenic walks in the foothills of the Pyrénées are just 20 minutes away, you can hop over to Barcelona in 45 minutes on the TGV train for some cheap shopping and great Catalan food and if you fancy a trip to the mountains a 1.5 hour drive will take you into the ski-slopes.

 

The TGV makes the city a major hub linking Montpellier, Barcelona and Paris. When you add the vineyards, orchards, lakes, rivers and lagoons, you realise how spoilt for choice you are here. One of the most famous landmarks in Perpignan is probably “The Castillet”, the gatehouse which originally held prisoners at the entrance to the old town, but which now houses a small museum. If you climb the stairs inside, you will reach stunning views over the Roussillon plain. We have a huge new shopping mall (with an amazing roof made up of solar panels to take advantage of the 300 days of sunshine), two new hotels, new offices and pedestrian areas.

 

Perpignan is considered "El Centro del Mon" in a nod to Salvador Dali who once declared Perpignan Station as "The Centre of The World". Further into the town is the new Théâtre de l’Archipel (made up of cubes with an adjoining pebble-shaped building), and a very modern "Suite-Hotel" of studio apartments for business travellers. The architecture is ecclectic and makes it very plain that Perpignan is anticipating a prosperous future.