Introduction
904km (562 miles) SW of Paris; 369km (229 miles) NW of Marseille; 64km (40 miles) S of Narbonne
At Perpignan you might think you've crossed the border into Spain, for it was once Catalonia's second city after Barcelona. Even earlier it was the capital of the kingdom of Majorca. But when the Roussillon -- the French part of Catalonia -- was finally partitioned off, Perpignan became permanently French by the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. However, Catalan is still spoken here, especially among the country people.
Legend has it that Perpignan derives its name from Père Pinya, a plowman who followed the Tèt River down the Pyrenees mountains to the site of the town today, where he cultivated the fertile soil while the river kept its promise to water the fields.
Today Perpignan is content to rest on its former glory. Its 120,000 residents enjoy the closeness of the Côte Catalane (the coastline of Catalonia, in neighboring Spain) and the mountains to the north. The pace is relaxed:...
more local info
-
-
Palais des Rois de Majorque (Palace of the Kings of Majorca)
At the top of the town, the Spanish citadel encloses the Palace of the Kings of Majorca. The government has restored this structure, built in the...
-
- Landmarks
-
-
-
Château de Salses
This important historic site is in the hamlet of Salses, 25km (15 miles) north of the city center. Since the days of the Romans, this fort has...
-
-
-
Cathédrale St-Jean
The cathedral dates from the 14th and 15th centuries and has an admirable nave and interesting 17th-century retables (altarpieces). Leaving through...
-
