The imposing Cathedral of St Eulalia and St Julia (Sainte-Eulalie-et-Sainte-Julie) towers above the charming little town of Elne. Built in the 11th and 12th centuries, it is a magnificent example of Catalonian Romanesque art. The medieval cloister adjacent to Elne Cathedral was once the residence of the cathedral's canons, and is one of the most beautiful in France... Dating from the 12th to the 14th century, the Elne cloister in white, blue-veined marble, listed as an Historic Building, is famous for its Romanesque and Gothic sculptures. Utterly beautiful, its sculpted capitals, the oldest of which are in the southern gallery, display a variety of designs representing biblical figures, animals and plants. This is a completely remarkable architectural ensemble which will, without a doubt, delight lovers of religious art!

At the foot of the Corbières, in the commune of Salses-le-Château, stands a gem of Spanish military architecture: the fortress of Salses, fortifications built at the end of the 15th century by order of the Spanish Catholic royals, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, to protect the frontier between Spain and the kingdom of France...

Supposedly impregnable, this substantial fortified castle, modified by Vauban in 1691 and now open to the public throughout the year, reveals its former function through features typical of defensive architecture: ditches, escarpments, drawbridges, a keep, artillery towers, curtain walls and demi-lunes.

This exceptional site, listed as an Historic Building, regularly hosts exhibitions of work by contemporary artists.

Under no circumstances should you leave the Pyrénées-Orientales until you have paid a little visit to Castelnou. Superbly preserved, this medieval village is worth a detour for many reasons! Lying at the foot of a feudal castle, the former capital of the viscountcy of Vallespir invites its visitors to travel in time...

Once they have stepped through the monumental Caselnou door, lovers of old buildings can only be amazed by the harmony found in this fabulous village. Picturesque little streets bedecked with flowers and lined with stone houses, the remains of ramparts interspersed with towers, the 10th-century viscount's castle, and art and craft shops make the walk a real enchantment...

Beyond the fortified enclosure is the Church of St Mary of Mercadal (Sainte-Marie du Mercadal), which has furniture from the baroque period.

Perched on the top of a rocky peak, at 507 m in altitude, the site of the Hermitage of Força Réal, accessible from the Col de la Bataille by the D38 road, near to Millas, is a marvellous belvedere overlooking Roussillon. It offers a superb 360° panorama, which takes in the Roussillon plain, the Vermillion Coast, the Canigou massif and the Corbières!

The pearl of the Vermillion Coast, the little town of Collioure, prized by painters, makes an incredibly picturesque, enchanting scene...It is a picture postcard place, with its royal castle by the sea, its port with local boats, its small pebbly beaches, its café terraces, the old town with its coloured façades and its emblematic pink-domed bell-tower! A wonderful scene which you can admire from the chapel of Saint-Vincent Island, from the esplanade at the foot of the château or again from the edges of the Pams gardens...

Dating back to the 17th century, the church of Our Lady of the Angels (Notre-Dame-des-Anges) contains true treasures of baroque art: nine superb altarpieces, whose richly detailed sculpting will never fail to enchant lovers of sacred heritage! Particularly remarkable is the high altarpiece, the work of the Catalonian artist Joseph Sunyer.

The imposing Royal Castle of Collioure, built in the 13th -17th centuries, is open to the public. Between 1276 and 1344 it was the summer residence of the Kings of Majorca.

A European Prehistory Centre, the Tautavel Museum, can be found at the heart of the Corbières, in the Pyrénées-Orientales. It is dedicated to the Prehistoric period and more particularly to the discoveries made on the Caune de l'Arago site, where the famous Tautavel Man was found, an ancient Preneanderthal Man who is 450,000 years old.

Come and meet the oldest man ever found on French soil, through exhibitions spread over 1,500 square metres of galleries! Take advantage of our modern museum layout to explore our archaeological collections and admire our life-sized reconstruction of the Caune de l'Arago, where the skull of the Tautavel Man was discovered in 1971.

There are temporary exhibitions, events based on Prehistoric times. The Tautavel Man Days in July, the Festival of Prehistory in August and the Prehistoric Arms Shooting Competition in May are among the highlights of our calendar of events.

In the Boulès valley, At the heart of a holm oak forest in the commune of Boule-d'Amont, stands an early 11th-century Romanesque priory. Nestling in a wild, green natural setting, the priory of St Mary of Serrabona (Sainte-Marie de Serrabona) is worth going out of your way to see, as much for its magnificent site as its remarkable artistic heritage.

Once inside the church, admire the splendid pink marble rostrum and the sculpted capitals. These are adorned by floral motifs, angels and animals, and are a superb example of the Romanesque art of Roussillon...As well as the treasure of this Romanesque sculpture, you'll find another gem: the south gallery of the cloister, with archways opening on to a beautiful area of greenery.

A delightful botanic garden surrounds the priory, full of Mediterranean plants.

Thought to be one of the sunniest villages in France, Eus can also boast of being amongst the most beautiful villages in the country. Perched on a hill of granite, between the Conflent Valley and Mount Canigou, At the heart of the Pyrénées-Orientales, Eus is certainly worth going out of your way to see! Not just for its viewpoints over the surrounding countryside, but also for its delightful little cobbled, sloping streets. At the top of the village, at the site of an ancient castle, stands the imposing 18th-century church of Saint-Vincent-d'en-Haut.

Completely in the heart of the Corbières massif, near the village of Cucugnan, made famous by Alphonse Daudet's book Letters from my Windmill (Lettres de mon Moulin), stands the Cathar castle of Quéribus, at the summit of a narrow, rocky peak. This medieval fortress, located at an altitude of 728 metres, is recognisable by its imposing keep surrounded by three successive walls... A refuge for the Cathar faithful during the Albigensian crusade, the citadel of Quéribus was the last stronghold of Cathar resistance to fall into the hands of the crusaders in 1255.

Accessible in about ten minutes along a steep path, the Quéribus site has an astonishing panoramic view from the terrace of its polygon-shaped keep - you can see the Corbières, the Roussillon plain, the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees! The superb Gothic room in the keep, with its ribbed arches, will also be a highlight of any visit.

At the foot of the Canigou, close to Prades, in the commune of Codalet amid rustic orchard scenery, stands a monastery topped with a magnificent Romanesque bell tower with geminated bays. Founded in the 9th century, The Abbey of Saint-Michel de Cuxa is nowadays occupied by a community of Benedictine monks attached to Montserrat.

A visit to this serene place enables you to discover its architectural treasures: the large pre-Romanesque church, consecrated in 974; the utterly beautiful cloister, partly reconstructed, the pink marble capitals of which are a remarkable example of Romanesque sculpture; the crypt in the early Romanesque style with the chapel of the Virgin of the Crib...

Renowned for its exceptional acoustics, each summer in July and August, the Abbey of Cuxa holds concerts of chamber music, as part of the famous Pablo Casals festival.

At the heart of the Fenouillèdes massif, on the border of the departments of Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales, between Cubières-sur-Cinoble and Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, the Galamus gorges extend over 2 m, a spectacular natural site with vertiginous limestone cliff faces! Carved out over time by the tumultuous waters of the Agly, this protected area can be admired from the narrow road which traverses the wild countryside, in all its beauty... As photogenic a place as you could hope to find, which you can admire from a specially created belvedere, the Hermitage of St Anthony of Galamus clings to a cliff overlooking the Agly and will delight amateur photographers!

Between April and September, the Galamus gorges, with their little waterfalls and pools, are particularly good for canyoning. This is a fun and pleasant way to explore this marvellous natural heritage.

In the summer, when the gorge road becomes busy, a system of alternating traffic is in place, to make it easier and safer to cross the gorges. There are also electric shuttle buses (Diablines) which go from Cubières-sur-Cinoble and Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet.

At the heart of the Pyrénées-Orientales, between Villefranche-de-Conflent and Latour-de-Carol, not far from the Spanish border, the famous Yellow Train is in circulation the whole year round. Displaying the Catalonian colours of red and yellow has, it has earned the nickname of the Canary. It follows an impressive 63 km long route along the national railway line, the highest in France, and crosses wonderful mountainous landscapes. During this unique journey, there are spectacular panoramic views, two extraordinary bridges – the viaduct of Séjourné and the Gisclard suspension bridge – and 19 tunnels.

Listed as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO because of its fortifications by Vauban, the fortified village of Villefranche-de-Conflent, situated at the confluence of the Têt, the Cady and the Rotja, at the foot of Mount Canigou, was founded at the end of the 11th century by a Count of Cerdanya, in order to protect the valleys from invasion. It was then reinforced by Vauban in the 17th century, after the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659, to ensure its safety and that of Conflent.

Encircled by solid fortifications, the medieval village of Villefranche-de-Conflent also features in the list of the most beautiful villages in France. Visitors who love old buildings can explore this ancient heritage: ramparts with fortified doors, the picturesque street, the Rue Saint-Jean, with many house fronts which figure in the inventory of Historic Monuments, the Saint-Pierre bridge over the Têt, the town hall belfry tower, the Church of St James (Saint-Jacques) with its beautiful 12th-century carved pink marble entrance... Art galleries, souvenir shops and local craft shops all offer plenty for shopaholics to enjoy.

On the heights above Villefranche-de-Conflent you can see the outline of Fort Libéria, like a sentinel majestically overlooking the medieval village and the confluence of the three valleys. This remarkable edifice with wall-walks was constructed by Vauban in 1681, then reinforced in the 19th century under Napoleon III. An underground stairway called ‘The thousand steps', which has 734 steps in fact, connects the fort with the village of Villefranche-de-Conflent. The Fort is accessible on foot for braver souls but can also be reached using the 4x4 shuttle bus which goes from the village.

Not to be missed is a trip on the yellow train, which goes from Villefranche-de-Conflent, for a fabulous adventure in the high plateaux of Cerdanya!

Justifiably known as the citadel of vertigo, the impressive Cathar castle of Peyrepertuse, which clings to the heights of the commune of Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse, overlooks wild, unspoilt country from its rocky promontory. The fiefdom of Guillaume de Peyrepertuse at the time of the Albigensian crusades, the castle played a key role in the defence of France against Aragon, and today its remains can be seen on this fortified hillside site. Like a stone sentinel watching over the Corbières massif, this immense medieval fortress, listed as a Historic Monument, is composed of three parts: the old castle, the middle enclosure and at the highest point, the San Jordi castle, which is accessible by the Saint-Louis stairway.

A steep path going from the car park on the edge of the castle road will take you to the ruins of Peyrepertuse, about a twenty minute climb. Once you have arrived at the site, you will be able to discover remarkable evidence of military architecture from the Middle Ages, and admire superb panoramic views of the surrounding verdant hills...

Each year in August, the Medieval Festival of Peyrepertuse, which takes place over two days within the castle walls, in the heart of the village of Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse, will take young and old back to the Middle Ages, with its shows, concerts, banquet, market and medieval entertainments.

An important conservation area for the natural environment and endangered animal species, the Sigean African Reserve, nestling on the edge of the Bages-Sigean lagoons, is home to nearly 900 mammals, 600 reptiles and 2,000 birds living in its 300 hectares in semi-captivity.

Open to the public throughout the year, the Sigean Reserve provides two ways to enjoy the space:

A trip of about an hour by car, passing through the African Bush, the Tibetan bear park, the lion park and the African savannah, where you can admire white rhinoceroses, zebra and Somalian donkeys, amongst others.

There's a walking circuit of about three hours, for adults and children to go in search of antelopes, ostriches and other animals of the African plain. In the course of your walk you can also find the chimpanzees' island, the vivarium and the Œil de Ca lake, dotted with pink flamingos and pink-backed pelicans...

At the heart of the Canigou massif, at an altitude of 1094 metres on a rocky spur which overlooks the Cady Valley, stands the Abbey of Saint-Martin du Canigou, founded in 1001 by a Count of Cerdanya.

Full of serenity, this haven of peace, nestled in a magnificent environment, both peaceful and verdant, is only accessible on foot – about a 40 minute climb – departing from the village of Casteil.

Today occupied by the Béatitudes community, the Abbey of Saint-Martin du Canigou, listed as an Historic Building, has preserved some beautiful reminders of the past: the lower church, mostly underground, dedicated to Our Lady Under the Earth (Notre-Dame-sous-Terre); the higher 11th-century church, consecrated to St Martin; the cloister and its marble capitals...So many gems of Romanesque architecture to admire during a guided tour.

At the approach to the Abbey, a stairway will lead you to a viewpoint from where you will have a breath-taking view over the whole monastery!

At about fifteen kilometres from Narbonne, in the heart of a quiet vale in the Corbières, in a setting of cypress and pine trees, nestles the former Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide Abbey, a charming, picturesque ensemble founded at the end of the 11th century by Benedictine monks and affiliated with the Cistercian Order in 1145.

Admirably restored, this Cistercian monument is open to the public throughout the year, and can be seen in a guided tour of about an hour or during a themed tour... A great chance to appreciate some wonderfully serene places, such as the 12th-century abbey church, with modern stained glass windows, the cloister with Romanesque columns, the majestic, marble-columned chapter house, the buildings for monks and lay people, not forgetting the terraced gardens and the superb rose garden with no fewer than 2,500 rose bushes!

You can taste the AOP Corbières wines from the estate, and numerous cultural events take place here, from classical music concerts to exhibitions, as well as the Plant Festival in May.

Canigou, the Catalonian's sacred mountain, steeped in mystery and legend and culminating at an altitude of 2784 metres, majestically overlooks the Roussillon plain and the Mediterranean Sea. Situated near to Prades, this Pyrenean mountain is even more impressive in winter, when its snow-covered outline is seen clearly against the surrounding countryside of the coast...

Highly prized by ramblers, the climb to the peak of Canigou, which is possible from June to September, has some magnificent viewpoints. To climb this emblematic Eastern Pyrenean mountain, walkers have two possible departure points: from the Chalet des Cortalets (2150 m in altitude, 3h30 return trip); or from the Mariailles refuge (1718 m in altitude, 8h return trip). At the summit, a spectacular panorama of the Pyrenees mountain range, the Roussillon plain and the Mediterranean coast will make up for all the effort expended during the climb! It is, however, essential to consult the weather forecast before setting off, because fog and storms can make the climb dangerous.

On the first Sunday in August, the famous and testing Canigou Race (Course du Canigou) is held, a mountain race of 34km from Vernet-les-Bains to the summit of the Canigou and back, a climb of 2180 metres!