Pyrénées-Orientales

Pyrénées-Orientales is a department in Occitanie, France.

Cities

A westward view of the mountain lake, La Coumasse (2,160 m) in the Lacs des Bouillouses nature reserve.

• 1 Perpignan — where the flag of Catalonia flies beside that of France
• 2 Cerbère
• 3 Collioure - Beautiful seaside town with historic fort
• 4 Elne
• 5 Font Romeu — (Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via) ski resort with a friendly micro-climate
• 6 Mont-Louis — a walled town at 1600 metres heavily fortified by Vauban in the late 17th century, still extensively used by the French army. Between here and Olette lies perhaps the most scenic section of the route of Le petit train jaune.
• 7 Vernet-les-Bains — the small village of Casteil is on the road above this and is the nearest access point for the monastery of Saint Martin du Canigou. The even smaller village of Fillols with a beautiful Romanesque church is a pleasing walk away from Vernet-les-Bains.
• 8 Villefranche-de-Conflent — perfectly walled village and the eastern terminus of Le Petit Train Jaune, a highly scenic stretch of rail with wonderful viaducts
• 9 Arles-sur-Tech
• 10 Thuir

Other destinations

Over two thirds up Pic Carlit

• 1 Pic Carlit — though nearly 3,000 metres in height, does not require specialist climbing skills in summer. Fabulous views and a good chance of seeing ibex and chamois.
• 2 Pyrénées National Park
• 3 Latour-de-Carol – village with an international railway station (Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg), with trains to Barcelona (broad gauge), Toulouse (standard gauge) and Villefranche-de-Conflent (narrow gauge), and with bus to Andorra.

Get in

Perpignan is easily accessible by train from NE Spain and from Paris and southern France. There is also an airport.

By train

High-speed TGV trains connect Perpignan with Paris direct in 5 hours. Many smaller towns are connected with regional TER trains. Additionally, there are overnight Intercités de Nuit trains from Paris to Latour-de-Carol and to Cerbère. Regional Spanish trains, connect Barcelona with the region.

Get around

• The petit train Jaune is one possibility, but it should be seen as an attraction in its own right rather than merely as a way of getting around.

See

La Tour de l'Etoile, an 18th-century fortification in Collioure

• The southern end of the coast is the Côte Vermeille, a beautifully rugged stretch known for its vineyards and historic port towns such as Collioure and Cerbère.

Do

• Pic Carlit — though nearly 3,000 metres in height, does not require specialist climbing skills in summer. Fabulous views and a good chance of seeing ibex and chamois.