Places of Interest
Culture - Pyrenees-Orientales(66)
Cultural Places of Interest (66)
Culture - Aude (11)
Cultural Places of Interest (11)
Cathar Castles
Pyrenees-Orientales (66)
The cultural traditions of the PO are many and have their roots mostly in Catalan traditions. Music is an important feature of any major event and there are many 'Bandas' (Catalonia's answer to brass bands) to be seen at any festival or fête. Logically, where there is music there is dancing, which brings us to another major PO tradition, 'Sardane'. This is a group dance; the more people the better, dancing in a circle, or if there are a lot of them, up to three circles inside each other. It looks easy but the steps are carefully counted so it requires a certain amount of concentration! Again, the Sardane is usually to be seen at fêtes and gatherings.
Any art historian will know about the importance of the PO in art history, particularly at the turn of the last century, when Collioure and Céret were major centres for the Fauvists, most notably André Dérain and Henri Matisse, who spent considerable time there painting scenes of boats and landscapes. They were attracted by the exceptional clarity of the light, which perfectly suited their exuberant painting style. Collioure and Céret have both been adopted ever since by artists of all disciplines, and there are numerous studios and galleries to be found in amongst the shops, bars and restaurants.
Cultural Places to Visit (66)
TAUTAVEL Museum450,000 years of history
66720 TAUTAVEL
04 68 29 07 76
Website BELESTA Castle and Museum
The First Roussillon Farmers
66720 BELESTA
04 68 84 55 55
The MARCEVOL Priory Foundation
Admire the Canigou from a stunning Roman terrace. Roman Art
66320 ARBOUSSOLS
04 68 05 75 27
Website Forteresse de SALSES
Guardian of the Spanish border (15th - 17th century). Military Architecture
66600 SALSES-DE-CHATEAU
04 68 38 60 13
Website Abbaye de ST-MARTIN-DU-CANIGOU
Testimony to Catalan Roman Architecture
66820 CASTEIL
04 68 05 50 03
Abbaye de ST-MICHEL-DE-CUIXA
An important abbey in Catalan history
66500 CODALET
04 68 96 15 35
Orgues d'ILLE-SUR-TET
Natural history site
66130 ILLE-SUR-TET
04 68 84 13 13
Website Prieure de SERRABONA
A masterpiece of Roman architecture
66130 Boule d'Amont
04 68 84 09 30
Website Remparts de VILLEFRANCHE-DE-CONFLENT
Military architecture within complete fortified walls
66500 VILLEFRANCHE-DE-CONFLENT
04 68 96 22 96
Website Four Solaire de MONT-LOUIS
Experience the magic of the sun at this solar oven.
66210 MONT-LOUIS
04 68 04 14 89
Website Fort Liberia VILLEFRANCHE-DE-CONFLENT
A military fort built by Vauban
66500 VILLEFRANCHE-DE-CONFLENT
04 68 96 34 01
Centre de Sculpture Romane CABESTANY
The centre for Roman sculpture
66330 CABESTANY
04 68 08 15 31
Cloître D'ELNE
26 centuries of Roman and Gothic Art
66200 ELNE
04 68 22 70 90
Website Les collections de SAINT-CYPRIEN
Modern and contemporary art of the 20th and 21st centuries
66750 ST-CYPRIEN
04 68 21 06 96
Website Palais des Rois de Majorque
The pallace of the kings of Majorca. A medieval royal palace of gothic and military architecture
66000 PERPIGNAN
04 68 34 48 29
Website Abbaye de ST-GENIS-DES-FONTAINES
Cloister and church with the first sculpted and dated Roman lintel (1019-1020)
66740 ST-GENIS-DES-FONTAINES
04 68 89 84 33
Website La Maisoon de l'Art Roman de ST-ANDRÉ
The Roman art centre of SAINT ANDRÉ.
66690 SAINT-ANDRÉ
04 68 89 04 85
Website Château de CASTELNOU
A medieval Roussilon castle perched on a hill in one of Languedoc's prettiest villages
66300 CASTELNOU
04 68 53 22 91
Abbaye d'ARLES-SUR-TECH
Protecting saints from the East
66150 ARLES-SUR-TECH
04 68 83 90 66
Website Chemin du Fauvisme de COLLIOURE
The fauvists trail in the footsteps of Henri Matisse and Andre Derain
66190 COLLIOURE
04 68 98 07 16
Website Château Royal de COLLIOURE
A military castle located on the waters edge in this stunning old fishing port
66190 COLLIOURE
04 68 82 06 43
Website Musée d'Art Moderne de CERET
Museum of modern and contemporary art
66400 CÉRET
04 68 87 27 76
Website
Aude (11)
The cultural traditions of the Aude relate strongly to medieval history. There are often musical and theatrical events staged which recount stories of the Cathars and other groups that have been prominent in the department’s history, or displays of ancient skills such as falconry or jousting. There are many chateaux, abbeys and religious buildings such as the 12th century Abbaye de Fontfroide or the Chateaux of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse, which are the setting for music and theatre, particularly in the summer.
Cultural Places to Visit (11)
Château de LastoursAmazing medieval château that puts on a spectcular spectacle Son et Lumière in July and August
11600 LASTOURS
04 68 77 56 02
Website Abbaye de Caunes-Minervois
11160 CAUNES-MINERVOIS
04 68 78 09 44
Le Moulin à Vent
The only working mill in the Aude
11160 VILLENEUVE MINERVOIS
04 68 26 57 56
Website Abbaye de Fontfroide
11000 NARBONNE
04 68 45 11 08
Website Musée de la Chapellerie
Museum of the hat trade. Unique in Europe.
11120 GINESTAS
04 68 46 19 26
Château d'Ahuilar
11350 TUCHAN
04 68 45 51 00
Château de Quéribus
11350 CUCUGNAN
04 68 45 03 69
Website Châteua de Peyrepertuse
11350 DUILHAC-SOUS-PEYREPERTUSE
04 68 45 03 69
Website Abbaye de Lagrasse
11200 LAGRASSE
04 68 43 15 99
Château de Termes
11330 TERMES
04 68 70 09 20
Château de Villerouge-Termenès
11330 VILLEROUGE TERMENÈS
04 68 70 09 11
Château d'Arques
11190 ARQUES
04 68 69 82 87
Château de Puilaurens
11140 LAPRADELLE-PUILAURENS
04 68 20 65 26
Musée du Quercorb
11230 PUIVERT
04 68 20 80 98
Website Catha-Rama
11300 LIMOUX
04 68 31 48 42
Website Abbaye de Saint-Papoul
11400 SAINT-PAPOUL
04 68 94 97 75
Website Abbaye de Villelongue
11170 SAINT-MARTIN-LE-VIEL
04 68 76 92 58
Château de Saissac
11310 SAISSAC
04 68 24 46 01
Cathar Castles
The Cathars were a simple people. The framework for their belief is found in the Sermon on the Mount.
- They opposed gross materialism, especially as practiced by the church of the time.
- They doubted the divinity of Jesus.
- God ruled in heaven and the devil controlled the earth.
These beliefs, of course, got them in big trouble with the established church, who found themselves holding a powerful position in the highly material world. So, like many simple societies that expressed alternative beliefs, they became fodder for the dominent culture's bonfires. The inquisition tested itself with the Cathars. The Cathars lost, but not before they had inhabited some mighty fine castles to keep back the hordes after their necks.
Religious persecution is often some of the world's cruelest.
The Best of Cathar Country along the Aude South of Carcassonne
I. The Easiest Cathar Castles to get to:
Château et Remparts de la Cité de Carcassonne
11000 CARCASSONNE
04 68 11 70 72
Website
Rated by many as the best preserved, medieval walled fortress in Europe.
You can park in a designated car park adjacent to the château and whilst the streets inside the ramparts are cobbled and uneven there are few steps, unless of course you plan the climb up on to the ramparts themselves.
Chateau d'Arques
04 68 69 85 62
Website
This is one of the few Cathar structures to exist on flat land. A plane tree shaded drive takes you from the Chateau to the city of Arques, where you'll find a small museum which is free with your ticket to the chateau. You can buy local honey at the entrance.
Arques is first mentioned in a document written in 1011. Construction of the Castle's donjon (the main tower) was started in 1280. It has four floors, accessed through spiral staircases, with good views of the surrounding countryside.
Chateau de Puivert
04 68 20 81 52
Website
This chateau is on a hill, but you can drive most of the way up. It has a tower with four stories you can visit. But the interesting part of Puivert is in the stone carvings in the chapel revealing peaple playing medieval musical instruments. These eight instruments have been replicated and at the museum Quercorb-Puivert and you can see them and hear them being played through a multimedia display. In the village of Puivert there is also a shop on the river where you can buy hand-carved marrionettes.
II. The Best Cathar Castles to Visit
In addition to Château et Remparts de la Cité de Carcassonne (see above) here are the best castles, although reaching some of them may be a challenge.
Chateau de Peyrepertuse a Duilhac
11350 DUILHAC-SOUS-PEYREPERTUSE
06 76 58 63 36
Website
If you see only one Cathar castle, make it Peyrpertuse. You can drive most of the way up to its limestone outcrop, but the trail, on worn limestone footing, takes you around the back of the castle and undergoes several elevation changes. They won't let you use the path in a storm. It's treacherous when wet.
You can see Peyrepertuse easily in one day along with nearby:
Chateau de Queribus
11350 CUCUGNAN.
04 68 45 03 69
Websiteand
Chateau de Puilaurens
11140 LAPRADELLE-PUILAURENS
04 68 20 65 26
The drive between them is quite nice. A lunch stop in Cucugnan is recommended. There are three restaurants. We can recommend Auberge de Vigneron (A Logis de France Hotel Restaurant). They have a terrase overlooking the Chateau de Queribus. The 22 Euro menu featured some wonderful food presented well. (Tel 04 68 45 03 00).
More information about the Cathar history and religion can be found here