Holiday homes to rent
in the South of France
Tet Valley region
The Tet valley has a rich mixture of places to visits and activities to suit almost anyone. The main attractions are categorised within the following sections: Coastal resorts - Mediterranean beaches |
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Forteresse de Salses Just to the east of Perpignan is the Canet Plage (Plage = beach) which has extensive white sand and clear blue Mediterranean sea. Other excellent beach resorts are Ste-Marie Plage, just to the north, and St Cyprien Plage, to the south. St Cyprien Plage is considered to have superior restaurants. These lovely sandy beaches are popular during the French holiday period, but are sufficient large not to feel crammed. Jetski, dive water based activities Canet-en-Roussillon Wind surfing and kite flying between Canet-en-Roussillon and St Cyprien
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An almost deserted beach at Canet Plage on a hot Mid September day. |
Forteresse de Salses Situated 15 km to the north of Perpignan is Salses is the fortress build between 1497 and 1504 by the Ferdinand the Catholic, King of Aragon, who was the first king of united Spain. Sales when designed by the architect Francisco Ramiro Lopez, was a masterpiece of military architecture, and was very important since guarded the northern Spanish border. This fortress is a prime example of the transition from medieval chateau with round towers framing long curtains, to a geometrically shaped fortress with deep foundations. The fortress is build with curving walls and slopes to deflect the new artillery of the period; cannonballs. The walls are 28 feet thick on average, extending to 50 feet at the base. In 1639, the small garrison was caught by surprise, and after a month siege by 18,000 Frenchmen, was yielded to France, only to be recaptured by the Spanish after a 3 month siege in the same year. It was finally taken by the French in 1642 after a fourth siege. The Treaty of the Pyrénées, signed on November 16, 1659, ratified French ownership. It then lost its strategic importance, since it was located far from the border. It is now visited by at least 100,000 people each year. Cost €6.10 Tel: +33 (0) 468 38 60 13 |
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Villefranche de Conflent. Fortified town Ramparts. Villefranche is a logical place to defend the Tet Valley, and in the 17th century it took on it's present form, with rebuilding and refortification by Vauban. Structurally it has changed little since, apart from stores being converted to very attractive shops selling woodcrafts, pottery and unusual craftwork. Entrance to the town is free, but there is a fee for walking along the ramparts. |
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Fort Liberia Military Fort by Vauban with later fortifications by Napoleon. The
fort sits high on the hills overlooking Villefranche de Conflent, and
can be visited by either climbing the 1000 steps cut into the rock tunnel,
or by a small bus. Entrance is next to Northern gate (Rue St-Pierre)
of Villefranche. The fort was used for many years as a prison and provides
splendid views of the valley. |
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Mont Louis Mont Louis is the highest (5250 ft) fortified town in France, and still has a military presence. Accessible by road, or by a 20 minute pleasant uphill walk from the Yellow train railway station, the town hosts the Solar dish, a few utilitarian shops, restaurants and cafes. The fort was designed by Vauban and named after Louis XIV. During the summer you can also visit the Puits des Forcats and see the 17th century wheel used to provide water from wells dug deep into the rock. |
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| Centre D'Art Contemporain,
dedicated to artist such as Maillol, Delfau and Bonel. St Cyprien Town Musee Desnoyer (Rue Emile Zola) Tel: +33 (0) 468 21 06 96 samll collection of leser works by Picasso, Dufy, Chagall, Miro and especially Francois Desnoyer. St Cyprien Town Some works of Master watercolour artist, Etienne Terrus (1857- 1922),
who was a friend of Matisse and Derain, can be seen in Elne. Admission
to the Elne cloisters also includes entrance to the nearby museum. |
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Abbey St Michel de Cuixa This pre-Romasque church with traditional Byzantine arches dates from the 10th century, and is one of the most important medieval monasteries of catalunya. Although partially in ruins it is still very impressive. It has doughnut shaped crypt, and very tranquil cloisters. Benedictines settled her on 19 June 879, and the Abbey quickly developed thanks to the protection of the counts de Cerdagne-Conflent. 3 churches were built successively. The third which is the current church was devoted to St. Michel in 974. The entrance is €4.00 Tel; +33 (0) 468 96 15 35 |
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Sarrabonne (Sarranona - good mountain) Serrabonne Priory seems remote, and is 13Km south of Iles-Sur-Tet, accessed via hairpin bend. Set high on the hills, the best features are inside, in particular the pillars in the single cloisters, carved from mount Canigou's rose marble The entrance is €3.00 Tel; +33 (0) 468 84 09 30 |
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Elne Cloisters Elne was an important town from the Middle Ages through to the 16th
Century, and was the seat of the bishops from the 6th to the 17th century.
Also Hannibal (complete with elephants) sojourned here on his way to
Italy. Admission to the cloisters also includes entrance to the nearby Musee Terrus which mostly contains the works of the artist Etienne Terrus (1857- 1922), who was a friend of Matisse and Derain. Elne has a population of about 6500 and receives about 75,000 visitors each year. The cloisters cost €4.00 Tel; +33 (0) 468 22
70 90 |
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Belesta Castle and Museum.
The first Rousillon farmers. Eyne Museum. - about nature reserves. Mosset Perfume Tower. The little house of perfumes St Michel de Llotes Museum. Catalan Agricultural, rural life through
the seasons. Tautavel Museum. 450,000 years of prehistory. More than 300 original
archeological pieces, 3D shows and reconstructions help you discover
the first inhabitants of Europe. Casteil Museum. Casteil, located 3Km from Vernert-les-Bains, has a
small museum of mountain life, and also offers plenty of picnic grounds.
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Nature reserve,
Orgues - Natural rock formation just to the north of Ille sur Tet Orgues.
They can be viewed for free from hillside, but their true splendour
is best seen closer up. Underground caves, not to be confused with the French word "Caves"
where wine is produced. The underground caves (Grotte), with impressive
stalactites, are located 1Km from Villefranche-de-Conflent along road
to Vernet. Grotte des Canalettes and Grotte
des Grandes Canalettes Mountains - the Pyrenean Mountains, free to look at and climb. There
are numerous huts, to provide shelter if required. Although it is possible
to climb to the summit of Mount Canigou, an escorted trip on a 4x4 vehicle
from near Vernert-les-Bains is recommended. |
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| France's
first major Solar furnace (Four Solaire) was build in 1953 for scientific
experiments, including melting metals. The mirror generates temperatures
up to 6000 degrees, and this is demonstrated to visitors during the
summer. The dish is at Mont Louis which is the highest fortified town
in France. |
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| Thuir
Wines Caves The biggest oak vats in the world. Banyuls sur Mer. Wine centre for the great wines of Banyuls Baixas. Wines Important producer of Rovesaltes Muscat
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If you want to see Chateaus then you must visit the Loire Valley and Not the Tet Valley. The nearest building which could qualify is the Collioure Royal Chateau, which is a local style castle by the sea. Cost €4.00 Tel: +33 (0) 468 82 06 43
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