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THE CORBIERES & THE
PYRENEES
The Corbieres are an extension of the Pyrenees and connect
them to the Cevennes Mountains. The highest point is 1231 m.
The Corbieres are well wooded, with wild gorges and majestic
mountains, and there are many hidden villages. Castles and
religious buildings abound here and one of the best
preserved is the Abbey of Sainte Marie d'Orbieu in the
village of Lagrasse.
You will find many gorges and one of the best known is the
Gorge de Galamus, a short gorge but with extremely steep
sides where the road in places has been cut into the side of
the cliffs.
There are vast areas of vineyards in this region, producing
fruity wines rich in alcohol. The best wines coming from
around the villages of Tuchan, and Lezignan Corbieres
There are many remains of the Cathar wars in this region
with some of the most inhospitable castles nearer to the
Pyrenees.
In Villerouge Termenes, the last cathar parfait Guillaume
Belibaste brought to trial by the Inquisition and burned at
the stake in the year 1321. This was the final destruction
of catharism in the Languedoc.
On arrival at the Pyrenean end of the Corbieres you will
find many fruit farms. Because of the mild climate these
provide the first crops of fruit in France.
If you decide to take the direction of Andorra you will pass
through the town of Prades, famous for its classical
concerts and opera. This is almost the Glyndebourne of
France.
The
Pyrenees
Arguably the best way to enter this part of the Pyrenees is
to drive from Perpignan in the direction of Andorra.
Generally this valley runs parallel to
the valley to the Vallespir valley,
but is much longer and with many more things to see for the
visitor.
Mt Canigou, at 3000m, can be seen towering over the
countryside from all directions, and the peak is snow
covered for much of the year. There are special excursions
by 4 wheel drive vehicles to its summit. The route is
difficult and the ascent is arduous, and requires a whole
day. On a clear day the views from its peak are superb. The
peak has been the sight of many sporting feats including an
ascent by bicycle in 1901, and horseback in 1907 when a
police lieutenant rode to the summit without setting foot on
the ground.
Prades
Situated at the confluent
of several rivers and the base of the Canigou mountain
Prades enjoys many hours of sunshine. In Spring it is awash
with the colour of the peach blossom. This area being one of
the biggest of France's fruit growing areas.
It was this setting that inspired Pablo Casals,
the world famous cellist
to choose Prades as his second homeland. It was in
1950 as a commemoration of the Bicentenary of Bach’s death,
that Casals created the first Prades Festival of
Chamber Music. Since then every summer
this famous composer and
musician is honoured when the
renowned Pablo Casals
Festival of Chamber Music takes place at the Abbey
of St Michel de Cuixa.
The
town and its surroundings are in a natural setting, ideal
for hiking and discovering the nearby Mount Canigou.
Mount Canigou
Mount Canigou, 2784m high,
lies about 10km south of Prades, and for the locals, more
than just a mountain - it is considered to be the spiritual
home of Catalan, and Catalans from across both the French
Catalan and Spanish Catalonia regions gather here for the
summer solstice. When they gather on the summit and light a
huge bonfire at midnight.
Many people hike on the mountain, starting from either
Prades or Vernet-les-Bains. It is best to make the
ascent on foot in summer, leaving early to avoid the heat.
If you’d prefer to sit down whilst seeing the view then
there are 4x4 trips from Prades.
Villfranche le
Conflent
Shortly after Prades is the walled town of Villfranche le
Conflent. This beautiful walled town probably looks much the
same as it has done for hundreds of years. Constructed by
Vauban, this fortress was built to protect against Spanish
invasions.
It is very busy with tourists in peak season but it’s
worth taking a stroll through its historical streets and
squares. Nearby there are several caves open to visitors,
the most spectacular of which are the Grottes des Grandes
Canalettes about 1km south of the town and open between
April and October. Villefranche is the start point for the
“little yellow train” that winds its way up to Le Tour de
Carol, a distance of 63km. The train runs throughout the
year, but its greatest use is by tourists.
The Little Yellow Train
The Yellow train (Train Jaune (Tren Groc in Catalan), running on narrow gauge track, consists of
both closed carriages and open trucks with wooden seating.
The closed carriages have reasonably comfortable seating and
a balcony at either end that enables you to stand on the
outside for photography.
Be warned that the temptation to travel in the open
carriages is high during the summer months, but remember the
sun, in the clear Pyreneen air can burn severely, and there
are no connections between the carriages to enable you to
escape the sun once the train is in motion.
The Litle Yellow train is an extension of the main line,
service from Perpignan to Villefranche les Bains, and again
at La-Tour-de-Carol, there is a connection to the SNCF main
line, service to Toulouse.
On June 9, 1883, a convention called for the building of
this line, and the building started in 1903. The fist
section of the line, from Villefranche to Mont Louis, was
opened on July, 2nd, 1910, and at the end of June 1911, the
line reached Bourg Madame. The last section to La Tour, was
finished in August 1927 and established a link with the
Transpyrénéen line to Spain.
The 63 km (about 40 miles) length of railway is the highest
in France. Bolquère Eune is the highest station with an
altitude of 1592 meters. Over 30 km (about 18 miles) of the
track is above 1165 meters with slopes of 60 mm/m
(approximately 2 feet per yard).
The whole length of the line is picturesque but irregular.
It required the construction of 650 civil engineering works
of all kinds, including the driving of 19 tunnels, the
erection of 2 bridges.
The Séjourné Viaduct constructed entirely in granite, is 65
meters high (60 yards), 230 meters long (250 yards) and is
composed of a main arch of 30 meters wide, supporting 16
smaller arches in the Gothic style, above the Têt River.
The Gisclard bridge, built between 1905 and 1908, was
considered at the time, to be a technical inovation. It has
a central span of 156 m between two piers and two half spans
of 39 m. Its deck has a slope of 6% and is 80 m high. The 32
m high piers support pylons of 30 m. At the top of the
pylons are fixed retaining cables.
Theses cables are in turn fixed into the mountain. It was
the first bridge of a new generation that solved the load
bearing problems the railways were having. Albert GISCLARD,
a mathematician and engineer born in Nîmes, was the designer
of this new concept. Unfortunately he was killed on October
31st, 1909 during an
official test ride across the bridge. His train was not yet
equipped with the electric braking system, chosen for this
line. The train carrying him ran out of control, and plunged
450 meters to the rocky mountains below.
Since this tragedy, no other incidents have occurred.
If you take the train as far as far as Font-Romeu - Odeillo-Via
(35km. and about 1h. 40m. from the start) you can walk to
the site of the Solar Furnace (the largest in the world) and
about 1km from the station. Here there is an exhibition, and
a short video (in English as well as French) telling the
story of the furnace, which is used for the testing of
materials at high temperatures by using the focussed rays of
the sun. Outside you can see the giant mirror system
measuring1800 m2, that is used to focus the rays of the sun
to temperatures as high as 3,500 °C
To travel on the Little Yellow Train is a wonderful
experience. You will enjoy a fascinating trip, taking you
through changing landscapes, from luxurious greenery to
steep rocky valleys passing near to Mount Canigou, Cambre
d'Aze, Carlit, Puigmal and the Serra del Cadí. You will
discover the sumptuous scenic beauty of this region of
France.
Mont Louis
Mont Louis, at 1600m above
sea level claims to be the highest fortified town in France.
The town of Mont Louis which stands within the fortress is
not large.
The fortress of Mont Louis survives almost intact and
houses the barracks for the 10th Commando Regiment of
the French Army. Guerrilla warfare training takes
place there, and the military are very much in evidence -
there are scramble nets over the ramparts in places and on
some days on the surrounding peaks you can hear the sound of
gunfire and other explosions.
Mont Louis is also known for housing the first 'solar oven',
This is a large surface of mirrors that focus the suns rays
to a central point that develops intense heat. On it's other
side, Mont Louis is probably the first of the skiing sites
on the Pyrenees when coming from the direction of the
Mediteranean.
Bourg-Madame is situated
on the border with Spain, and across the Spanish border
becomes the town of Puigcerda. It is near the Spanish
enclave of Llivia. The municipality of Llivia has a total
population of 1,388 (2007), and is separated from the rest
of Spain by a corridor about 2 km wide. In 1659, under the
Treaty of the Pyrenees, Spain ceded the areas of Roussillon,
Conflent, Capcir, Vallespir, and northern Cerdanya ("Cerdagne")
to the French crown. Llívia did not become part of the
French kingdom as the treaty stipulated that only villages
were to be ceded to France, and Llívia was considered to be
a city due to its status as the ancient capital of Cerdanya.
Bourg Madame itself is a tourist town and is a good spot to
stop when travelling on the Little Yellow Train, as there
are many restaurants and shops available.
If you decide to continue to the end of the line at la Tour
du Carol There is very little there to pass the time whilst
waiting for the train to take you back to Villefranche.
Pas de la Casa - Grau Roig, Andorra
Pas de la
Casa has the biggest ski area and highest lifts in Andorra.
Experts
will find little to challenge them, but investment in
artificial snowmaking equipment, coupled with the area's
height, has meant very good snow reliability and a season
that often stretches into late April.
It
ies on
the border between Andorra and France, and you require a
passport to enter the town as it lies over the border in
Andorra. The
town is better known for its numerous shops selling
electrical and photographic goods at tax free prices,
although the prices reflect more, that the goods are often
last years model. On the approach roads in the summer there
are often long queues of cars waiting to climb the long
twisting mountain roads to access the town. On leaving the
town to return into France, more queues form, when the
Customs Officers put on a control to check for contraband.
Andorra is of course a non member of the EU and therefore
subject to import controls and taxation. |
