Perpignan Hotels

Perpignan is the capital of the department of Pyrenees-Orientales, the Northern Catalonia part of France. As much Catalan as French, Perpignan Perpinya in Catalan is far from being a villainous ugly town the verdict of traveler Henry Swinburne in 1775. Its population is a mixed one. Iberian blood flows in the veins of the descendants of the thousands of refugees who fled over the mountains at the end of the Spanish Civil War. Many others, Arab and displaced French settlers alike, have their recent origins in Algeria. At the foothills of the Pyrenees and with the Cote Vermeille to its southeast, Perpignan is a good base for day trips along the coast or to the mountains and Cathar castles of the interior. It's commendably well documented; outside every major historical building is a freestanding sign with information in French, Catalan and English. Perpignan is the meeting point of all the routes which lead to the seaside, the mountains, and also all the other cultural environments such as churches, abbeys, Citadels, treasures of art etc. These are representations of ten centuries of history which makes this city a proof of the richness and the creativity of the Mediterranean civilization. Magnificent monuments, such as the Palais des Rois de Majorque, the Castillet, the Loge de Mer or the Campo Santo remind us that Perpignan has been coveted by Spain and France. Catalane in the heart, Perpignan expresses its difference in every way. Immortalized by Dali to make its train station the center of the world, Perpignan will seduce you by its exteme diversity. There are a lot of nice beaches in the near distance