The small coastal French town of Collioure is located just twenty kilometers from the French border and. It was once the largest port in the province of Languedoc-Roussillon and was famous for its powerful military fort, despite the fact that at that time it was only a quiet and wonderful little fishing town. To this day, in Collioure you can see an impenetrable fortress built in the seventh century. This citadel helped the city and its surroundings at different times, so it was constantly strengthened and improved until the seventeenth century.
Another attraction of Collioure is the Chateau Royale, a royal castle that was home to the kings of Mallorca and Aragon in the fourteenth century. It was built by the Knights Templar in the thirteenth century for the purpose of protection. At the same time, Collioure began to be considered a kind of sea gate. At that time the city was still under Spanish rule. The city became the property of France in 1659. In the fifteenth century, the architect Vauban was called upon by the authorities to complete the construction of the castle: to add a strong fortress wall to it. In the seventeenth century it was completed again, this time fortifications were erected. True, in the process of working and improving the citadel, some historical city buildings were destroyed. Nowadays, you can purchase a ticket to visit the castle or a full tour of it. And there is something to see here: it is perfectly preserved, its Gothic architecture is magnificent, various exhibitions are constantly held here, and historical films are shot. The walls of the castle, several meters thick, are impressive, as are its intricate corridors, the secret underground passage connecting the tower with the fortress, and what is most impressive is the view from above of the sea surface, the town and the mountains visible in the distance.
The symbol of the city of Collioure, by default, is the interesting church of Notre-Dame des Anges, built in the seventeenth century, which looks like it came out of a picture. It stands on a powerful rock; its round tower was once also a lighthouse. Inside are hidden beautiful church altars - of extraordinary beauty in the Baroque style, the work of Joseph Sunier and other Catalan masters.
The city port of Collioure has changed little since the days when the main income-generating activity for local residents was fishing, rather than serving tourists. The harbor is filled with boats, longboats, boats and ships. There are as many as three canneries in Collioure, which is a lot for such a small town - this indicates the large volumes of fish caught here. Guides say that Collioure is the beginning of the French Cote d'Azur. To be honest, this statement is a little disappointing for those who have not been to the main resorts of the French Riviera. The fact is that there are three beaches here: both pebble and sandy, which are located along the bays, but the entrance to the water is so rocky and unpleasant for the feet that you involuntarily think: what is it so famous for? French Riviera? But, do not forget that this is only the starting point of this territory, and not the famous resorts of the French Cote d'Azur, so do not take the words of the guides literally. The uniqueness of the small sandy beach of Collioure is the stone pier leading to the islet. Being here, it seems that you are on some kind of uninhabited island. It’s nice to sit here admiring the surface of the sea, go fishing, sit quietly alone with beautiful nature, breathing in the fresh sea air.
City of Collioure- unusually pleasant and colorful; with its beauty it attracted many talented artists, writers and poets. For example, in 1905, the authenticity of the city attracted Matisse, who simply fell in love with the neat, brightly colored houses, surrounded by tall cypress trees, and the nimble fishing boats, of all kinds of cheerful colors, scurrying along the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The artist Andre Derain also came to work here and painted beautiful paintings, illuminated with incredibly bright colors. Both Pablo Picasso and Charles Rennie Mackintosh worked here. Walking along the narrow cobblestone streets, you can come across more than one art gallery and souvenir shop. Walking around Collioure, you can often see empty picture frames on a stand; if you don’t know what they are, you won’t immediately understand that this means that some famous painting was painted from exactly this place and with the same view. So you don’t even have to see the picture with your own eyes to know what was depicted on it, because everything is already before your eyes. And time in this city seems to have stood still somewhere in the eighteenth century. Collioure is now French, but one gets the feeling that this is one of the purely Spanish cities. It’s as if this place was created to order for romantic natures. Of course, Collioure also has a French flavor, but with a Spanish spirit.
France is famous for the sweet table wines produced here, as well as excellent vintage wines. Therefore, every traveler considers himself obliged to go to one of the many wine cellars and purchase several bottles of this light alcoholic product.
The small French coastal town of Collioure, located just 20 kilometers from the French border with Spain, represents the beginning of the Cote d'Azur. It was once the largest port located in the province of Languedoc-Roussillon. Previously, it was famous for its powerful military fort, although at that time this settlement was a small, wonderful and quiet fishing town.
It is still located in Collioure (Collioure France), built in the 7th century. The citadel served as protection for the city and its surroundings for many centuries, so it was constantly improved and strengthened until the 17th century.
Pearls of France
This amazingly beautiful area is located near the Spanish border, in the province of Languedoc-Roussillon. Since January 2016, it has become part of the Occitania region (the main city of Montpellier). The French cities of Collioure and Perpignan are called the pearls of the French Purple (or Scarlet) Coast. They are rightly recognized as the most picturesque towns in the south of France.
Despite their small size, these cities contain a huge number of attractions. According to many who have visited both settlements, Perpignan is more captivating with its historical attractions, while Collioure is more modern and brilliant.
General information about Collioure
The entire town is a landmark of France. It is located on the Mediterranean coast of Vermilion. This amazingly picturesque city leaves no one indifferent.
The population is only about 3,000 inhabitants. But the city is very rich in cultural and historical attractions and events. Many famous artists have immortalized this fabulous town on their canvases.
The architecture of the town and its surroundings can be divided into religious and military buildings - castles, fortresses and forts. Lovers of culture and art can enjoy numerous small museums, salons and galleries. This small town's artistic reputation continues today. Here, in the old fishing quarter of Le More, there are more than 30 workshops and galleries. Many street artists, located on the city embankment, paint portraits of tourists.
Collioure (France) contains many attractions on its territory, some of which are briefly described in the article.
Main city event
Every year from 14 to 18 August, the medieval festival of St. Vincent is held in Collioure. The main event of this event is the procession to the sea, which takes place on August 16th. This holiday dates back to 1701.
These festive events took place annually until the law on the separation of church and state (1905), but since 2001 this procession has been revived in connection with the tercentenary of the holiday.
Royal Castle of Collioure
Many castles in France attract the attention of tourists all over the world, and this one is no exception. It was built in the 7th century on the seashore and was rebuilt several times during the 13th-17th centuries. Historians date its foundation to 672. At the beginning of the 13th century, Chateau Royal was thoroughly fortified and rebuilt by the famous Knights of the Templar Order. After them, the kings of Majorca also rebuilt it. But no matter who the Collioure castle passed to throughout its history, it always performed defensive functions.
It should be noted that when purchasing a ticket to visit the castle, you will be given a diagram of the building with brief information about it (including in Russian). There is even a special area for classical music concerts.
Eglise Church Notre-Dame-des-Anges
This building, erected in 1684-1691, can also be called a symbol of the town. The church is located in the sea harbor of Collioure.
Initially (late 17th century) it served as a lighthouse, but by order of Marshal of France Vauban, this function was abolished.
Chapel of Notre-Dame des Anges
On the coast near the Royal Castle itself is the main attraction of Collioure (France) - the chapel of the Notre-Dame des Anges church.
Today it has been given the role of a lighthouse located in the city’s bay.
Beach
You can swim in that small cove located near the chapel. The beach is practically unequipped and covered with small pebbles, but the water in this place is surprisingly clear, only a little colder than near the shore.
Diving enthusiasts, using masks, can admire the splendor of the underwater kingdom, where sea urchins live in large numbers, and a wide variety of beautiful fish swim.
Today I will show you Collioure, a French town by the sea in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, almost on the border with Spain. Maybe you remember my first post about this town? There were mostly shots from the embankment. Today let's go deeper! Although, in Collioure you won’t be able to get far from the sea)
I’ll start with the calling card of Collioure, with the Notre Dam des Anges church, and with a quiet silk bay - this shot was very lucky with the weather - and then we’ll go to the city.
The air and wind in Collioure are as if they were silk, as if they were caressing you. Maybe I’m idealizing now, sitting now in stuffy Moscow, or maybe not. It doesn’t matter, what matters is that it was this feeling that Collour left in my head.
Look how much greenery there is, what a sky! We were told that here by the sea it is always windy. This is probably why the sky is always so beautiful, moving and changing its colors very quickly.
Yes, it was here, in this “petit boulangerie” (small bakery) that we bought croissants and brioche, went to the embankment, took large coffees/teas and had breakfast right by the sea. This is when you realize that it tastes better than the continental breakfasts on offer.
Seaside towns on the sea side are almost always beautiful. Remember Cassis, a town near Marseille? Oh, how I was in love with him in absentia.... And, oh, how I was disappointed in him when I arrived there. A clean, one might even say glossy, small, ideal town, but something is not right about it. You move away from the embankment and the main street, and everything there is dead. And Menton? The city of lemons and flowers... I saw in it only boring, unkempt streets, although is it really a matter of being well-groomed?... I love Nice, with its old city, smelling of dampness. At the same time there was also Sperlonga, a seaside town between Rome and Naples. Beautiful from the sea, beautiful inside, although not ideal, but I still remember the feeling as if something had once connected us and only one question sounded in my head: “Why haven’t I come here for so long?”
Colour. Nothing ever connected us with Collioure. But we just coincided with each other. And the air is what you need. I need! And the views, and the hotel room, and the people, and their number :) And honesty - Collioure welcomes tourists, but is not hung with Chinese trinkets for the sake of delighting the guests. I appreciate it so much! And the markets... We found markets in Collioure, and how nice they are, not as bright and cheerful as on the Cote d'Azur, but somehow good and calm in their own way, for the locals. Fish, vegetables, greens for the table and seedlings in pots... well, and a little vintage, which looked very touching, if you remember the vintage market in Nice.
You may be throwing tomatoes at me right now, but I can finally articulate why I disliked the Trastevere district in Rome. For the fact that he attached a bunch of plastic trinkets and “gadgets” for tourists to his antique, for the fact that he lives and does not bother, for that Fiat that stands there only for beautiful “photos”, hung with souvenirs and lavender (other lavender here and Rome?), because it is possible to discern real life behind it, but it’s difficult. There is no plasticity in Collioure. Here you can relax from everything unnecessary. It's easy to breathe. And if there is a nice car on the street, then someone has definitely arrived in it. And the souvenirs do not exceed the dose, which is quite enough not to overshadow the city. (Wow, how many enemies will I make for myself after this post))
Streets of Colioura. We went through them too quickly... I would repeat the same thing again.
In one of the boutiques we bought a friend some very nice summer boots, and I tried on espadrilles with high wedges. Maybe I would have bought something, but in terms of rubles, it turned out to be a little expensive. But still, it’s a pleasure to tinker and spin around in a local store! I’m shy on my own, but with my friend it’s great.
I think we were lucky with the La Bona Casa hotel. If I am lucky enough to be in Collioure again, I would choose it. We got one of the most attractive and bright rooms. The interior looks like an old house, as if relatives had come to a small family house. Everything is very nice, especially the wooden cabinets built into the wall between the windows, and they are completely skewed and do not close at all, as is the case in old houses. And they are wooden! And a bed with a luxurious, high wooden headboard... Cozy, thick, light curtains. A bit touristy, but still, tres sympa. Everything is great. The only negative is that it's cramped for two. Well, there were no shelves in the bathroom for our cosmetic bags) Mine is so very big...
Did you like Collour? Would you come?
Collioure, France.
We continue to travel around the European province... This time France.
The southern coast of France, a quiet resort town, an empty beach, a sea breeze and a glass of scalding grog... This French town becomes truly cozy only in the off-season. I definitely recommend it for visiting in the autumn-spring period. Shall we take a walk to the old lighthouse?
Not far from the French-Spanish border lies this picturesque Catalan town of Collioure, which inspired Matisse, Dirand and Chagall to create their works and is a mecca for fans of their talent. It is called the birthplace of Fauvism (a movement in French painting of the 20th century). In the Bay of Collioure rise the impenetrable walls of the Royal Castle. Over the centuries, the city has repeatedly passed from the Aragonese to the French crown, which gives it a peculiar flavor.
The French provinces of Languedoc and Roussillon are Catalan. Once upon a time, French Catalonia and Spanish Catalonia were united. Nowadays, French Catalans are clearly less nationalistic. In France they are first French, and then Catholics, but in Spain it’s the other way around: first they are Catalans, and then they are Spaniards, and they are always trying to separate themselves from Spain.
From Spain we drove along the serpentine road rather than the autobahn; it took longer, but was much more beautiful:
The main face of Collioure is the chapel of the Notre-Dame des Anges church, rising directly from the sea, which now plays the role of a lighthouse in Collioure Bay. It acquired its current appearance in 1818 and now adorns the central embankment along the edge of the pebble beach.
In the very center of the town there is a quiet small bay, just imagine how many people in the summer will want to take their “place in the sun”, but in March it is almost empty:
Bridge-path to the old lighthouse:
Once upon a time, Collioure was the capital of the state of Mallorca (not to be confused with the island) - one of the Catalan kings allocated a separate state to his son, which included the present-day island of Mallorca and a number of other territories. And since the island was too close to the Moors and an attack by the Moors from the sea was most likely there, a safer place on the mainland was chosen for the capital, namely Collioure. By the way, it is translated as “free mountain”. Freedom comes precisely from the Moors.
The first fortress appeared in Collioure in 673. The Templars built a citadel castle in the fortified village, and in 1276 the King of Mallorca made it his summer residence. In the 15th century, the castle was strengthened by the king of Aragon. Now this huge fortress of gray stone and brick battlements added by Vauban rises in the depths of the bay, strangely contrasting with the cheerful village. It is called the Royal Castle; exhibitions of contemporary artists are held in the halls. All interesting premises are open to the public.
The Templar castle at Collioure is a very powerful military structure, protecting the approaches from the sea with underground communications, some of which are still used by the French military.
On the way back we met a sea urchin catcher for restaurants:
The town is very compact and cute:
But this sign finally convinced me that this is my city :)
We drove around Spain in a wonderful Mini Cooper, rented for only 16 euros per day!
Read about the rental experience and our route here.
I won’t regret for a second that we went to Collioure in France. The path from Tossa de Mar is not close - 147 km, but the trip was worth it.
Collioure is located in the south of France in the Lagendoc-Roussillon region. Once a fishing village, its border position with Spain left its mark on history - the city was ruled by Mallorcan, Aragonese, Spanish and French kings.
Arriving in Collioure, we parked the car near some hotel on the outskirts and walked into the city. This is how he first appeared before us. From the place where we parked there was an excellent view of the city, the bay with emerald water, the castle and the lighthouse chapel.
Nowadays, from a fishing village, Collioure has turned into “Saint-Tropez”. The city became famous when Matisse, Picasso, and Derain came here at the beginning of the 20th century. These places inspired them so much that they painted more than one picture. It was at this time that Fauvism was born and Collioure became known as the city of Fauvism.
Henri Matisse, who worked with pure colors, filling his canvases with straight lines and stripes, rectangles, diluted with bright flashes, described Collioure like this: “Nowhere in France is the sky bluer than in Collioure. I just open the shutters of my room, and here they are in front of me all the colors of the Mediterranean."
There are more than 20 art galleries in Collioure. And even now in the city you can meet many local artists who paint and immediately sell their paintings.
Walking towards the city center, we pass by hotels located on the cliffs, where stairs descend directly to the sea. It’s hard to imagine how people swim here during a rough sea, but judging by the number of tourists in the city, hotels clearly do not have a shortage of tourists.
One of the most famous attractions of Collioure - the Royal Castle - is on the left in the photo. The castle was originally built in the 7th century, and the current castle was built between the 13th and 14th centuries.
Initially, the castle served as a royal residence, and since the 15th century it has been used as a garrison fortress. Its walls were strengthened, especially in the 16th century during the reign of Charles V, by his son Prince Philip II, to protect his territories.
And in 1939 the fort was turned into a prison. From a distance, when you look at the castle, it seems small, but being at the foot of its powerful walls, you feel how huge they are.
Entrance to the fortress costs 4 euros.
Another attraction is the Notre Dame Church. Previously, this tower served as a lighthouse; now it has an orange dome with bells.
Now this tower is the most photographed object in Collioure, and can be found in many photographs of the city.
From Notre Dame you can follow the path to the Chapel of Saint Vincent. The church is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Vincent, whose day is celebrated annually on August 17.
In descriptions of the city you can often find the description that it is a city of anchovies. Even on many houses you can find the inscription "anchois". Here, anchovies can be found in every cafe, restaurant, every store and retail outlet. They are sold fresh, pickled, salted, and canned. Serve as a separate dish, as an addition or as an appetizer. There are a lot of variations. The fish are so delicate that they cannot be processed mechanically; even today, manual processing is still used.
We tried pickled anchovies with croutons as an appetizer.
Another gastronomic feature of Collioure is the oyster farms. There are many of them along the embankment. I read that they are offered in different dishes, but after studying the menus of many restaurants, we came across only one serving option - traditional - raw oysters with sauce, lemon and buttered croutons.
And of course, in a maritime city, restaurants serve a lot of seafood.
In the photo below you can see the mill on the right side. The mill is from the 14th century, used to grind black olives to produce olive oil.
Well, the most important thing in the city, what attracts crowds of tourists, what inspired many artists, and, in principle, where the concept of Fauvism came from, is the brightly colored facades of houses, with bright multi-colored shutters and balconies. And these colored shutters are entwined with bright flowers. The picture is such that it simply amazes the imagination. No, it doesn’t hit, it explodes.
The walls are decorated with ceramic pots.
Street designations in Collioure.
How beautiful these colored houses look, pressed closely with their facades to each other. The city seems so cozy and summery at any time of the year.
