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.
The small French town of Collioure (Coliour) on the so-called Scarlet Coast of France (Cote Vermeille) is located 26 kilometers from the Spanish border. This very picturesque fishing village on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, which would have lived its completely isolated life (anchovy fishing and winemaking), being “preserved” in its own beauty, if famous artists had not discovered it at the beginning of the 20th century.
Colour was “discovered” by Henri Matisse in 1905. It is believed that it was here that the movement of Fauvism was born - in the same summer that Henri Matisse and fellow artists Andre Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck spent in the village, walking around the surrounding area and working on landscapes. The attractiveness of Collioure in the eyes of creative individuals was also given by the very visible “trace of the Templars” that remained in these parts since the Middle Ages. Many French and Spanish artists came to Collioure from time to time - Georges Braque, Paul Signac, Raoul Dufy, Albert Marquet and others. Matisse himself was inspired by almost everything in Collioure: the streets, roofs and colorful houses, the port, the bell tower, the vineyards on the surrounding hills and, of course, the sea...
In the 1950s, Pablo Picasso visited Collioure, and Salvador Dali, who lived very close, regularly attended the Collioure City Festival in August from 1953 to 1957.
With the development of mass tourism, Russian tour operators included Collure in a familiarization route around France as part of a one-day bus excursion from popular Catalan resorts - the Costa Brava. By the way, apparently, it is the representatives of the Russian tourism industry who are responsible for the translationvermeillenot as “scarlet, bright red,” but as “purple.” Hence the incorrect names of excursions to this part of the coast as the “Purple Coast of France”. Scarlet color (vermeil) in the original, in the imagination of travel agency translators, for some reason it was transformed into a completely different color - purple, apparently to make the trip more attractive. Unfortunately, its format, like the format of most excursions put on stream, does not allow one to fully appreciate the charm of Collioure: tourists are brought here for a maximum of an hour, during which time, of course, you can run around the small town, but it’s unlikely to really enjoy the visit . However, if you doubt whether it’s worth going here at all, even for a short time, don’t hesitate.
There are quite a lot of attractions here (for a town with a population of just over 3 thousand people), and in the summer Collioure is popular as a place for a relaxing beach holiday, there are several sandy and pebble beaches. It is chosen mainly by the French and Spaniards, although many tourists traveling through the Eastern Pyrenees and Catalonia also come to see this picturesque place.
How to get to Collioure
Colioure is easily accessible by train(usually with a transfer in the larger Perpignan) from many European cities. There are several trains a day from Barcelona, and you can also get here by rail from Figueres, Spain. There are TGV trains from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Strasbourg, Lille, Toulouse, Geneva, Brussels.
By plane: Perpignan airport (30 kilometers from Collioure), but it only accepts domestic Air France flights from Paris Orly and flights from British low-cost airlines.
By car: along the A9 highway (if you are coming from the north of Europe, then exit the Perpignan Sud highway, then follow the signs to Collioure, from the south, for example from Spain, exit the Le Boulou highway)
You can choose in advance and book a car for traveling around Spain here
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What to see in Collioure
The architectural heritage of the town and its surroundings can be divided into religious and military buildings - forts, castles and fortresses. Art lovers will love the many small museums, private art galleries and salons that are as charming as those along France's Mediterranean coast.
The symbol of the town can be called Church of Église Notre-Dame-des-Anges in Colioura harbour. This church was built between 1684 and 1691. Initially, at the end of the 17th century, it also served as a lighthouse, but by order of the French Marshal Vauban, this function was abolished.
Former Dominican monastery, founded in 1290 on the initiative of King Jacques II of Majorca. Today its grounds serve as cellars for Collioure winemakers.
Chapel of Saint Vincent(Vincent of Saragossa) is located on the site of the former island where, according to legend, this early Christian saint suffered martyrdom in 303. The chapel was built before the arrival of the saint's relics. This is a small and simple room with a cross, located by the sea on a rocky cliff, next to the Église Notre-Dame-des-Anges church.
Powerful Royal Castle-Fortress of Collioura was built on the seashore in the 7th century and was rebuilt several times between the 13th and 17th centuries. Historians date the foundation on which the castle stands to approximately 672. The next important page in its history was the beginning of the 13th century, when the Chateau was rebuilt and thoroughly fortified by the Knights Templar, one of the most mysterious, rich and powerful orders of the Middle Ages. After the Templars, the castle was rebuilt in accordance with their needs by the kings of Majorca, who constantly moved between their possessions in these parts. To whomever Chateau Collioura passed during its rich history, he always performed defensive functions.
In the vicinity of Collioure there are several more forts with ancient history that will be of interest to all fans of military buildings. Detailed information about them can be obtained from the tourist office located in the very center of the town.
Gastronomy
In the fishing village, naturally, they prepare seafood and fish dishes, including a variety of soups. It is believed that the most delicious “export” anchovies are caught in the coastal waters of Collioure, so you should definitely order something with local anchovies in restaurants, at least pizza. The cuisine is mainly Catalan, with many tapas, and the local snails (cargolada) are worth trying. For meat – Catalan-style lamb, for desserts – cream catalan.
Colleur is also traditionally strong as a producer of red, white and rosé AOC wines, so it's worth checking with local winemakers or simply asking the waiters what wine they recommend.
Collioure hosts some local entertainment events all year round, but summer is best timed to visit Feast of the city's patron saint - Saint Vincent, which usually runs from August 14 to 18. In fact, it is a fun city festival with performances, dancing and fireworks.
Colour photo
Three hours of uploading photos will not be in vain, and I can finally write about Perpignan and Collioure, who fell in love with me at first sight. Two incredible cities on the border of France and Spain, a special atmosphere, smells, air, energy - rose bushes, cute houses, bright ceramic dishes, sea spray, mussels with lemon, grilled squid, white wine, all this is woven into one wonderful ball French day.
The bus takes us to the very center of the town. Collioure, a small resort town, just like in Joanne Harris's "Chocolat", well, after it was transformed by Mademoiselle Rocher. The first thing we see is a market exploding with colors. The same French market about which they write pictures, make films, sing in songs (they sing about markets in songs, don’t they?) which, perhaps, even became the main attraction of this day.
Bright ceramic dishes of all colors of the rainbow, when polished, they shine in the sun and you can’t take your eyes off them, fabrics, colors characteristic of this region - multi-colored stripes of different thicknesses, jewelry, colorful scarves, dishes lined with glass mosaics. There are an incredible number of people and everyone gathers near the most interesting points.
I still return to the dishes and leave with a beautiful terracotta bowl, I will beat the egg whites in it :)
There are a lot of paintings in Collioure, beautiful paintings for ridiculous money, it’s a pity that the size of the suitcase does not allow you to spend money on this luxury. So I advise everyone who arrives in Collioure to keep this in mind.
The architecture of the city is very artistic - stonework, the seashore, boats with multi-colored sails, cyclamen roses on lush green bushes, low houses of various colors. Now it’s warm and sunny here, I’m trying to imagine this town in December, but I’m having trouble. With the influx of tourists, Collioure looks so lively that even the air is buzzing. French here sounds completely different, more rude and perky. Sellers, of course, try to put together five words in English and will calculate the amount for you without any problems in a non-native language.
We go to the epicenter of events and go to the food market - seafood, cheeses, sausages, incredibly beautiful tomatoes, spices, fruits. Is this haven? Sure it is. I really wanted to wander around the French market with a camera in hand, there is so much to photograph here. It’s amazing that this is the most ordinary French market, it seems like a fairy tale to me.
The title of the most beautiful shop goes to the colorful Frenchman with spices. It seems that nothing has changed since the 16th century - copper scales and spice scoops are polished to a shine, baskets and bags contain everything you want - from ginger, saffron and cumin to lavender, dried rosebuds and cinnamon sticks. Either really old or semi-antique signs, craft bags with designs. La Route des Epices, on the sign is a ship from the Age of Discovery. I'm sure such a ship once sailed to the shores of Asia or India for gold, silver and spices. An incredibly colorful shop! We shopped there as a group.
Having bought delicacies, wine and fruit for dinner, we go to dine at a nice restaurant. Only after seeing restaurants during lunch in Collioure did I understand what it means to be steamy in the kitchen. There is literally not a single free space. To seat 20 people we had to wait another good hour. But we have lunch with a gorgeous view of the coast. From the second day our trip turned into a gastronomic one. We did not give in to this principle before departure.
Collioure has an incredibly colorful coastline, where you want to capture every piece. I promised myself to return here with a new lens and new hands, since I had not yet learned how to shoot landscapes, and leaving such a place without fantastic photographs is blasphemy. But you can see how happy we are in this bright space. sunny place.
With our photo shoot we attract the attention of all tourists; the strength of 18 beautiful girls is simply undeniable. With a light step we return to the center for dessert, where we noticed a shop. We are accompanied by palm trees and cute couples walking hand in hand; this place is truly suitable for a romantic getaway.
We look at Monsieur Bajar's shop eagerly, every detail, because we came here even before we personally met the chef. The exterior is absolutely consistent with the city - stonework, a laconic logo, but inside Monsieur Bajar is not inferior to himself - black glossy marble surfaces, stylish packaging, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. We take pictures of everything and take ice cream for dessert. There is a smiling woman behind the counter, I know from Tanya that this is Madame Bazhar’s sister, this is truly a family business.
Mango, coconut, raspberry, blackcurrant sorbet, pistachio ice cream, with praline, with pralines roses, I can’t even remember everything from memory. We take all types and arrange a tasting. The ice cream and sorbet are simply divine; is it worth saying again that I have never eaten anything tastier?)
Next, we take the pretty train to climb to the highest point of Collioure. On the way to a breathtaking view, I photograph other people’s balconies without remorse, they are simply created for this - all in colors, with forged elements and wooden shutters slightly faded in the June sun. We climb up the serpentine road, enjoying the green vineyards, everything is like in a movie, it’s impossible not to fall in love with this place.
The view is truly amazing. Picasso, Chagall and Matisse painted here, it is such an artistic, energetic and inspiring place that I understand them very well. I so want to remember every moment and every centimeter of a place that I take 100 pictures and nothing bothers me. This is the perfect place for a beautiful portrait.
We return to the city to wander around the narrow streets and various shops before leaving. There is an incredible amount of marine-themed souvenirs here - magnets, paintings, dishes, anchors, lifebuoys, boats, seagulls - you can’t list it all.
We find a store for the soul - a cute chocolate house. Real Chocolate, that’s what it was called, and the nice saleswoman communicated with us quite well in English. Beautiful pieces of chocolate bars, chocolate dragee, caramel, candies. This is truly a paradise for all chocolate lovers, that is, for almost 99% of girls. At the back of the store, a wall is lined with jars of caramel of various flavors, and perhaps this is what I remember most of all. With bergamot, with ginger. with pralines, with crushed nuts, with candies that explode in your mouth, you remember they sold those in your childhood, with cardamom, with fleur de sel. You can try all types of caramel, I especially remember the one with bergamot and ginger. I couldn’t resist buying a jar of bergamot, I love it too much. I couldn't even imagine. that caramel goes so well with many other flavors.
While walking we found another candy store. There was an incredible amount of nougat and a variety of cookies. And also very beautiful marmalade and candied fruits. I don’t remember the name exactly, but it’s located very close to Real Chocolate.
One day in Collioure flew by at the speed of light, but became unforgettable. This warm place left the warmest memories and a desire to return.
In Perpignan, the biggest attraction for me personally will always remain, but the city center is also worth seeing. After studying, we went there for half an hour on foot to have dinner in a cozy restaurant.
Perhaps the most beautiful place in Perpignan is the small fort Le Castillet, located on the banks of the Tête River. The road to it really looked like it came out of a painting - everything is in flowers and greenery, lush trees, tall palm trees, openwork bridges. The architecture in this place is much more Spanish, it would be suitable for a dramatic, but beautiful, film about the Inquisition :)
On the fort there is a flag - the prototype of our cake from the Le Sang et Or program, the translation into Russian is much more prosaic - Blood and Gold. What else I remember are the marble slabs that line the sidewalks in the center. Polished to smoothness and shine, you can undoubtedly temper chocolate with these, the group of confectioners unanimously agreed :)
Our cafe is very close to the fort - Le Grand Cafe de la Paix. The cuisine here is good, I recommend it if you find yourself in Perpignan. Excellent oysters, an unusual salad with foie gras and phyllo pastry envelopes with baked goat cheese; pasta and pizza with seafood are also well prepared here. Wash everything down with prosecco and you'll be happy.
It's almost lunchtime and the fast is over. I sigh with a sense of accomplishment. I solemnly promise to re-read it later, I don’t have the strength to correct mistakes and erase stupid phrases now.
Slowly but surely I’m getting my blog back to you and myself. I was very pleased to read all your comments on, I am glad that you are with me, my old and new friends. I’m already preparing new posts about exciting Barcelona, which really has something to say, and about the best baker in France, such an unusual person that a post is simply inevitable.
xoxo or as we French say, bisou bisou :))
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.
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.
