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PYRÉNÉES
From its dizzying heights to its lush valleys, this is border country where vultures soar and mountains dip their feet into the sea.
Stretching from Atlantic to Mediterranean, it takes in the Basque ports of Biarritz, StJean-de-Luz and Bayonne in the west, and Perpignan and Collioure in the east. Inland, there are tantalising glimpses of the snowy high peaks to the south from the hilly Béarn and Bigorre districts and their main towns, Pau and Tarbes. The shrine at Lourdes draws thousands of visitors a year, while smaller centres have also earned their reputations; Espelette for its peppers, Sauveterre-de-Bearn for its fishing, Oloron-Ste-Marie for its berets. Ainhoa and St-Jean-Pied-de-Port grew up on a pilgrim route, as did the spa town of Luz-St-Sauveur to the east, where also lie historic Montségur, Foix and Mirepoix. Basque culture, its language and green and red flag, is dominant in the west, where each village has its fronton court for the game of pelote. Down in the eastern Pyrénées, allegiance is to the red and yellow of the Catalan flag. Céret, famous for its cherries, has a distinctly Spanish feel. The GR10 long-distance footpath crosses this great walking country. Popular areas include the Bearn's Fôret d'Iraty, the rugged Aspe Valley, Cauterets in the Parc National des Pyrénées and medieval Arreau. To the south-east there are ski resorts; the River Tet rises to flow through a narrow gorge at fortified Villefranche-de-Conflent, past the Pic du Canigou and Prades to Perpignan where sand dunes stretch south past Argelès to the artists' haunt of Collioure. Here, mountains meet the sea on the Côte Vermeille, home of sweet Banyuls and Muscat wines.
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