Tag Archive for: Occitania

Céret and the Arts

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A group of elderly artists painting in the square with the Pablo Picasso fountain in the old town of Céret, France

Céret, the picturesque small town in Occitania, Southern France, has captivated numerous famous artists. The unique combination of stunning landscapes, mild climate, Mediterranean atmosphere, and vibrant cultural life has made Céret a hotspot in the art scene. Artists like Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Juan Gris, as well as composers and sculptors, found inspiration here and immortalised the town as a motif in their works. On our journey through the artistic triangle in Catalonia – Collioure, Cadaqués, and Céret – we could easily understand why.
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The Cherries of Céret

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“Les cerises de Céret” – as melodious as it sounds in French, that’s how fruity and sweet the “Cherries of Céret” taste. Thanks to the mild microclimate and fertile soil, the fruits ripen very early here. The first are harvested in May and sent to the French President as a promotional gesture. During our stay in the picturesque town of Céret at the beginning of June, the harvest season was officially over. Nevertheless, many trees were still full of plump, ripe fruit. This abundance of taste, scent, and colour embodied fertility and plenty, ripeness and desire for me. Read more

Céret, the inconspicuous beauty

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The central square with the

On our journey through the artistic triangle in Catalonia, we had already gained many impressions along the coast of the Côte Vermeille and the Cap de Creus with the towns of Collioure and Cadaqués. Now the path led us away from the sea into the hinterland to the foothills of the Pyrenees. There, not far from the dominant mountain massif of the Pic de Canigou, lies the small French town of Céret in the fertile Tech valley, which is only at first glance inconspicuous (the third location of our trip starting with “C”). However, Céret is a unique place with a special atmosphere and it captured our hearts. There are many reasons for this.
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The Light and Colours of Southern France

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Colourful sea kayaks in the harbour of the old town of Collioure, Côte Vermeille, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

The intense light and vibrant colours – natural or man-made – under a warm, Mediterranean sun are part of the charm of the South of France coast: the pastel shades of the house facades, the boats or buoys in bright colours, the blooming spring meadows and bougainvillea, the ripe grapes or red coastal rocks. In Collioure on the Côte Vermeille, everything comes together. Read more

Evening Mood in Collioure Harbour

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Rocks and illuminated hotels, bars and restaurants on the beach promenade of Collioure below Fort Saint-Elme at dusk, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Collioure was our first stop on our journey through the artistic triangle in Catalonia (as well as the places beginning with “C”): Collioure, Cadaqués and Céret. A walk through Collioure in the evening, on the coast of the Côte Vermeille in Southern France, thus offered a first impressive experience.

I covered the short distance from the campsite to the bays of Porteils by bike and therefore quickly reached my central starting point: the Château Royal, the imposing fortress in the town centre. It was the first time I had taken my old mountain bike on a trip, and I was thrilled by the added flexibility, range, and quicker access to photo spots.
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The Man in the Window

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An elderly man, shirtless, on the balcony of a house with green shutters in the old town of Collioure, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

A man in a window of the apartment building “Château de le Rocasse” looks out of his room directly into the bright morning sun. Has he just woken up after a romantic night? Or is he simply enjoying the magnificent view as a traveller, looking out over the church of Notre Dame des Anges in the centre of the historic old town, and the harbour of Collioure? I never found out. Our eyes met for a moment. Then he silently disappeared back into the room, leaving me with my imagination.
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Roussillon – a part of Catalonia

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Colourful boats in the harbour of Collioure's old town, Côte Vermeille, Languedoc-Roussillon, France

The destination of the trip was Languedoc-Roussillon. This area in Southern France, within the Occitanie region (which was formed by the merger of the former Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées regions), stretches along the Mediterranean from the Rhône Delta to the Spanish border. It’s also where the Pyrenees mountain range meets the Mediterranean, and the coast becomes rocky and full of coves. This coast is often called Côte Vermeille.
 due to the predominant reddish colour of its rocks.

A short detour to Spain, southwards along the coast, was also planned. We really wanted to visit the three ‘Cs’: Collioure, Cadaqués, Céret. These are all places that have attracted, hosted, and influenced numerous artists since the 19th century: Matisse and the ‘Fauves’, Picasso, Dalí and other representatives of Surrealism and Cubism, Pointillists, and other art movements of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Right at the start of the trip, we noticed the Catalan flag – five yellow and four red stripes – and unfamiliar spellings of place names in many French towns in this border region.
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