Places to see in ( Collioure - France )

Places to see in ( Collioure - France )

Collioure is a town on the Mediterranean coast of southern France. On the sea, the medieval Château Royal de Collioure offers dramatic coastal views. The bell tower of 17th-century Notre-Dame-des-Anges Church was once a lighthouse. The Modern Art Museum includes paintings by Henri Matisse. Nearby is the Moulin de Collioure, a 14th-century windmill. South, the hilltop Fort St. Elme has a museum with medieval weapons.

Collioure is a seaside resort on the Languedoc coast, just north of the border with Spain and on the 'Vermeille Coast'. It was historically a small fishing village then after a time as an an important military centre, Collioure began to attract the artistic community including such renowned artists as Matisse and Derain in the early 20th century. It is now a very popular destination with tourists and Collioure has a lively town centre with some interesting historical monuments and a popular local beach. With the castle and church creating an impressive backdrop, the beach and harbour are among the most scenic in Languedoc-Roussillon.

Start your visit by walking along the sea-front: there are the wonderful sights of the castle and the church of Notre Dame des Anges to admire and as you wander along the Boulevard du Boramar between the two there are lots of lovely seaside bars and restaurants to tempt you. Collioure is by far the most attractive town on this stretch of the Mediterranean coast and is definitely not to be missed. It also feels slightly out of place: you feel as if you are in the heart of Provence rather than close to the Spanish border

Head uphill into the town itself and the narrow streets are charming. The houses are painted in lovely pastel shades with painted shutters and many are bedecked with trailing bougainvillea and vibrant blue plumbagos. Out of season the market days are particularly nice days to visit the town: these are on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. But it is useful to remember that in peak season it is always difficult to find a parking space in Collioure ... and even harder on market days

The Church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges stands on a small peninsula in the sea. The belltower of the church was the town lighthouse in medieval times, with a church then built next to it in the 17th century. Later, when the harbour was no longer used as a port, the lighthouse was incorporated as the church belltower. The domed cupola (in an Italian style) was added early in the 19th century. The interior of the church has a huge carved wooden altarpiece covered in gold leaf.

The Royal Castle of Collioure, Le Chateau Royal, dominates the seafront at the southern end of the harbour. The site has had a castle since as early as the 7th century, but the building we see today was constructed in the 13th century, with additions until the 17th century. Le More is the old fishing village and the narrow cobbled streets and pretty pastel-painted houses are a pleasure to explore.

Above the town is the Fort Miradou, built in the 15th century, destroyed and rebuilt by Vauban. It is now occupied by the army and not open to the public. Further out of town facing the sea are these two fortresses built in the 18th century - Fort Carré and Fort Rond. On the southern edge of town the monastery was built in the 13th century. In recent years the cloister has had a chequered history. It became the home of a co-operative wine seller but was sold in an illegal art sale to the Atlantic town of Anglet. When this was discovered it was bought back in 1992 and rebuilt in the gardens of the Modern Art Mueum.

Anchovies has been a one of Collioure's key industries for centuries. Because of the importance of anchovies in the local commerce and the local cuisine Collioure has been awarded the 'site remarquable du gout', or' award of culinary excellence'. The anchovies are prepared in lots of different ways and you can sample them in various different shops in Collioure. Collioure has been a trading port since 673 and the village began to develop more fully in the 10th century.

( Collioure - France ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Collioure . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Collioure - France

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