Introduction to Perpignan

904km (562 miles) SW of Paris; 369km (229 miles) NW of Marseille; 64km (40 miles) S of Narbonne

At Perpignan you might think you've crossed the border into Spain, for it was once Catalonia's second city after Barcelona. Even earlier it was the capital of the kingdom of Majorca. But when the Roussillon -- the French part of Catalonia -- was finally partitioned off, Perpignan became permanently French by the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. However, Catalan is still spoken here, especially among the country people.

Legend has it that Perpignan derives its name from Père Pinya, a plowman who followed the Tèt River down the Pyrenees mountains to the site of the town today, where he cultivated the fertile soil while the river kept its promise to water the fields.

Today Perpignan is content to rest on its former glory. Its 120,000 residents enjoy the closeness of the Côte Catalane (the coastline of Catalonia, in neighboring Spain) and the mountains to the north. The pace is relaxed: You'll have time to smell the flowers that grow here in great abundance.

As one of the sunniest places in France, during summer afternoons in July and August, it's a cauldron. That's when many locals catch a ride 9.5km (6 miles) to the beach resort of Canet. Take bus no. 1 from the center of Perpignan costing 2€, running every 15 minutes in summer. A young scene brings energy to Perpignan, especially along the Basse River, site of impromptu nighttime concerts, beer drinking, and tapas devouring, a tradition adopted from nearby Barcelona.