Mont Canigou

At the heart of the Pyrenees, the Canigou mountain rises to a height of 2784 metres. Straddling both sides of the Spanish border, the imposing landscape offers some fantastic scenery and hiking trails.

Natural Languedoc Roussillon, South of France

Mont Canigou, Pyrenees - Natural France

The Canigou offers a unique view-point in the Pyrenees over the mountains to the Mediterranean. Here, visitors can discover a fascinating range of fauna including izards, marmots, capercaillies, eagles and vultures.

The Canigou is the sacred mountain of the Catalan people, a symbol of unity for a cross-border nation profoundly attached to the ancestral traditions which have forged Catalan identity. The Canigou is a land of ancient legends and beliefs all related to the hardy lifestyle of the high mountain shepherds. That wind-torn red and gold banner flying on the mountain peak is certainly not there by chance. The Canigou is a physical and spiritual landmark for all inhabitants of the region, who climb to the top as something of an ancestral pilgrimage.

The “trobade” (from the Catalan word Trobada, which means “meeting”), is held on the weekend before Saint John’s day, the area’s most symbolic feast day, and the Catalans come here to deposit bundles of wood (in which they have placed messages of peace, friendship or love) up on the peak of their sacred mountain. The peak of the Canigou is accessible in the summertime by car from Prades or Vernet-les-Bains in the Pyrénées-orientales, and then on foot.

The Catalan Pyrenees are an enchanting sight, and can be indulged in without moderation all-year-round, thanks to their exceptional sunshine. In winter, ski resorts covering a vast ski terrain offer pistes for all abilities, including downhill, cross-country, tobogganing and snow boarding. After the snow has melted, the countryside in springtime is ablaze with masses of wildflowers. In summer, there’s great walking to be had along pathways that weave through rocky hillsides.

INFORMATION - Tourist Office - Tel: + 33 (0)4 68 05 55 35 Website