Collioure
Catalan Fishing Port Near The Spanish Border Where Matisse And Derain Invented Fauvism In 1905, With Its Seaside Church Bell Tower And ChâTeau Royal · Collioure, Occitanie
Collioure is a small Catalan fishing port on the Côte Vermeille, where the Pyrenees drop into the Mediterranean a few kilometres north of the Spanish border. Its bay is framed by the Château Royal, a fortress used by the Kings of Majorca and later strengthened for the French crown, and by the church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges, whose round bell tower was once the harbour lighthouse and stands with its feet in the sea. In the summer of 1905 Henri Matisse and André Derain painted here in bright, unnatural colours, and the work they showed in Paris that autumn gave Fauvism its name. A trail of reproduction panels now marks the spots where they set up their easels. The old quarter of Le Mouré has steep lanes of pastel houses, and the port still cures anchovies, while terraced vineyards on the hills make Banyuls and Collioure wines. The town is small and very popular, with packed streets and car parks in summer, and the tramontane wind can blow hard at any season.
Port and Château Royal, Collioure, Pyrénées-Orientales, Collioure, Occitanie, France
The port, the beaches, the lanes of the old town and the Chemin du Fauvisme panels are public and open at all hours. The church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges is usually open during the day outside services, with a midday closure in some seasons. The Château Royal is run as a monument and exhibition space and generally opens daily with longer hours in summer and shorter ones in winter; it closes on a few holidays, so confirm. The modern art museum in the Villa Pams usually opens most days in the season and closes one day a week or for periods in winter; check before going. Fort Saint-Elme above the town has been privately run with its own seasonal opening, while Fort Miradou is a military site that cannot be visited. In July and August the town is packed from late morning and car parks near the centre fill early; a summer park-and-ride shuttle has run from car parks above the town, and the train station is a short walk from the port, so confirm services. Many shops, galleries and restaurants close or reduce hours between November and March.