Eastern Pyrenees
France > Pyrénées > Eastern
The dominant climatic influence of the Eastern Pyrenees is the Mediterranean. The climate is hotter and drier here, and the landscape more arid. Mediterranean plants like the cistus, broom and thyme make their appearance, and the lower slopes of the hills are planted with vines. The way of life is laid-back and outdoor-oriented. The proximity of Spain is evident, too, and much of the region is Catalan, definitively incorporated into France only in 1659. As with the rest of the Pyrenees, the countryside is spectacular, and densely networked with well-organized Hiking trails. The historical sights, with the exception of the prehistoric caves at Niaux and the Cathar castle of Montségur, are most richly concentrated in the east towards the coast, in what is essentially French Catalonia, comprising Roussillon and La Cerdagne (Rosilló and La Cerdanya).
Pages in section ‘Eastern’: Along the River Ariège, Along the Aude, Roussillon.
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