A stone’s throw from the Pyrenees and France’s border with the Spanish region of Catalunya, Perpignan fuses two cultures. Natives call their city by its Catalan name, Perpinya. The red and yellow Catalan banner flies next to the French tricouleur. Food has a distinctive regional flavour, with dishes such as cuttlefish, anchovy pie from Collioure and Pyrenean ham. Locals dance the sardana, the Catalan circle dance, and many are still bullfight aficionados – though rugby is even more popular. In autumn and early winter, the city’s markets overflow with seasonal produce and it’s still warm enough to join the locals at a sunny café on place Arago, Perpignan’s social hub.
France
