🇫🇷 Narbonne and Perpignan: wandering in the south of France

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Ciao, people of Hive! ✌️
In my last post I made a little recap of my travel in southern France, showing you my experience in the medieval stronghold of Carcassonne (here). Today, I'm going to show you some little, unexpected pearls in the region called Occitania or Midi.

Also, I decided to introduce a little innovation: at the end of each post, I'll share a song that captures the essence of my journey. You will find it in the comments below. Feel free to suggest your favorite tunes, I love every kind of music! 🙏

Morning walk in Narbonne

This city has a very important past: it was the first colony of Rome outside the territory of Italy, then capital of the whole province and, after the fall of Roman Empire, capital of Visigoths before the Arab occupation. During Middle Ages, it gradually lost its importance, but nowadays it's still a nice place for a walk.

On the left, the Merchants' Bridge (Pont des Marchands), a bridge flanked by two rows of shops and houses. On the right, the Archbishop's Palace (Palais des Archevêques).

Canal de la Robine and Occitan flag.

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Narbonne partially recovered its ancient importance during 1500, when its citizens decided to build this channel in order to connect the city with the most important trade routes. It actually worked for a certain period, but a mocking fate waited for Narbonne once again: the construction of the rail network in 1800 deprived the city of its strategic importance, since river boats couldn't compete with trains.

No, not these trains... 😁

Pont des Marchands and Archbishop's Palace, taken from the other side of the Canal de la Robine. This part of the city was surprisingly desert.

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The history of the cathedral sadly mirrors the changing fortunes of Narbonne. Around 1250, it was conceived to be an immense and ambitious monument. However, it was gradually abandoned as the city lost its centrality. This decline occurred even considering the dramatic situation that France was facing in 1300, amidst the Plague and the war against England. In light of these challenges, the building has never been completed and will likely remain unfinished for a long time...

Interior view of the cathedral.

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Perpignan: welcome to Spain (or maybe not?)

I didn't read anything about Perpignan before arriving there, but I knew something about the city: it's generally known as La Catalana. Although the city has now belonged to France since 1659, the Catalan identity is still very strong and the inhabitants tend to show it proudly.

Avenue du Général de Gaulle, outside the train station. I was quite surprised seeing palm trees everywhere all of a sudden!


Murales in the historical center.

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Le Castillet stands as one of the iconic symbols of the city. Once, this was the city gate, serving not only as an entrance but also as a protective structure for the city. Nowadays it's simply a museum, the Catalan Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions.

Reaching the top of the Castillet, you can enjoy the view all over the city, with the Palace of the Kings of Majorca on the other side.

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In 1276, after making Perpignan the capital of his kingdom, Jaume II of Majorca started to build a palace with gardens on the hill. The kingdom of Majorca saw its end in 1349, being defeated and incorporated into the kingdom of Aragon. From then on, the castle became a crucial defense center on the border between Spain and France.

On the left, the tower with the access to the royal residence; the remaining pictures are taken in the garden and inside the castle, where I found a museum and a very particular art exhibition. Details taken in the highest tower.

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Sitting in a café, writing and watching the passers-by, I realized how these two cities touched me deeply with their stories. Both of them have two valuable lessons to impart. Narbonne is an invitation to remember that ambition is a challenging game, and in the worst case it leaves you incomplete, disappointed, broken in half. On the other side, in an increasingly globalized and conformist world, Perpignan teaches us that our origins are to be preserved at all costs, that it's always worth being different and that this difference - when displayed with pride and imagination - can be really cool!

La Basse, river flowing in the city centre.

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🙏 Thank you so much for your time and support. I hope my post has given you a bit of inspiration or some travel ideas, or at least a few minutes of entertainment. Leave your travel tips or your favorite "travel song" in the comments! 🙏

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See you on the road,

Alessandro