Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda is a town of Pyrénées-Orientales, in Occitan region, 10 km west of Ceret.
Large 29 square kilometers, ranging from 176 to 1424 m above sea level, the territory is crossed by the course of the Tech and its tributary the Montdony. It borders Spain to the south.
The town of Amelia has developed in the Tech Valley, specifically, and the town also has two villages: Palalda, north, also bordered by the Tech and Montalba south.
Amelie-les-Bains is since ancient times known for its baths fed by the hot springs.
Originally called Arles-les-Bains, the town is Fort-les-Bains in the seventeenth after the construction of fortifications and Amélie-les-Bains in 1840 in honor of the wife of King Louis Philippe.
Today, counting some 3,500 inhabitants, Amelie-les-Bains remains a spa appreciated by spa guests suffering from joint diseases and respiratory tract. Dedicated areas wellbeing (spa) also feature baths. In general, in a pleasant Mediterranean climate, tourists in the environment of the station bordering summits and crossed by small streams dotted with gorges, a sports and leisure offer "nature" of the first order.
A destination of choice for all, in the heart of the historic region of Vallespir, about thirty kilometers from the coast!
In terms of historical and heritage buildings, the quaint village reflects the secular prosperity of the city due to its thermal baths.
See well, the Saint-Quentin church, rebuilt from 1868 to 1871 and which houses a beautiful Romanesque Virgin of the thirteenth century, from the parish of old medieval church. Note also the bell tower and its carillon consists of 7 bells.
On the still religious, the Chapel of the Rosary (XVI) is located precisely at the location of the original parish church. Y is preserved a beautiful altarpiece carved, gilded and painted from 1673.
Note also, the Calvary on the road Montbolo: a high cross 8m on a rock. From the site, a beautiful panorama awaits the walker.
Overlooking the city, the fort performed on Vauban in 1670 recalls the close to the Spanish border.
We will not forget the seven cemeteries of the city: the old and the new cemeteries dedicated to the people "ordinary" military cemetery, the Protestant cemetery, the old and the new cemeteries Palalada, and the cemetery of the Rosary. These various cemeteries form what local custom denominates a "small Pere Lachaise" since the various monuments tell of fact the history of places. The most famous tomb is that (in the main cemetery) of a Japanese samurai who died in 1876 and whose few biographical elements evoke the life (the engraved text is in Japanese).
Also in the main town, a walk can be dedicated to the picturesque old quarter and the Escaldadou, from which one overlooks the gorge of Montdony.
Finally, of course, even if it is non-spa or not adept care "welfare", the baths are a must. Two sites managed by a national company are located. The former include the Roman Baths (filed in 1905), the building has been enlarged and restored over the centuries. The first site is spread over 3 floors and 7000 sqm.
The second, the thermal baths of Montdony, with contemporary architecture. They are especially dedicated to well-being.
For information, information +33 4 68 87 94 55 or +33 1 42 65 24 24 0825 826 366 or.
Note however that the thermal hospital of the armed, built in the nineteenth century, although enshrined in the Inventory, is today abandoned and waiting for a new project to revitalize the site.
Still on the heritage in the village of Palalda, which ensure two signal towers have replaced the medieval fortifications, to see the Church of St. Martin whose portal was built in granite. The original dates back to the tenth century building. But nowadays, the twelfth century remain a part of the nave, the rest of the building has been restored in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
This village in the picturesque area where evidence of the Middle Ages are still visible, houses near the church in the same building, a museum of post Roussillon and a museum of arts and popular traditions. The first traces the history of the post in the region (objects, costumes, various documents), the second is devoted to trades and traditions of yesteryear. Free entry. Information +33 4 68 39 34 90.
Finally, the village of Montalba, mention the seventeenth century altarpiece and a marble statue of the Madonna and Child (XIV) of the church of Santa Maria, Santa Engracia chapel Romanesque and restored in the eighteenth and the remains of the castle of Mondony, lair of a medieval stronghold.
Town Guided tours are offered in season. Price: 2.50 and 5 euros. Information +33 4 68 39 01 98.
In terms of recreation, sports and "nature" activities include first casino which also houses the cinema of the station. Information at +33 4 68 34 04 02.
A city stadium and a fitness trail are also open to visitors.
For amateurs, operates the equestrian center of Can MALCION: contacting at +33 4 68 83 94 03.
The municipal swimming pool and outdoor pools are open from June to September. Price: 2 and 3 euros. Information +33 4 68 39 07 24.
For a game of tennis, a short book on +33 4 68 39 37 66.
On the resort again, a compact golf course with a 7-hole (par 21) along 995 m in a green environment is open to visitors and tourists. Information at +33 4 68 39 37 66.
Finally, the Forest Adventure Center has a tree climbing park, bike rental point and offers hiking framed bike or horseback. Open from Easter to Halloween. Information +33 4 68 39 23 49.
As for lovers of hiking, the park also the Arc-en-Ciel in the city, with tackle and playgrounds, many circuits are possible, including exceptional natural sites like Pikes St. -Martin, where a source that gave birth to legends moult is overlooked by a block of granite, near the old fort Vauban (with views over the valley, the city and the Canigou), the steep banks of the during the Montdony, the Rock of France, the highest point of the country (1500 m) on the border with Spain, or the Roc Sant Salvador, where the source of Mondony located.
All these circuits between valleys and peaks are lined in green spaces, panoramic views but have for some difficulties. Maps and information on +33 4 68 39 01 98. Same number for fishing enthusiasts who want to enjoy the waters of the Tech and Mondony.
