Eus is a commune of the Pyrénées-Orientales in Occitania, located 40 km west of Perpignan and northeast of the small town of Prades (5900 inhabitants) of which it borders.
At the foot of the Canigou massif, the territory of the locality is crossed in its south by the river Tet, but the old heart of the village itself is perched on a small granitic hill. Formerly fortified around a castle, this defensive place made it possible to repel the assaults of the French armies in the sixteenth century then of the Spanish troops in the XVIIIe.
Now dominated by a church built on the ruins of the old castle, the village is renowned for being the sunniest in France. Widely pedestrianized, with shops of craftsmen, restaurants and shops, Eus (about 400 inhabitants) is a member of the association of the most beautiful villages of France.
From its heights, the panoramic view of the orchards in bloom or the snowy Canigou remains spectacular. With its heritage and its picturesque face, this makes it an unavoidable step.
Before strolling along its steep alleys, paved with pebbles (attention, some are still quite steep!), Eus offers the visitor a built heritage of the first order.
This is the case of the church of Saint-Vincent-d'En-Haut, built in the eighteenth, in the middle of the village, on the site of the former castle of the Volta. It is equipped with a bell-tower which gives access to the nave and vaults dating from the previous fortifications. The nave is surrounded by side chapels housing a number of statues. There is also a high altar and an altarpiece of the Rosary at the end of the 17th century. Other wealth of the church classified to the supplementary inventory, its chime wheel above the choir, which functions during the offices.
In the valley below, a detour is necessary to admire the Romanesque chapel Saint-Vincent (11th and 13th centuries), also classified. The building has two naves with four spans built of cut stone and rubble, and the roof is made of slate. For example, there is an apse with a window, surmounted by a molded cornice.
Finally, the church of Saint-Étienne de Comes (village with which Eus merged at the beginning of the XIXth century), of Romanesque style, dates from XIIe. Its bell-tower with two arches. The building is in a restoration phase.
In the hilltop village, the Solana Museum is a heritage house housed in the old school. Collections evoke the everyday life and agricultural work of the past. Open from mid-July to mid-September on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4pm to 7pm. Free admission.
For guided tours of the village, and hiking (hiking or mountain biking) including or departing from Eus, documentation and information on +33 4 68 05 41 02.
For fishing enthusiasts, information about the accessible sites and regulations at +33 4 68 66 88 38.
Finally, for those wandering through the picturesque alleyways of the village, the Kap'oupa Kap center offers descent on the river in tubing (buoy with paddle) and adventure courses with zip lines, in particular. For more information, please call +33 6 88 48 06 45.
On the first weekend of June, the Croisée d'Art festival is devoted to the visual arts and brings together some fifty artists from various backgrounds and disciplines in the streets and sites of the village.
From the beginning of August to the middle of September, the festival of the Nits of Eus program of concerts of jazz, classical music or singing. The concerts take place in Saint-Vincent church or at the Maison du temps libre. Information on +33 4 68 96 06 27.
On the last Sunday of August, the Lizard Race offers a circuit of a dozen kilometers. The event which takes place on a difficult course is reserved for the confirmed athletes. Information on +33 4 68 96 47 69.
