Summer In the Sun
Elne was the ecclesiastic capital of the Roussillon from 568 to 1602, and the magnificent 10th century Romanesque Cathedral still exists today, along with the blue veined marble Cloister built between the 12th and 14th centuries.
Situated in the heart of the Department of the Pyrenees Orientales, (4 kms from the sea and at the foot of the Pyrenees), the Illiberian city has a unique setting and a privileged environment. From its elevated position, Elne dominates the Roussillon Plain, as it has done for 3,000 years.
It has seen 26 centuries of history and was the bishop’s seat from the 6th to the 17th century. The town still retains evidence of its long history and of the successive civilizations, which have influenced it. Roman remains, majestic Cathedral, Medieval Cloister and Ramparts.
The principal town of a canton of 6,500 inhabitants, Elne was in the Ancient Past, on one of the few possible land routes between the Iberian Peninsular and Mediterranean Gaul.
There is a lively market on Monday, Wednesday and Friday which is a reflection of the town’s thousand-year-old agricultural tradition. Vines, orchards, and market gardening make Elne a place to savour!