Collioure et le Château Royal de Collioure

First off, Collioure on the Côte Vermeille is a stunning place to visit - the town sits around a beautiful bay and harbour and the scenery with the surrounding hills and hill forts has attracted many artists, including André Derain, Georges Braque, Othon Friesz, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, James Dickson Innes and Tsuguharu Fujita.
And then there's the Château Royal which sits in a commanding position overlooking the harbour and town. The castle has an astonishing history with the site having been fortified at least as early as 673 when the Visigoths laid siege to it. The first castle was built by the Knights Templar in 1207 before a second castle was added in the 13th/14th centuries. The castle became a Bourbon citadel and was reinforced by Vauban in the 17th century. The site's final use was as a prison initially for refugees of the Retirada (the exile from the Spanish Civil War) before being used to hold French detainees who were prisoners of the Vichy regime.
All in all, a beautiful town with history to match!
Collioure Tourist webpage - www.visitcollio...
Château Royal de Collioure - www.ledepartem...