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About the city
Perpignan is a commune and the préfecture (administrative capital city) of the Pyrénées-Orientales département in southern France. It was the capital of the former province and county of Roussillon. Interesting facts about Perpignan include a close connection with the sculptor Aristide Maillol, who attended school there. Also, following a visit in 1963, the Catalan (Spain) surrealist artist Salvador Dalí declared the city’s railway station the centre of the Universe, saying that he always got his best ideas sitting in the waiting room.
( Source: Wikipedia)
City areas
Apart from the 4 main districts (North, West, East and Old city centre) with their own town halls, Perpignan is further divided into 9 cantons and several small districts.
Transportation
The entire city centre can be covered on a stroll, and this is where interest points tend to concentrate; as for getting to Perpignan, roads, rail and airways offer plenty of choices.
Attractions
The walls surrounding the town, which had been designed by Vauban, were razed in 1904 to accommodate urban development, but Perpignan has still plenty of things left worth visiting.
Events
A city dedicated to markets of all sorts, Perpignan manages to also include in its agenda other types of festivals, religious celebrations, as well as national holiday events.
Restaurants and nightlife
This rather quiet city actually proves to have plenty of pass-time places, whether you’re in for a stroll, having a drink with your friends or tasting some quite delicious specialties.
History and civilization
Though settlement in the area goes back to Roman times, the medieval town of Perpignan seems to have been founded around the beginning of the 10th century (first mentioned in a document as villa Perpiniarum in 927).
Best time to visit Perpignan
Perpignan is a fascinating city year-round, with lots of things to do in both summer and winter. However, most visitors arrive between March and October when the weather is the most reliable. And of course, the season that brings most afflux in visitors to Perpignan is summer. Things are busier and quite hot in high season, but despite the crowds, summer in Perpignan is really lovely because much of everything moves outdoors.
