For a long time, Canet was the beach for people from Perpignan and Toulouse.
That's still true today, except for one detail: people come here from all over Europe.
In front is the sea, behind the Sacred Mountain, the Canigou.
In addition to this immense beach of fine sand that stretches out nonchalantly, Canet has many treasures, classic ones but also two more special ones, one hidden and one clearly visible.
The secret treasure is the best-preserved icehouse in France.
It dates back to 1688.
On the outside, it's a simple hole in the ground, but inside, it's all the skill of the craftsmen of the time that can be admired in the dome that is its ceiling.
In the past, it was impossible to keep cool in summer, so in winter, ice was brought in from the nearby Pyrenees on the backs of men, donkeys or mules, and stored in this icehouse.
The second curiosity is the lighthouse.
Hundreds of lighthouses dot our seashores.
Most of them are old, even very old.
The Canet lighthouse was inaugurated in 1977.
Most of France's lighthouses had their own keepers, but the Canet lighthouse has always been automatic.
Heritage...
Canet en Roussillon also boasts an arboretum in an 11-hectare park, two churches, Notre Dame des Flots and Saint-Jacques, construction of the latter having begun in 1346, the étang de Canet Saint-Nazaire and its "fishermen's village" reconstructed in its traditional form, home to some 30 working fishermen, and the Galerie des Hospices, which hosts cultural events.
And let's not forget the Château Vicomtal, first mentioned in writings dating back to around 1050. The Romanesque church of Saint-Martin, built on the mound overlooking the village, was built in the 11th century and then modified until the 14th century, as were the outer fortifications, the patio and the truncated-pyramid capitals. The excellent state of preservation of the ice well, dug in 1688, makes this one of the finest structures in the South of France. The Château is currently being restored.
Visit Canet...
Canet-en-Roussillon Tourist Office
49 Av. de la Méditerranée,
66140 Canet-en-Roussillon
Tel.: 04 68 86 72 00
http://www.mairie-canet-en-roussillon.fr/
Translated with DeepL.com
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