Ceret, A Town of Art and Ambience

A Guide to One of the Loveliest Towns in Languedoc Roussillon

Oct 9, 2008

The small artistic town of Ceret in Southern France has a very special ambience, an amazing Museum of Modern Art and a Catalan calendar of events throughout the year.

Ceret is a medieval town in the South of France which benefits from a very special setting; framed by the wooded foothills of the Pyrenees, only minutes from the Spanish border of Catalonia and a stones throw from the Mediterranean, it is literally sandwiched between the mountains and the sea. There is something special about this corner of Languedoc Roussillon, something to do with the purity of it’s light and the colours of it’s landscape, which has inspired many artistic masters over the centuries – Picasso, Braque, Dufy to name a few. Its shady main streets and squares are full of small restaurants, galleries, boutiques and architecural curiosities; the Eglise St Pierre, the city gates – Porte de France and Porte de Espagne and the three famous bridges, including the Pont du Diable.

The Best time of Year to Visit Ceret

Whllst clearly on the French side of the border Ceret has a distinctly Catalan accent; the winters are short and the summers are long and warm. So whist any time of the year is pleasant, Summer and Autumn is the time when Céret is at it’s best – the wonderful shady plane trees that line the main street are a sight to behold with the diametre of the average tree being at least 3 metres across! But don’t miss out on Spring time when there is still a brushing of snow on Mount Canigou and the sunshine is warm in the pastel streets. May heralds the arrival of the Céret cherry - the earliest ripe cherry in France - the harvest of which is famously celebrated the first weekend in June with a two day cherry market and Bandas festival.

What's on When. A Guide to Seasonal Events in Ceret

Following on from the Fete de la Cerise, througout the long Summer months, Céret has a full programme of events. Many of which are inspired by the town’s Catalan heritage, sometimes so much so that during the many fetes and fiestas you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Spain rather than in France.

August: The weekly Saturday market is a bustling highlight in any week and during August there is also a regular Tuesday night market, Les Vespéralles, when local producteurs and artisans line the streets.

What to Spend Your Time Doing in Ceret

Take time to relax and soak up the atmosphere and be sure to stop for a coffee in one of the many café’s under the trees. Le Grand Café on Boulevard Joffre is at the heart of the main street and was the meeting place for many of the town’s famous visiting artists.

For a good Catalan style lunch move onto the Place des Neuf Jets with it’s famous 13th century fountain. This small square is filled with dining tables on the old stone cobbles and the murmer of contented diners fills the air alongside the sound of centuries old running water.

Plane trees and Catalan ambience aside, the main reason for going to Céret has to be the marvellous Musee d’art Moderne. Opened in 1950 by Andre Masson, a relatively unknown painter, who turned the town jail into what is now a very uptodate modern gallery.

Every year the museum curates a strong programme of touring shows, (currently a wonderful Fauvist exhibiton) alongside it’s own more modest collection. The permanent gallery holds work inspired by Picasso ( who, after two years of living in the town, donated 52 pieces to the museum) and his cubist friends – Braque, Gris etc. but it also contains half a dozen Matisses and several other Impressionists.

Practical Information

For all information on how to get there, where to stay etc contact the Céret Tourist Office which provides a comprehensive pack..

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