Perpignan Guided Tour
Private Perpignan guided tour by a certified guide. This walking tour is the ideal tool to discover Perpignan rich historical heritage and architecture.
Loge de Mer (Llotja de Mar), famous catalan gothic (1397-1540) Perpignan monument. In the foreground sculpture by Aristide Maillol. © Broaden horizons.
Why a Perpignan guided tour? Why with us?
Perpignan Heritage Worth a Tour
Knowledgable Certified Guide
Learn about Architecture & History
Flexibility of Our Private Formula
Quality Oriented Company
Why Visit Perpignan ?
Catalan city longtime disputed between France and Spain, capital of the short-lived kingdom of Majorca, Perpignan keeps from its so peculiar history a rich heritage from medieval to modern and contemporary periods. Perpignan heritage is recognized by being listed as « villes d’art et d’histoire » (cities of art and history French heritage label)
Furthermore Perpignan received in 2014 a complementary label “patrimoine XXe siècle“ (20th-century heritage ) to reward the city Art Nouveau and moreover Art Deco architecture, this not only for eight isolated buildings but also for five districts of the city which is more exceptionnal.
Sculpture by Alexandre Guénot at the pediment of the skating of Cinema Castillet. Built in 1911 Cinema Castillet is the reference monument of the Belle Epoque in Perpignan. © Broaden horizons.
Your Licensed Tour Guide in Perpignan
Certified French national guide
BA, Magna cum laude, Heritage Developpement & Preservation at Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers.
Postgraduate (MPhil) from Paris Dauphine-PSL University
Tour Organization
Our Perpignan guided tour consists of a walk in the old city center.
Nevertheless, we normally enter in two monuments:
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral
- Hôtel Pams (Pams Mansion)
Access inside these two monuments is not guaranteed.
The tour includes in its two durations a 20th century “Patrimoine XXe” (Art Deco etc.) modul. A mininimalistic one in the 1.5-hour tour, a bigger one in the 3 hours tours. In both cases it is possible to minimalise the topic to focus on the rest of the visit. Just inform you guide at the beginning of the tour if needed.
Art Deco Building, Miami or Perpignan? © Broaden horizons.
Base content of the 1.5-hour tour
The tour route which is quite ambitious is designed to give you a global overview of Perpignan city center and of its history.
You will discover during the tour not only the multicolored facades and the old medieval corbel houses so typical of Perpignan but also numerous points of interest which are listed below.
This list shows what may be seen in the theoretical standard tour route in optimum conditions. Practically the tour content may be reduced depending of the vistors pace and wishes or due to contingencies.
Typical old city center street of Perpignan with its colored facades. At the end of the street is the Na Pincarda Fontaine which is known to be there since the year 1411 © Broaden horizons.
Sacred Architecture (cathedral and around)
- Saint-Jean-le-Vieux (11th to 13th centuries)
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral (1324-1509)
- Campo Santo (beginning of construction 1298)
White marble Romanesque portal of Saint-Jean-le-Vieux church (Sant Joan el Vell). The church interior has been unfortunately damaged by the installation of industrial facilities in the 19th century and can’t be visited.© Broaden horizons.
Catalan Institutions’ Architecture
- Palais de la Deputació (gothic 1448)
- Palais des Corts (law court 14th to 20th centuries)
- City Hall (14th to 20th centuries)
- Loge de Mer (Catalan Gothic 1397 then 1540)
Flamboyant Gothic Mansion
- Casa Xanxo (1507)
Medieval Military Structures
- Grand Castillet (1368)
- Petit Castillet (Porte Notre-Dame 1481-1485)
17th Century
- Place du Marché aux Laines
18th Century
- University (1760-1763)
First French Empire
- Theater (1811)
20th-Century Architecture (Label XXe siècle)
- Eclecticism
- Regionalism
- Historicism
- Art Nouveau
- Art Deco
Intersecting Topics
Catalonia
- Introduction to its history since Charlemagne
Arts
- Aristide Maillol : sculptor, painter
- Alexandre Guénot : sculptor
- Hyacinthe Rigaud : painter
- Guy-Charles Revol : sculptor
- Raymond de Bianya : sculptor
Three-hour tour complementary content
The three-hour tour mainly consists in an extension of the 1.5-hour tour in the north of the Puig Sant-Jaume hill and alongside the ancien location of a portion of the northern city wall of Perpignan. This extra walk allows speaking about congregations (convents) and the military city, but also most of all, to see more 20th centuries relevant buildings with a great variety of styles, with among them numerous Art Deco examples.
Civil Medieval Architecture
- Casa Julia (2nd half of the 14th century)
- Hôtel d’Ortaffa
Perpignan Military City
- Part of Kings of Majorca city wall (beginning of the 14th century)
- Gunpoder depot (built under the Sun King)
- Former military academy (1751-1768)
Convents
- Order of Minims (1575 – 1617)
- Dominican Order (foundation 1245, architecture from 13th to 19th centuries)
18th Century
- Hôtel de l’Intendance
- Canorgue (between 1720 and 1762)
First French Empire
- Promenade (1809)
Further away with the XXe Century Label
More emblematic examples of Art Deco, regionalism and modernism.
James II becoming king of Majorca © source Wikipedia public domain license.
Things to know before Booking
Meeting Point
- Castillet (visite 1h30)
- Square Birakeim (visite 2h30)
Attention Points
- Tour is on foot.
- Prices do not include transportation, food, drinks or any other extra services.
- Neighborhood tour: we don’t enter in monuments unless otherwise specified.
- Tour duration & content are purely indicative, they may vary due to contingencies.
- Weather: the tour will start on schedule rain or shine.
Book the Perpigan Walking Tour
Choose below your tour: You will then be asked : -> choose the number of people, date & hours of visit -> after our validation-> pay on line.
Perpignan Private Walking Tour
Standard tour (1 hr 30 min)- For 1 to 2 people + 6€ for any extra
- A group of maximum 6 people
- Group exclusively yours
Perpignan Private Walking Tour Extended
Long Tour (3 hours)- For 1 to 2 people + 10€ for any extra
- A group of maximum 6 people
- Group exclusively yours
Louis XIV (the Sun King) in 1701 by famous painter Hyacinthe Rigaud. Born in Perpignan in July 1659 under the name of Jacint Rigau he became French by the treaty of the Pyrenees four months later.© Broaden horizons.