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Villelongue dels Monts – a Catalan character village
Villelongue dels Monts is a typically tranquil and sleepy Pyrénéan village, yet it has a fascinating history and a distinct character. Tracing its history back to 1095, the village tells tales of wars and of religious fervour, of destruction, of hope and of reconstruction. Despite... or perhaps because of its history, it is a beautiful village, with sun-baked stones, pretty houses, shady corners and narrow streets, where you can almost hear the voices of the original inhabitants, so aged does it feel. Some of the ancient buildings are open to the public, so allowing an even better sense of the past.
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Village shops
You won't find a hypermarket in a little village like Villelongue, but there are a few useful shops in the village centre, with a Tabac, ostensibly a tobacco shop but as is often the case in rural France, offers quite a lot more than just cigarettes. This one will even order bread for you... although you can't just walk in and buy it over the counter, you do need to let them know the day before. There is a very handy mini market, for general goods, and even a bar-restaurant for those self indulgent days or evenings. If you do need more facilities, supermarkets, petrol stations and the like, you will only have to travel a kilometre or so up the road anyway, so shopping isn't really a problem.
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Out and about
Is there anywhere interesting to go for days out close to Villelongue? The answer is that there are so many places you should see in this region that it is difficult to know where to start... or what to miss out. Spain is readily accessible from here, with the border town of La Jonquera being great for cheap shopping. The Med, with its warm seas and beautiful beaches, is only around twenty minutes away. Here you can choose between a lively holiday resort such as Argeles sur Mer, with all its tourist attractions, and a colourful ancient fishing village like Collioure, beloved of artists and anchovy fisherman. Then there are the fabulous mountains of the Pyrénées, whose majestic presence is always felt.
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Sports for all seasons
As you might expect from a place with such a diverse landscape, there are many sports that you can access from Villelongue dels Monts. The Med is a great place in the summer, with scuba diving very popular here, thanks to the clear warm waters. The mountains offer skiing and other snow sports in the winter, and of course, in between the two you can go horse-riding, cycling, swimming, fishing, or simply enjoy walking in this wonderful place.
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How to get there
Perpignan is the nearest airport, and has flights from the UK with Ryanair, bmibaby and flybe. Girona and Carcassonne are also nearby, both being served by Ryanair. The TGV runs to Perpignan from Paris (where you can change from Eurostar) so there is another easy and fast option available for you to get to your destination from the UK. If travelling by road you should take the A9 auto route.
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Property prices and availability in and around Villelongue dels Monts
Property in the Pyrénées-Orientales can tend to be a little more expensive than that in say, the Aude, but in the inland villages such as Villelongue dels Monts, prices are usually more reasonable.
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VILLELONGUE DELS MONTS AT A GLANCE |
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AGENTS WITH PROPERTY IN THIS AREA |
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