Collioure, the new favorite village of the French

The verdict is finally in: Collioure, in the Pyrénées Orientales, was elected the favorite village of the French in 2024, Thursday evening in the annual program broadcast on France 3 and presented by Stéphane Bern. The Catalan commune thus succeeds the village of Esquelbecq in the North.

In the south of the Occitanie region, Collioure is a Catalan port of 2,517 inhabitants, located less than 30km from the Spanish border. While the coves, cliffs and beaches make it an exceptional seaside resort, the village, the colorful facades and the royal castle bear witness to the history and past of the town.

“We had all the arguments to win this titledeclared the mayor of Collioure, Guy Llobet, to L’Indépendant. I am very happy that Collioure was elected the favorite village of the French, I need everything that can make the town shine. Collioure has a certain notoriety thanks to its painters, but also its cultural and environmental history and all this makes it an extraordinary village.“

The artists’ village

Famous for its geographical location in the heart of the Côte Vermeille and its heritage, the Catalan port of the Pyrénées-Orientales has attracted many artists over time. On the shores of the Mediterranean, several famous painters, such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, have found inspiration there.

The port is considered a “cradle of Fauvism”, a pictorial movement born at the beginning of the 20th century. It will be immortalized in particular by the painter Henri Matisse, who in the space of three months, during the summer of 1905, will paint 15 canvases, 40 watercolors and nearly a hundred drawings of the city.

Collioure also inspired André Derain, who painted 30 canvases and made 20 drawings and around fifty sketches that same summer, according to the website of the town of Collioure. As a nod to their visit, a Fauvism trail marked with 17 reproductions of the two artists has been inaugurated along the pedestrian streets of the town. Discover it without delay!