Rennes les Bains
A small spa town, 30 miles from Caracasonne, Rennes les Bains is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit. Historically it was home to a number of Roman baths and people believed that leprosy could be cured with the water that came from the thermal baths. In actual fact most people were suffering from eczema and the high mineral content in the water did relieve the symptoms. Today these baths are no longer in use but people can still bathe in the water which goes directly into the river Sals (free of charge)! You can park just as you arrive in the small town, which I would recommend as there is no other car park if you continue driving! From the car park you can see a beautiful, new turquoise pool which is kept at a wonderful 30 degrees and is the perfect place to relax and have a swim. It's also not expensive so you can spend as much time as you like visiting the pool. There are only two hotels which are both quite quaint but great value for money and very well located. I recommend the Hotel de France which cost us only 45 euros a night (for 2 people) http://www.hotel-rennes-les-bains.com/ As far as restaurants go there are 3 in the town, a pizzeria which was great and ideal when you want to have a relaxing night in, a typical French restaurant where you can eat confit de canard and a little French cafe in the main square (which was interestingly a Roman market place in the past). I would highly recommend visiting this town, just make sure you have a car!
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified city in the Aude department of France. The town itself is separated into the medieval city and the ville basse (the lower city). The medieval city is what you really need to visit as it really is very impressive and after being restored in 1853 is still extremely well preserved. The city was built with towers and barbicans to prevent attack, one of the towers eventually being used for torturing people and therefore became known as The Inquistion Tower. Looking at the city now it's hard to believe that it was once in such disrepair that it was ordered to be demolished! Luckily there was an uproar against the decision in 1849 and the people protested to preserve the fortress as a historical monument. Today you can still enjoy the beautiful view and the traditional layout of the city itself. Well worth a visit. I'd recommend staying at the Trois Couronnes, a great hotel located very close to the medieval city and close enough to walk to and from the train station. http://www.hotel-destroiscouronnes.com/
Collioure
Collioure is a commune in the Pyrenees-Orientales department in Southern France, lying on the Mediterranean. From Rennes les Bains it was a good 3 hour drive but it was well worth the trip. It was, unfortunately, quite difficult to park and after driving around for almost half an hour we decided to park at the very top of the hill and walk down into the town which didn't take too long at all. Being so close to the border between France and Spain the town itself has a very Spanish feel and the weather definitely felt like we were in Spain - with the sun shining from all angles! The town itself has a very antique feel, with cobbled streets, narrow alleyways and archways. The sea is a clear blue, surrounded by a pebbled beach and a huge clock tower that extends outwardly into the sea. After a seafood lunch next to the beach we took a walk around the town itself, eating ice cream and looking in a few of the nick-nack shops. It really is one of the prettiest towns I have ever seen. Interestingly enough there is also an army barracks there, so we regularly passed soldiers in the middle of their training exercises. I had also planned to stop off in Perpignon but I wasn't overly impressed when we drove through it so I decided on Collioure instead and seriously, it was a good decision! I would highly recommend visiting this town if you have the chance.
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