Eastern Pyrenees

The land of spectacular gorges, majestic passes and mystical castles

I’VE BECOME A little addicted to this more eastern corner of the Pyrenees. I love how it feels; somehow wilder than the west. As well as the wide, smooth roads there are lots of narrow, bumpy ones. Modern hotels are built in ancient villages. There are deep gorges as well as lofty passes; in addition to well-tended fields and verdant vineyards there are shady woods and rocky high-mountain moors. It’s a landscape of extremes, which makes it all the more rewarding to explore.

I’m making Weeble retrace sections of my last trip, visiting the castles between Carcassonne and the Spanish border. I spent two days stopping at each one, but now we’re cramming as many as we can into a single afternoon: roll up, grab a picture, move on… It’s tiring work for a sweltering, humid day. If we were on a motorway, I’d be nodding off in these conditions – but the riding here is a dream, with bend after involving bend to keep me focused and alert. It’s a fantastic ride – as they all are, down here. PLACES TO STAY FOIX A sleepy town in the heart of the Pyrenees, the skyline of Foix is dominated by its magnificent château – one of the bestpreserved of the Cathar castles. Foix’s a perfect base for exploring the area.

Hotel tip: Hotel Pyrene (hotelpyrene.com) PRATS-DE-MOLLOLA-PRESTE The last small town in France before Spain, Prats-de-mollola-preste is quiet, non-touristy and full of character.

Hotel tip: Hotel le Bellvue Rest. Bellavista (hotel-le-bellevue.fr) CARCASSONNE A bustling modern city built around a perfectly-preserved Medieval citadel – a genuine must-see site. If you have a big budget, you can even stay in the old city; otherwise, stay outside the walls and walk up for dinner and to see the sights.

Hotel tip: Hotel de l’octroi (hoteloctroi.com) OFF THE BIKE CATHAR CASTLES This corner of the Pyrenees was once home to the Cathar sect of Christians – wiped-out by a crusade in 1229. The ruins of their castles make spectacular stops. There are more than a dozen to pick from, including Queribus, Aguilar, Termes, Foix, Puilvert, and Lastours but our must-sees are Puilaurens and Peyrepertuse plus – if you take walking shoes for the climb to reach it – Montségur, where the Cathars made their last stand. (audetourisme.com, catharcastles.info)

RENNES-LE-CHATEAU If the Cathars didn’t have the Holy Grail, was it hidden here? This beautiful little village is well set up to welcome tourists on the Davinci Code trail. (rennes-le-chateau.fr) BIG CAVES This region is packed with impressive caverns – from the Fontrabiouse and Grandes Canalettes in the high mountains, to Limousis and the vast Gouffre de Cabrespine north of Carcassonne. We particularly like Le Mas-d’azil, north of Foix, as the road runs through the cave. (grottes-de-france.com) SUBTERRANEAN RIVER, LABOUICHE A boat trip with a difference: the river is 60m underground, flowing through spectacular caves. (labouiche.com ) GORGES You can ride along the Gorges de Galamus but if you want to explore the Gorges de la Fou, that has to be seen on foot. (gorgesdelafou.com, gorgesdegalamus.fr) PREHISTORIC MEN The Prehistoric Park at Tarasconsur-ariege is more of a familyfriendly day out than a short stop on a motorcycle tour, but nearby Niaux caves is a perfect biking break, with some of France’s finest Neolithic cave paintings. (sites-touristiques-ariege.fr) SIGEAN SAFARI Near the coast, between Narbonne and Perpignan, is the huge Sigean safari park, packed with animals. You can’t ride your bike through it, of course, but you can join the park’s minibus tours. (reserveafricainesigean.fr) PERPIGNAN A full-sized city packed with historic goodies, from the Forteresse de Salses out by the A9 motorway to the pocketsized Castillet in the heart of the city, the lavish palace of the kings of Majorca and the impressive cathedral. (perpignantourisme.com) CHATEAU ROYALE, COLLIOURE Just down the coast from Perpignan is the compact port of Collioure. It’s a fantasticallypicturesque village to visit, home to a royal castle and some outstanding sea food. (collioure.com)