Sorède is beautifully situated at the feet of Les Albères - the most-eastern part of the Pyrenees. Highest peak is just above the town and is called Pic Neoulous(1200 m). There is only a distance of 9 km to Mediterranean and the magnificent sandy beaches at Argelès-Plage. Our ”local” beach is called Racou Plage. The nearest larger towns are Argeles-sur-Mer and Perpigan, the capital of the departement Pyrenées-Orientales. The picturesque seaside town of Collioure, surrounded by steap hillsides with vineterraces, lies only 13 km away. The roads runs through olive- and peachgroves, as well as vineyards – Sorède is in the heart of the wine-district, Cotes du Roussillon(see below), where there is a production of fine red-, white- and dessert wines. From the town there is a view to the beautifully woodened mountains overgrown with cork oaks.
The area holds exciting Catalan culture, possibilities for hiking in the mountains, bicycle rides to the wineries, visits in the many towns with markets, local craftsmen, galleries, lots of opportunities for excursions - such as the famous and solitary standing kathar-castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse, Céret(27 km), Carcassonne(150 km), Andorra(130 km), Figueres with the Dali-museum(30 km) and Barcelona(180 km)
Côtes du Roussillon.
The folding of the Pyrenees in tertiary provided a diversified potpourri of slate, granite, gneiss, clay, lime, gravel and silicon. Only Alsace can approximate boast so huge geological differences. At the same time emerged the hills, which creates an impressing panorama towards the Mediterranean. Vines climbing up to heights of 600 m, but only in places where the Mediterranean climate reigns undisturbed. In the heights the sun is more intensive, the yearly main temperature lies on approximately 15 °C and the norhtwestern wind blows up in foliage of the vines averagely every third day, which benefits the health of the plants. It is the blue grapes, that thrives best under these conditions: Carignan, Grenache Noir, Syrah and Mourvèdre. AOC Côtes du Roussillon consists of 6500 hektar divided among more than 125 municipalities in the Département Pyrénées-Orientales. In the especially hilly northern part of the area is the redwine upgraded to Côtes du Roussillon Villages. Independent municipally appellations are Caramany, Latour-de-France, Lesquerde og Tautavel.
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