Saint-Laurent-De-Cerdans: Espadrille Craft, the Retirada and Nature

Saint-Laurent-De-Cerdans can be explored through two themes: espadrille craft and remembrance, as well as trails in a protected natural setting. When planning your trip, it is worth considering the cultural attractions, the annual festival and the different types of routes separately.

Espadrille Craft and the Fête de l’Espadrille

The Fête de l'Espadrille takes place every year on the last Sunday in July in Saint-Laurent-De-Cerdans. The exact calendar date changes from year to year. The festival programme includes visits to espadrille and weaving factories, as well as a large market featuring regional products. Activities may vary from one edition to the next.

Outside the festival, Création Catalane also offers an insight into espadrille making. The company makes Catalan espadrilles called “Vigatanes” in a renovated former espadrille factory, preserving a traditional manufacturing process. In the adjoining shop, you can watch the production in real time. Création Catalane also organizes guided tours where you can learn about the craft. Check the seasonal visiting arrangements before your trip.

Places of Remembrance and Heritage

The Maison du Patrimoine et de la Mémoire André Abet is a place of collective memory, housed in a former factory. It commemorates the Retirada: the exodus of Spanish Republicans in January 1939. A former factory site thus stands alongside the memory of a specific historical event.

Another cultural landmark is Les Toiles du Soleil: in 1999, the company received the “Entreprise française du Patrimoine Vivant” label from the French state. The Fêtes de l'Ours du Haut-Vallespir are also listed in France’s national inventory of intangible cultural heritage. Saint-Laurent-De-Cerdans is one of the places named there.

Trails in a Protected Natural Setting

The hilly, plateau-studded and protected natural setting offers year-round outdoor activities. The red circular route No. 9, “Du Mont Capell au Bois de la Ville,” is 28 kilometres long. It follows a large figure-eight route from the height of the border ridge through forests with refreshing springs, and is intended for experienced mountain bikers.

La Balade Verte, the green circular route No. 2, offers a different kind of outing: a 10-kilometre, nature-focused trail suitable for families, on the wooded heights around the town. The two routes differ in length and intended users: the red circular route is for experienced mountain bikers, while La Balade Verte is described as a family-friendly trail.

The Cami de la Retirada offers another geographical point of reference. This cross-border trail heads towards Alta Garrotxa in southern Catalonia and differs in direction from the circular routes. Trail conditions can change; check them before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Sorède, Cerbère, Saillagouse, Saint-Nazaire, Felluns, Puyvalador, Bélesta, Bourg-Madame

For the broader travel overview: Pyrénées-Orientales.