Vernet-Les-Bains: Hiking Trails and Thermal History
Accommodation in Vernet-Les-Bains
Vernet-les-Bains brings together hiking, a Village Arboretum spread throughout the town, historic thermal buildings, and natural history collections. If you are looking for a hotel in Vernet-les-Bains, these themes can help you tailor your stay to your travel interests.
Hiking: two distinct routes
The Ronde du Canigó GR®P begins and ends at the tourist office in Vernet-les-Bains. Rated very difficult, this eight-day circular hike covers 157.1 kilometers and is part of the 1,000-kilometer network of GR® and GR®P trails in the Pyrénées-Orientales department.
The CrĂŞtes et Balcons hike is an 11-kilometer circular route starting in Vernet-les-Bains. It follows paths and wide trails through the forests of Conflent, where Laricio pines mingle with beech and chestnut trees. Compared with the Ronde, the figures indicate different scales: an eight-day circular hike covering 157.1 kilometers and an 11-kilometer loop.
Confirm the local arrangements for the Ronde before setting off. Its rating and measurements, as well as the route details for CrĂŞtes et Balcons, may be updated.
An arboretum spread throughout the town
Vernet-les-Bains is France’s first Village Arboretum. More than 2,000 trees from 320 different species are recorded there. They are spread across private gardens and public parks rather than gathered in a single park, so the collection extends across different parts of the town.
Thermal history and buildings
The Casino de Vernet-les-Bains was built between 1880 and 1884 and is one of the few surviving landmarks of the late-19th-century thermal complex. A decree dated March 21, 2017, designated it a historic monument.
The Hôtel du Portugal is also one of the few surviving landmarks of Vernet-les-Bains’ former heyday as a spa town. A thermal spring beneath the ground floor of the Hôtel du Portugal now supplies the Lavoir de Vernet-les-Bains on Rue des Lavandières. Les Thermes de Vernet-les-Bains offers thermal treatments in the specialties of rheumatology and respiratory conditions, including ear, nose, and throat disorders. Historic buildings reflect the town’s thermal history; current treatments cover two medical specialties.
Natural history and local history
The Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Vernet-les-Bains displays more than 7,400 fossilized animal remains, including numerous ammonites and trilobites. It also presents more than 2,500 minerals from over 40 French departments. Fossils and minerals give the natural history collection two distinct areas of focus.
The Monument de l'Entente Cordiale commemorates the diplomatic agreement signed by France and Great Britain in 1904. The Église Saint-Saturnin was formerly a castle chapel and became the parish church after a flood in the 18th century.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Pierre-Dels-Forcats, Calce, Villefranche-de-Conflent, Montner, Prats-De-Mollo-La-Preste, Pollestres, Claira, Ria-Sirach.
For the regional travel overview: Pyrénées-Orientales.
