Château de Valmy

An early-1900s Catalan-Gothic castle on the hillside above town, set in a public park

A late-19th-century château perched on a low hill 3km north of Argelès, built by a Danish architect for a wealthy Perpignan family. The building combines Gothic, Renaissance and Catalan styles into a slightly fantastical pile, with battlements, a clock tower and a wraparound terrace. The interior is closed to visitors but the surrounding park is open to all.

The park has fountains, mossy fern-filled grottoes, a small chapel, nature trails, waterfalls and panoramic views of the mountains, the coast, and the town below. It also hosts the annual International Art Exhibition and a number of summer festivals. Free entry to the park; the climb up from the parking area is gentle. Combine with a wine tasting at the Domaine de Valmy at the foot of the hill.

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A story
The château was built in 1888-1900 for the Bardou family, the cigarette-paper magnates whose JOB-brand booklets paid for the project. The architect, the Danish-born Viggo Dorph-Petersen, gave them a mash-up of Gothic, Renaissance and Catalan motifs that ended up looking, charmingly, like nothing in particular.