Prades is a small market town in the Têt Valley, about 45 kilometres west of Perpignan in the Pyrénées-Orientales. It has a compact, walkable centre dominated by a magnificent Baroque church, a weekly market, and an unhurried village feel that belies its status as the main town of the valley.
Its location makes it a practical base: the ski resorts of Les Angles and Font Romeu are around 50 minutes away, as are the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean coast at Canet Plage and Argelès-sur-Mer. River swimming, a public pool, and a large lake with swimming and dinghy sailing are all within easy reach. Vernet-les-Bains is a short drive up the valley, the starting point for walks up towards Canigou.
The Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, just outside town, is one of the finest Romanesque buildings in the Pyrenees. Prades is also known for the Pablo Casals Festival, a chamber music festival founded by the cellist who lived here in exile after fleeing Franco's Spain.