Nestled high in the mountainous Occitanie region of France, the town of Villefranche-de-Conflent is famous for its fortifications designed by the renowned military engineer Vauban. It is located at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Town
The entire town was ensconced by these high stone walls. The streets were narrow and retained their medieval appeal. Despite the tight squeeze there was room for cars and shops along the avenue.
The structures feature traditional stone architecture with terracotta roof tiles set against a densely forested hillside. It was a steep drop off from the stone surface. Neither I or my father particularly care for heights, so we enjoyed the view from a distance.
Our Journey
We stopped here for lunch I believe. The year was 2007 and I and my father were backpacking through Europe. We flew from Heathrow to Toulouse and then boarded a train, traveling southward through France, on the way to Spain. Later in the trip we switched to buses to get over the mountain passes and down into Spain, eventually reaching Barcelona.
Fort Libèria
Atop the mountains and overlooking the town was this great fortress, Fort Libèria. We hiked up the path to reach the fort.
They did have an aerial tramway, but as I mentioned before, we don’t like heights. So, we walked.
