Bathed in beauty
06 Apr 2017
Discover Amelie-Les-Bains, a Catalan village in southern France, where you can soothe your body and soul in the pristine Pyrenees wilderness and ancient thermal baths.
Twice a year, in early February and late October, a 2784m peak in the eastern Pyrenees mountain range that separates Spain and France is illuminated by a trick of the light at sunset, so it can be seen across the water from Marseille over 250km away. The mountain is called Canigou, and such moments no doubt also set alight the hearts of the region’s proud Catalan people, for whom the peak is of symbolic and spiritual significance.
Nestled on the southern slopes of Canigou is a small French-Catalan village with a population of about 3700 people who don’t have to wait for any trick of the light to see their sacred mountain.
Located about 40km south-west of Perpignan and two hours’ drive north of Barcelona, the village is called Amelie-Les-Bains. I ‘discovered’ Amelie through a friend with local connections, and one of its first and most enduring charms was its authenticity – by which I mean Amelie-Les-Bains has avoided becoming a caricature of itself, as these kinds of quintessential villages sometimes can, when the tourist is placed too squarely at the centre of daily life. That also means ancient ruins and cobbled stones run alongside appliance stores and pizza restaurants.
However, while the town might not have made it to the wider tourist trail yet, it does attract large numbers of French every year for another reason – its natural thermal springs, with the first bath house built by the Romans in 633. In 1840, the town took on its current name, which means ‘Amelie baths’ after the wife of King Louis Philippe, and in 1855 a thermal military hospital was built to treat wounded soldiers.
Today, the military hospital is undergoing refurbishment but another spa, where remains of the Roman bathhouse are preserved, is open to the paying public – and every year it hosts thousands of French nationals who arrive on doctor’s orders to receive treatment for arthritis and respiratory ailments using the sulfur and mineral-rich waters. This means that despite the distinctly undiscovered feel of the village, you’ll find plenty of accommodation options catering to this health market. And, ailments aside, sinking into one of the pools or mud baths of the spa is the perfect place to find yourself after a » long day hiking the pristine Pyrenees mountain trails within easy reach of the village. You could even try hiking some or all of the way to the summit of Canigou where you’ll find a large cross often decorated with the Catalan flag.
MORNING LIGHT
Each morning, the Amelie-Les-Bains’ town square hosts a delightful produce market under dappled tree light – and one evening we watched a surprise local concert from our vantage point at one of the square’s adjacent cafes. As we sat on outdoor chairs dining on olives, stuffed anchovies and sangria, we watched couples dance – no doubt enjoying their rejuvenated joints courtesy of the nearby springs.
Flowing through the heart of Amelie-Les-Bains is the beautiful River Tech, which hosts community gatherings and fairs during the summer months, and is apparently a great spot for trout fishing. Every year in August the town also holds an International Folk Festival showcasing traditional music and folklore from around the world.
Officially, Amelie-Les-Bains encompasses two neighbouring villages, Palalda and Montalba, and a number of other equally charming and fascinating villages are in easy reach by car. For example, you could follow the Tech just nine kilometres to neighbouring Ceret, once home to Picasso and where many of his paintings are displayed in the town’s Museum of Modern Art.
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