Villefranche-de-Conflent

Villefranche was founded in 1092 where three valleys meet, in a gorge so narrow the village fills the floor of it, and after the French took it in 1654 and the frontier moved in 1659, the defences were rebuilt from 1669 to Vauban's plans. The walls, gates and towers are complete, and the covered rampart walk runs above the street. Above the village, Fort Liberia was built to hold the heights, and it is connected to the walls by an underground stairway of about seven hundred and thirty-four steps, known locally as the thousand steps, cut through the rock in the nineteenth century. Two show caves lie close by, and the site is part of the UNESCO Vauban listing.

History

The town commands the way into the Cerdagne and was held in turn by Celtic tribes, Romans, Visigoths, Moors and the Spanish; the counts of Conflent built its first fortifications at the end of the 9th century, and in 1374 it withstood the siege of James, son of the last king of Majorca. In the mid-1400s, under Spanish rule, parts of the walls were adapted for firearms, and in July 1654 the French took the town after eight days. Once the territory passed to France by the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, the town became a key French defence against Spain, and Vauban, Louis XIV's engineer, built Fort Libéria on the hill above; the fortifications were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2008, and the town walls remain (Wikipedia, Villefranche-de-Conflent).

Highlights

• The complete walls - Vauban ramparts with a covered walk above the street.
• The thousand steps - an underground stairway of about 734 steps to the fort.
• Fort Liberia - the hill fort commanding the village.
• The Train Jaune halt - the yellow railway calling at the village.

When to go

April to October; the fort and stairway close in winter. The underground stair is steep and damp. A shuttle road serves the fort for those who prefer not to climb.

Practical notes

The stairway is a genuine effort, seven hundred and thirty-four steps in a confined space. The village is one street and mostly craft shops. Parking is outside the walls.

Nearby

The Train Jaune runs up the valley; Saint-Martin-du-Canigou is south.

Key facts