Baixas, with an expanse of 19 km² and part of the canton of Saint-Estève, has 2,217 inhabitants. For centuries it has been renowned for its bluish-coloured marble (used in several famed buildings, among them Washington’s Shrine of the Immaculate Conception) and for its wine of the same name (in fact, the town is surrounded by vineyards). The altarpiece of the Romanesque church of Saint Mary is the largest in France (17x12m). In addition, Baixas is home to the hermitage of Saint Catherine and fortifications erected in the 13th and 14th centuries.

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This town, located in the canton of Saint-Estève, has a population of 2,490 inhabitants and a surface of 8 km². Its San Vicente parish church was built prior to the 10th century (the first time it is mentioned in writing) and later fortified in the 12th century.  Some remains of these fortifications can still be seen today. If you take a stroll through Baho, you will also be able to see a stone porch marked with the date of 1663.

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This town of 1,052 inhabitants and a small surface area (4 km²) is part of the canton of Saint-Estève. It hosts two monuments: the oratory of Our Lady and the Romanesque church of Saint John the Evangelist, completed in the 18th century.  The latter’s interior represents a major heritage work.

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Le Soler, part of the canton of Millas, has an expanse of 10 km² and 5,825 inhabitants. Numerous churches and castles have been built throughout its history. At present there still remain fragments of the walls of its most recently-constructed castle (1143), some vestiges of the church of Saints Julian and Baselice (13th century) and the church of Saint Dominic (1554), made of stone and brick.

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Touloges, the county seat, has 5,396 inhabitants distributed over an expanse of 8 km². During the 11th century Toulouges was the scene of several Peace and Truce of God assemblies, whose provisions eventually extended throughout France.  Their purpose was to reduce the violence then being committed by rival feudal barons in the area. This town’s cultural heritage includes a Romanesque church dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, whose oldest portion was built in the 9th century, and a neoclassic bell tower that rises in front of the church.

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This town of 4,349 inhabitants, located in the canton of Toulouges, covers an expanse of 9 km², it has recently undergone swift demographic expansion due to its proximity to Perpignan (prefecture of the Eastern Pyrenees and capital of French Catalonia). In addition, it is home to some curiosities that make it something special: a washing area which is still being used by some Canohès women, a church dedicated to Saint Cyrus and to his mother, Saint Juliette, and a Greek style funeral monument.

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This town in the canton of Thuir has an expanse of 14 km² and 1,827 inhabitants. The village of Nyls belongs to Ponteilla; consequently, the town has no less than three churches. Foremost is the Romanesque church of Saint Steven, along with the churches of Saint Andrew and Saint Mary. Ponteilla’s scenery also includes a fourth bell tower: that of an old tower build by the city council. In addition, in the Nyls area one can visit exotic gardens containing plants from all the continents.

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Trouillas, located in the canton of Thuir, is a medium-sized town (1,424 inhabitants and 17 km²). Its territory, almost fully dedicated to vineyards, is crossed by the river Canterrane and bound to the south by another watercourse, the Réart. In addition to its parish church, its territory includes medieval ruins of an ancient church known as Mas Deu, commissioned by the Order of the Temple.

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The small town (6 km²) of Villemolaque belongs to the canton of Thuir and has a population of 922 inhabitants. Viticulture holds a very important place in the town’s economic life. Villemolaque’s architectural treasures include mainly a Romanesque (portal) and gothic (cloister) style monastery, called Monastir del Camp, and a polychrome Romanesque wooden Virgin which dates from the 13th century.

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Tresserre, located in the canton of Thuir, has a population of 637 inhabitants and a surface area of 11 km². Its cultural heritage is essentially religious: a Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Saturninus, a chapel to Saint Amancius and a polychrome Baroque wooden altarpiece from the 17th century.

Montesquieu des Albères, a town in the canton of Argelès-sur-Mer, is home to 824 people. It covers an expanse of 17 km² located at the foot of the Pyrenees massif known as Albera. It is famed for the large number of water sources and springs which can be found there, throughout the course of numerous colourful footpaths. The town also has a feudal castle from the 11th century and a Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Saturninus.

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The town of Le Boulou, with an expanse of 14 km², belongs to the canton of Céret. It has more inhabitants (4,428) than the surrounding villages. It receives many visitors due to its spas, greatly-appreciated because of the therapeutic qualities of its waters. Le Boulou is crossed by the river Tech and is home to several interesting elements: a bell of more than 800 kg that dates from the 15th century, a quadrangular tower (a vestige of more ancient fortifications), the statue of Pierre Bayle (the first youth to fall officially for France in the battle of Le Boulou), without forgetting its Romanesque church in honour of Saint Mary.

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Along with its neighbouring towns, Les Cluses bears the mark of a Roman presence in Catalonia in ancient times. The town, which is part of the canton of Céret, has 219 inhabitants and an expanse of 9 km². The famous Via Domitia, a road constructed by the Romans to link Rome with the Iberian Peninsula, crosses Les Cluses. In addition, despite its name Château des Maures (Castle of the Moors) was also built by the Romans, before falling to the Saracens, who ultimately lost the fort to Charlemagne’s army (9th century). The town also features a Romanesque church erected in honour of Saint Nazarius.

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With a very small surface area (4 km²), this village in the canton of Céret has 620 inhabitants and the peculiarity of being astraddle the French-Spanish border, although Le Perthus is completely French. The town, visited every day by 70,000 tourists during the busy season, is an important lynchpin between France and Spain. Just as with La Jonquera in Spain, Le Perthus hosts an immense border shopping centre. Its principal monuments are the fort of Bellegarde, built in the 17th century to defend the port of Pertús, and the ancient ruins of Panissars, which still show vestiges of the foundations of Pompey’s triumphal arch erected to commemorate his victory against the Spaniards.

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Located in the Northern end of the Alto Ampurdán region, this town of little more than 3,000 inhabitants is right on the border with France. The municipality’s 56,93 km² surface area covers art of the Albera Mountains, a natural site of immense scenic value.

The town’s life revolves around activities related to the border, especially in terms of trade. The municipality still has a good number of Romanesque hermitages and castles, such as those of Requesens, Rocabertí and Canadal.

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With a population of a little moran than 800 inhabitants and an expanse of 27.72 km², this Alto Ampurdan municipality us contiguous with the neighbouring region of Vallespir, in France, through the La Manrella pass, where a monument dedicated to Lluis Companys, president of the Catalan government during the second Spanish republic, can be found.

This town is highlighted by its church of Saint Mary, built at the end of the 12th century and by the megalithic remains which is still contains. Agullana had an important tradition in the cork industry, with more than 40 factories dedicated to its manufacture at the beginning of the 20th century. Today there are major modernist buildings from that age of splendour that can still be seen. 

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Its population barely exceeds 400 inhabitants and its surface area is of 35 km². Highlighted is the Boadella marsh, the principal water reserve for the Alto Ampurdán region.

Its economy today revolves around tourism. The municipality still displays megalithic menhirs and dolmens, as well as a church dedicated to Saint Mary, quite similar to the one in the neighbouring town of Aguallana. One of its illustrious natives is the writer Josep Maria Gironella, author of Los cipreses creen en Dios (The cypresses believe in God).

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Located in the Alto Ampurdán region, Capmany extends over 26 km². With a population of a little more than 600 inhabitants, the municipality is today one of the region’s principal wine-growing centers, with more than twenty private wineries producing under the Empordà name. 

As part of its wine-growing tradition, one of its feature attractions is its faucet museum, with more than five thousand pieces.
As well as many of the region’s other municipalities, it still retains important megalithic remains. 

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With a population of a little more than 200 inhabitants and a surface area of 10 km², this is one of the smallest towns in the Alto Ampurdán region. 

The municipality still preserves the remains of the Biure castle, highlighted by a monument to Pierre Bayle, a French drummer boy who died in the battle of Montroig at the age of 11. The building currently housing the city council contains an ancient oil press.

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Located right in the heart of the Ampurdán plain between the Muga and Llobregat rivers, this town of 915 inhabitants and a 60 km² surface area stands out due to the fertility of its earth, dedicated mostly to agriculture.   

Cabanes still retains a medieval tower, the last vestige of its old castle, a cylindrical Romanesque-style building ten meters in height.

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This is a small Alto Ampurdán town with 500 inhabitants, located midway between Girona and Perpignan- it has an expanse of 9 km².   

It offers a broad supply of gastronomical treats and still preserves major architectural remains, such as the ancient bridge which crosses the Muga river or the medieval fortifications of Montmarí and Molins.

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With 1,172 inhabitants and an expanse of 21 km², Llers is only 5 kilometres from Figueras, the regional capital.

The municipality is home to an important historical heritage, which includes the castle of Llers, the church of  Sant Quirze d´Olmells  and the Rissec natural site.  

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With almost 45,000 and a 19 km² expanse, Figueras is the administrative capital and business centre of the Alto Ampurdán region.

The city is fame for being the site of one of the most-visited museums of the country, the Dalí Museum, but it also has a toy museum, another one of the region´s benchmarks, Added to its attractions as a business centre are its vast array of gastronomical samplings and a host of cultural activities. 

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Its proximity to the city of Figueras has made this one of the fastest-growing towns in the Alto Ampurdán region, with a population of 5,429 inhabitants and a surface area of 8 km².

Vilafant still retains the remains of the old nucleus of Palol Salbaldòria, an archaeological complix of great value. The high-speed train has a station within its municipal limits. 

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Despite having only a 2 km² expanse and 325 inhabitants, this municipality had a great artisan tradition, especially with reference to the processing of cane, due to the abundance found in the Àlguema brook. 

Santa Llogaia is the point where the electrical interconnection with France begins, and also where the transformer substation on the Spanish side will be located. Its nucleus is highlighted by an 18th century church.

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