The Area
Prades is a small town with around 6000 inhabitants and is a great location from where to discover the Pyrénées. There is a market every Tuesday, which takes over the whole town and is definitely worth a visit. There is a fantastic example of a Romanesque Church here too.
People who love Romanesque art can visit the many churches, cloisters, priories and abbeys, like St Michel de Cuixa, St Martin du Canigou, Marcevol, Serrabonne, Elne, and the Cathar castles, which are all within easy driving distance.
The region has some of the most beautiful villages in France : Eus, Villefranche de Conflent (now an UNESCO World Heritage Site), Mosset and Evol.
There are hot springs at Molitg les Bains, Vernet les Bains, St Thomas les Bains and Llo.
The beaches can be reached in 45 minutes, and on the coast there are beautiful seaside towns like Collioure and Banyuls.
In the winter there are is skiing, with the ski resorts only 45 minutes drive away. Good resorts are Cerdagne-Puigmal, Font Romeu, Les Angles, Formiguères, and Puyvalador.
There are other attractions like the Petit Train Jaune, the Grottes des Canalettes or the Orgues at Ille sur Têt.
Cities are not far away, like Perpignan (35mins), Carcassonne, Montpellier or Gerona (2h) or even Barcelona and Toulouse (2h30).