Republic Apartments,
Centre, Perpignan

The Republic Apartments offer self-catering accommodation that is set within the lively city of Perpignan, just a ten minute drive from the coast and an excellent base from which to explore the southern Languedoc Roussillon.

These tastefully decorated and comfortably furnished studio apartments feature modern detailing combined with some of the original features like wooden beams and huge windows. These contemporary serviced apartments include wide screen TVs with satellite TV channels, DVD players, a surround sound hi-fi and a selection of CDs and DVDs.

One of these short-term rental apartments has a roof terrace whilst another has a private balcony which overlooks the square below.

NB. Laundry/dry-cleaning services are charged separately. No on-site parking is available but there is chargeable underground parking nearby. Seasonal price adjustments apply.

See all serviced apartments Perpignan has available

Though settlement in the area goes back to Roman times, the medieval town of Perpignan seems to have been founded around the beginning of the 10th century (first mentioned in a document as villa Perpiniarum in 927). Soon Perpignan became the capital of the counts of Roussillon. In 1172 Count Girard II bequeathed his lands to the Counts of Barcelona. Perpignan acquired the institutions of a partly self-governing commune in 1197. French feudal rights over Roussillon were given up by Louis IX in the Treaty of Corbeil (1258).

When James I, the Conqueror, king of Aragon and count of Barcelona, erected the Kingdom of Majorca in 1276, Perpignan became the capital of the mainland territories of the new state. The succeeding decades are considered the golden age in the history of the city. It prospered as a centre of cloth manufacture, leather work, goldsmiths' work, and other luxury crafts. King Philip III of France died there in 1285, as he was returning from his unsuccessful crusade against the Aragonese Crown.

In 1344 Peter IV of Aragon annexed the Kingdom of Majorca and Perpignan once more became part of the County of Barcelona. A few years later it lost approximatively half of its population owing to the Black Death. It was attacked and occupied by Louis XI of France in 1463; a violent uprising against French rule in 1473 was harshly put down after a long siege, but in 1493 Charles VIII of France, wishing to conciliate Spain in order to free himself to invade Italy, restored it to Ferdinand II of Aragon.Again besieged and captured by the French during the Thirty Years' War in September 1642, Perpignan was formally ceded by Spain 17 years later in the Treaty of the Pyrenees, and began then to form part of the Kingdom of France.

Traditional commerce was in wine and olive oil, corks (the cork oak Quercus suber grows in Perpignan's mild climate), wool and leather, and iron. In May 1907 it was a seat of agitation by southern producers for government enforcement of wine quality following a collapse in prices.

The last major town in Languedoc before the Spanish border, it's easy to see why the flavour of Perpignan is essentially Catalan. There's a real mix of cultures in this corner of the region: Catalan, Romany and North African all co-exist in this sunny city of palm-lined squares. For the visitor, it's useful to know that this is not only one of the best places in the region to sample local food and wine but also a city with a relatively busy airport that has several handy air connections overseas. However, it does lack buzz and Barcelona is too close and too big a rival for little Perpignan to hit the big time.

Town has plenty to see and do: The Palais des Rois de Majorque is the number one sight in Perpignan has been the focus of the town's success and growth over the centuries. Originally used as a king's residence during the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, today it's really only the gardens and the courtyard of this imposing citadel that are worth a visit.

The Saint-Jean quarter offers some insight into Perpignan's prosperous past when you take a wander through the network of narrow lanes in this district and take in the splendour of the fourteen and fifteenth century mansions and stately homes which make up this atmospheric part of the town.

The Cathedrale Saint-Jean has been functioning as Perpignan's cathedral since 1602, and the exterior walls of this imposing structure are particularly noteworthy: layers of stones from the local river bed have been squeezed in-between the brick. Fancy a nibble? The Look no further than this quintessentially French store in Place de la Republique an Escargots du Roussillon snail shop, which is the ultimate place to buy fresh snails and herbs to rustle up a tasty starter for any evening meal.

The gardens on Rue Sant Vicens are not only full of exotic orange trees and oleanders, but they're also the place to look for ceramic pots and textiles which are on sale here.