Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste

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Coordinates: 42°24′17″N 2°28′47″E / 42.4047222222, 2.47972222222

Commune of Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste Church in Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste
Location
Administration
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon
Department	Pyrénées-Orientales
Arrondissement	Céret
Canton	Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste
Mayor	Bernard Remedi (2001-2008)
Statistics
Elevation	575 m–2,693 m (avg. 735 m)
Land area¹	145.09 km²
Population² (1999)	1,080
- Density	7.4/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	66150/ 66230
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.

Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste (catalan: Prats de Molló i la Presta) is a commune of the Pyrénées-Orientales département, in southwestern France.

[edit] Geography

Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste is located 13 km away from the Spanish border, on the banks of the Tech River, and on the south face of the Canigou.

[edit] Features

This walled town is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and ancient mediaeval architecture. With only 1,100 inhabitants, it nevertheless boasts numerous hotels, restaurants and cafés, the narrow streets forming terraces linked together by stairways and passages. A covered walkway leads directly from the town to Fort Lagarde, an impressive fort built by Marshall Vauban in 1683 to strengthen the town's defences. Its position also makes it ideal as a starting point for endless walking and climbing itineraries. Only a few kilometres away lies La Preste a spa town famous for its waters and treatment of urinary infections and related diseases. In the 14th century, people with leprosy used to bathe in the ’Leper’s pool’ to help to relieve their symtoms.

[edit] History

During the Spanish Civil War it was the location of a refuge financed by the pacifist organisation War Resisters' International and run by Professor José Brocca.