[Balade] Parcours découvertes de Sorède

An easy walk through the village streets to discover the heritage of Sorède, a shaded route. Several possible stops along the river. 

Leave from the Tourist Office. Cross the Rue de la Caserne and reach the Town Hall car park. Go along this one and take the passage which passes under the hackberries. The famous hackberries that made Sorède famous at the beginning of the 20th century and still today thanks to the ESAT.
Go up a few steps and turn left to take rue de la Maréchalerie. The houses are typically attached to it. They constituted the protective enclosure of the castle because they were located less than 30 feet from the church. In the 1900s, craftsmanship was very present in the streets of our village: cooper, harness maker, mule driver, blacksmith, farrier. On the right, take Côte de l'église and stop in front of the entrance.
The Parish Church: Formerly a lord's chapel, it became a church in the 12th century. Its typical Romanesque capital bears witness to this period. It is dedicated to Saints Assiscle and Victoria, whose relics were brought back from Cordoba. The inscription "Populus me fecit" (The people made me): 1733, carved on the capital, indicates its complete restoration in the 18th century.
On the Place de la République, go under the porch and at the end of the street turn left. Take the first street on the left to return to the square. You have just gone around the castle. The fortress building: Fortified in 1299, it belonged to the nobility until the Revolution. The porch was the large guard room and the current Place de la République was the parade ground. These are the only remains. Today it is a private domain. It houses an old oil mill which was used until the great cold of 1955/1956.
Take Rue Saint-Jacques towards the Salle des Fêtes (Community Hall). Rue Saint-Jacques: This street crosses the old "Hortolans" district (from "hort" in Catalan, meaning garden). Many gardens once flourished here, benefiting from the water of the canal that meanders nearby. A statue dedicated to Saint James stands on the facade of a house, honoring the patron saint of gardeners. In front of this house, take the dead-end street to the right.
Rue du Rec Mayral: At the end of the street, you'll discover a very old irrigation system, "Le Rec Mayral," and its twenty or so secondary canals, which formed the village's water supply. Thanks to a system of sluice gates, they allowed the surrounding gardens to receive water year-round. Heavily regulated during periods of drought, it is still the source of many minor conflicts today. Retrace your steps and take the street that descends to the left of the Hôtel les Mas: At the end of the path, you'll emerge between Mas Miquel (on the right) and Mas Soula (on the left). In the past, many isolated farmhouses surrounded the village, including Mas Bassole, Mas Florenti, and Mas Tarté. Turn left and take the first left, Rue du Mas Soula.
Facing number 20, take the small path that descends. Local Road No. 8: This path ran along the foothills of the Albères mountains from Villelongue dels Monts. It provided access to the now-vanished church of Sainte-Marie de la Coberta, which was swept away by floodwaters in the 17th century. La Font del Bisbe: This can be literally translated as the "Bishop's Fountain." It owes its name to the Legate of Pope Martin IV, Bishop Cholet, who accompanied Philip III the Bold and his army in 1285 during the crusade against the King of Aragon. He went there to rest. Do the same, if you wish… Cross the footbridge and follow the path uphill. Turn at the first street on your right. You are now in the "Mas Félix" district. Mas Félix: This area housed one of the first grain mills.
Follow the main road. Rue du Veinat: This street runs alongside the river and leads up to the Christ statue. Veinat means "the neighborhood" in Catalan. This area remained isolated from the village for a long time and was once a hamlet in itself. At the end of the street, on your right, is the Christ of the Missions: In 1893, wooden crosses were erected following the return of an Evangelical mission, hence its name. The road to the right leads to the Notre-Dame du Château chapel. On your left, a small path descends towards the river and takes you to the "Rouréde" (oak grove). Rue des Châtaigniers: This street crosses part of the area known as "Formiguer." In the past, this area contained small mounds surrounded by brambles and thickets, resembling giant anthills. These piles of vegetation were shredded to improve crops. At the first intersection, take the dead-end road on your right. This is Rue des Micocouliers (Hawk Tree Street): It owes its name to the tree that brought fame to Sorède. At the beginning of the 20th century, more than 300 residents of Sorède worked making whips, splints, and horse collars from this wood. The factory, the only one of its kind still operating in the world, is located on Rue du Stade (Stadium Street). We invite you to visit it. Admission is free. Follow the path under the trees; you are now walking alongside the irrigation canal.
The Cap de la Riba Well: This can be translated as "Well above the riverbank." Fountains were a common sight in our town, and this well was one of the most important due to its location. The water drawn from it was fresh and had a pleasant taste. Many people came here and often lingered. Ahead of you, the footbridge, which has been washed away several times, leads to the "Font del Sabater" (Shoemaker's Fountain, where the cobbler used to soak his leather). Today, it no longer flows because its course has been diverted. Near the well, take the inclined plane that leads uphill.
Opposite, take Rue du Mas del Rost and turn into the first street on the left Rue des Acacias: This is a neighborhood of typical houses, with terraces, external staircases and cellars. It was disadvantaged because no canal crossed it. It was home to old large families who made it one of the liveliest places in the village. Many of its inhabitants worked for the whip factory.
Turn left and then immediately right. The Campet district: Literally "small field." It took its name from the fact that each house was adjacent to a "small meadow." Located on the right bank of the river, it is an important district, where the ancestral home of old Sorède families still resides.
After 100 meters, turn on your left. La Traverse du Campet: You will discover in this small street, real Catalan houses which have retained their authentic character. There was access to the river which, like many other places, allowed people to empty their chamber pots. At the end of the street turn left. 
The bridge: It was built in 1841 over several decades. Before its construction, the road on the right was used which led to a ford, near the wash houses where one could cross the Sorède river called "Le Tassio".
After the bridge, take the street opposite, Rue du Puits. At the end, turn right and continue to Place Combes. 
Place Combes: This is the current market square. It was previously called Place St-Pierre after a saint whose statue was located there. The grain market was held there. It was renamed in 1905 when it took the name of Emile Combes (left-wing senator advocating a militant and anticlerical policy). At the butcher's shop, continue along Rue du Centre to Place Padre Himalaya. The sundial: Unique in France,
the Sorède sundial was inaugurated in 2013. It excellently combines creation and technology. Take rue de la barracks, you are back at your starting point: the Tourist Office