Let yourself be enchanted by the glass magic In the Mediterranean Pyrenees, between the sea and the mountains! Embark on a luminous getaway, meeting passionate artisans who transform materials into works of art bursting with originality.
A sensory journey to the heart of glass
The “Glass Route in the Mediterranean Pyrenees” is not a simple succession of workshops: it is a immersive experience where each step immerses you in the heart of the secrets and traditions of this ancient art. Through this adventure, seven talented glassmakers open the doors to their world in five emblematic villages of the region: Elne, Laroque-des-Albères, Saint-André, Collioure and especially Palau-del-Vidre, the flagship glass village.
As you travel, let yourself be surprised by a multitude of live exhibitions and demonstrations: Glass blowing and spinning, beading with a blowtorch, fusing, thermoforming, and even the art of stained glass. Each of these techniques, fascinating to observe, reveals the richness and diversity that shape this timeless art.
Palau-del-Vidre, the Catalan Glass Palace
Bearing a name that literally means “Glass Palace” in Catalan, Palau-del-Vidre has been the historic and artisanal heart of glassmaking in the region since the 13th century. This unique village opens the doors to its exceptional heritage and ancestral know-how, still alive today through the workshops of glassmakers, stained-glass artists, and engravers.
Every summer, the village organizes its International Festival of Arts and Glass. It brings together artists and glass artisans from around the world for exhibitions, live demonstrations, participatory workshops and friendly activities.
Ready for wonder?
Embark on a fascinating journey and discover the work of our talented glassmakers. Prepare to be surprised, inspired, and touched by the grace of this fascinating material!
Magny Carvalho
A complementary duo bringing to life unique, poetic and luminous creations...
Magny Carvalho is the fruit of the creative and artistic collaboration between Sylvain Magny, glass blower with cane and Veronique Carvalho, painter and glassmaker with a blowtorch.
Based in the Pyrénées Orientales since 2001, they specialize in the creation of blown glass lighting.
Together, they create custom collections such as the famous “Bilboquet” and “Diabolo” lamps with their graphic designs, the “BuBBle” and “MOONY” pendant lights, and the “Ice Memory” chandeliers with cracked, sandblasted glass like ice. Not to mention the “Hors Collections,” works designed and created for unique locations.
They aspire to create poetic atmospheres. A highlighting of spaces through light by creating warm, soothing, stimulating ambiances, conducive to dreaming and escape… Lighting designed with two heads and made with four hands!
📍Sant Jordi Chapel – St-Jordi Parking
Convent Street – 66200 Elne
+33 (0)6 60 23 83 16
www.magny.eu
Facebook: magnycarvalho
Instagram: magny_carvalho
The Glass Effect
Between fire and finesse...
Marie Munos has been working with glass since 2009. Trained in France and Murano, she continues to perfect her skills with renowned glassmakers. Every day, she explores the infinite possibilities of glass, a living, changing material, as subtle as it is expressive.
Murano glass jewelry is entirely handmade, blown and spun with a torch. Each piece—necklace, ring, earring—is unique or produced in a very limited series, directly in the workshop. The glass is worked using colored rods heated by a flame, using expertise inspired by Italian master glassmakers. After shaping, the beads are annealed at 500°C to ensure strength and longevity.
The “L'effet Verre” workshop, as welcoming as it is creative, was designed as a space for sharing. Everything is made on-site, right down to the handmade furniture and displays. During the tour, you can see the artisan at work and discover the secrets of this fascinating craft.
📍2 place del Gall – 66690 Palau-del-Vidre
+33 (0)6 72 89 56 88
www.leffetverre.com
Facebook: The Glass Effect
Instagram: leffetverre
Jorge Matthew
Creation is sharing. Art makes us happy!
Jorge Mateus doesn't blow glass; he brings it to life. The material, noble and pure, becomes in his hands an infinite field of exploration, a dialogue between imagination and nature.
Inspired by the seabed, he creates decorations of flowers, seaweed, and shells, trapped in the clarity of glass. Gold leaf, iridescence, sandblasting: these are all techniques used to reveal the beauty of each piece, both a work of art and an everyday object.
The Drunkenness of the Abyss
In his creations, algae and bubbles color the transparent glass, evoking the dance of currents and the magic of the depths. With a long career, Jorge Mateus combines exceptional craftsmanship and elegance, perpetuating the age-old alchemy of fire, matter, and man.
On top of the mountains
Raw pieces, polished by time, shaped like precious stones. Their purity and simplicity reveal the mastery of the technique, making glass a dream gift.
Shellfish and crustaceans
The master's hand, inspired by underwater nature, gives birth to living and authentic works, the fruit of precise teamwork, a true artistic ballet.
The dreamy bubbles
Simple lines create a farandole of light and sparkling bubbles, where movement rhymes with poetry.
Sensual voluptuousness
The female body inspires unique sculptures, playing with transparency, color, and light. Sensuality is embodied in glass, capturing each curve with delicacy and emotion.
📍10 place del Gall – 66690 Palau-del-Vidre
+33 (0)4 68 22 13 02
www.verrier-dart-jorgemateus.com
Facebook: Jorge Mateus Glass Workshop
Instagram: jorgemateusverrier
Susanna Fonseré
Flashes of invention around a blowtorch...
The Susanna Fonseré workshop welcomes visitors year-round to its space dedicated to blown and flame-spun glass. Visitors can discover unique pieces crafted using traditional techniques.
You can watch the making of balls, bottles, figurines and jewelry, which are offered for sale in the workshop shop.
This place is a true space of creative freedom, where imagination takes shape through glasswork and the magic of fire. Let yourself be surprised and inspired by this living art during your visit!
📍56 avenue Joliot Curie – 66690 Palau-del-Vidre
+ 33 (0)6 34 13 10 44
www.etsy.com/fr/shop/SUSANNAFONSERE
Facebook: Susanna Fonseré
Instagram: susannafonsere
Glass star
Glass, the poetry of alchemy
Céline Chanclud, creator of the Étoile de Verre workshop, has been crafting fused glass lighting and decorative objects for around ten years. Fueled by passion, she explores the contrasts between opacity and transparency, playing with colors, inclusions, and textures to give each piece a contemporary and poetic dimension.
His work highlights the irregularities of the material: glass, sometimes smooth, sometimes rough like ceramic, reveals cracked or immaculate surfaces, evoking the trace of time.
His lighting fixtures—pendants, wall lights, and lamps—disseminate a soft light that enhances the nuances of the glass. Each creation becomes the setting for a subtle play of shadows and reflections, inviting visitors to rediscover the magic of the material from a new perspective.
📍7 rue Mal Joffre – 66740 Laroque-des-Albères
+33 (0)9 51 22 89 40 or +33 (0)6 07 21 04 81
www.etoiledeverre.fr
Facebook: Etoiledeverre
Instagram: etoiledeverre
The glassmakers of Saint-André
From passion to glass creation...
At the foot of the Albères mountains, a fascinating immersion into the world of glassblowing awaits curious visitors of all ages. Five artisans craft traditional tableware entirely on-site: porons, ice-pocket carafes, glasses, decanters, vases, and more. Each creation stands out for the finesse of its shapes, the vibrant palette of colors, and the light of the blown glass, creating a true visual feast.
The artisans passionately share their 4-year-old ancestral know-how, explaining the different stages of production and answering visitors' questions. The magic of glassblowing is thus open to everyone, young and old, curious and enthusiastic, in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
📍Crafts Park – 66690 Saint-André
(Exit 11a of the N618, along the plane trees, before the village of Saint-André)
+ 33 (0)6 47 01 23 64
www.facebook.com/lesverriersdesaintandre
Facebook: lesverriersdesaintandre
To the Glass Maker
Where glass becomes a storyteller…
À Collioure, this small workshop-boutique is run by Franck Veyrié, a passionate artisan creator.
He creates stained glass works for windows, doors or on backlit bases, as well as art glasswork and decorative objects in fused and thermoformed glass.
Driven by work on color and movement, each creation tells an imaginary story nourished by encounters and exchanges with visitors.
📍3, rue Jules Ferry – 66000 Collioure
+33 (0)7 50 48 32 65
www.aufaconneurdeverre.com
Facebook: Franck Veyrié
Instagram: aufaconneurdeverre66
Don't miss the International Glass Festival, an unmissable event usually held on the first weekend of August! It's the perfect opportunity to discover all facets of glass art live in a festive and authentic setting.
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