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Culture and languages

Spanish Siesta

You may not be in Spain, but in the smaller villages you can expect shops to be open in the morning, closed during the afternoon (possibly from 12.00pm to 4.00pm) and open again in the evening. In larger towns they are more likely to be open all day.

Languages

French is spoken throughout the French Pyrenees. In addition the locals may also speak Basque or Catalan. English is now spoken much more widely than it was in the 20th century, especially by younger people.

There is a lot of confusion with place names in the Pyrenees, with many different and inconsistent spellings. Villages, towns and geographical features often have a French name, a Basque or Catalan name and possibly a Spanish name.

In this guide, the French name has been used unless the Basque or Catalan name is in widespread use.

Politics

When they were independent states the Basque Country and Catalonia were much larger than at present and included large chunks of the Pyrenees which are now in France. Independence movements aren’t as active as in Spain, but many people will still think of themselves as Basque or Catalan rather than French.