Château de Valmy

Just behind Argelès stands the majestic Château de Valmy, surrounded by its park and tiered vineyards, which was built at the end of the 19th century and is named after the Valmaria vineyard estate on which it stands. Designed by the famous Danish architect, Viggo Dorph-Petersen, who also built Château d’Aubiry near Ceret, it was completed in 1888 for the industrialist Pierre Bardou, owner of the JOB cigarette paper business.

In the early 20th Century, Jules Pams, Pierre Bardou’s son-in-law, became the owner of Château de Valmy and was a famous politician in France having served as a minister in the government many times, including Minister for Agriculture, and he even ran for the French presidency in 1913. During the Pams era at Château de Valmy, many famous figures stayed there including Marshal Joffre.

Valmy gained considerable fame when Pierre Bardou’s son-in-law, Jules Pams, became its owner. It hosted many notable figures in the early 20th century, including Marshal Jossef Joffre, the Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front during the First World War.

After Jules Pams died in 1930, the family sold the Château to Victor Peix who expanded the vineyard and created the Valmy wine brand in XXXX, which will gained popularity for its quality. But, sadly, the vineyard declined and, in 1989, Valmy’s vineyards were uprooted and the terraces were left fallow

But, in recent years, the vineyard has been restablished and twenty hectares was replanted with high-quality grape varieties and the resurrected Valmy wine has received multiple accolades for its quality and taste.

The château is not open to the public, but the beautiful five-hectare park, managed by a local association, has been developed for visitors as a place for relaxation and entertainment. Each year, the château hosts a gathering of Sardana dancers known as the Aplec de la Sardana when hundreds of musicians and dancers come together to celebrate Catalan music and dance.