Vernet-les-Bains
Vernet-les-Bains
Vernet (Catalan) | |
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The church and surrounding buildings in Vernet-les-Bains | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Vernet-les-Bains | |
Vernet-les-Bains Vernet-les-Bains | |
| Coordinates: 42°33′00″N 2°23′19″E / 42.55°N 2.3886°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Pyrénées-Orientales |
| Arrondissement | Prades |
| Canton | Le Canigou |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Henri Guitart |
Area 1 | 16.76 km2 (6.47 sq mi) |
| Population (2023) | 1,498 |
| • Density | 89.38/km2 (231.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 66222 /66820 |
| Elevation | 559–2,760 m (1,834–9,055 ft) (avg. 850 m or 2,790 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Vernet-les-Bains (French pronunciation: [vɛʁnɛ le bɛ̃] ⓘ; lit. 'Vernet-the-Baths'; Catalan: Vernet) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
The Catalan word for an alder tree is "vern". "Vernet" is derived from "verneda", a Catalan word meaning a group of alder trees. Vernet officially became Vernet-les-Bains in 1953.
It is a centre for visitors and holidaymakers. The village has a sunny climate (with, on average, 300 days of sunshine each year) and is set in a sheltered valley in the foothills of the Canigó mountain – which rises to a height of 2,785 metres (over 9,000 feet). Vernet-les-Bains is also known for its hot water springs. There is a professional spa/therapy centre in the village.