The area has a favourable Mediterranean climate, with 2500 hours of sunshine a year. Wine, olive oil and cork are the region's traditional products.

Although the history of the area goes back to Roman times, Perpignan itself was probably founded in the early 10th Century, and soon became the seat of the Counts of Roussillon. Under the Treaty of Corbeil (1258), Louis IX renounced French feudal rights over Roussillon to the Aragonese king Jaume (James) I the Conqueror. In 1276, James I created the Kingdom of Majorca, and Perpignan served as capital of the new kingdom's mainland territories. The city prospered, luxury crafts such as goldsmith's work and leatherwork developed. In 1344 King Peter IV of Aragon rejoined the Kingdom of Majorca under the crown of Aragon. Several years later, the city was devastated by the plague. The French king Louis XI annexed it in 1463, but Charles VIII restored it to Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1493. France finally gained Roussillon, including Perpignan, under the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659.

The city is not overly rich in historical monuments but is a charming place to explore on foot. The old town has been renovated and pedestrianized. The few architectural landmarks include the castle of the Kings of Majorca and the St. John the Baptist Cathedral. The two-storey castle was built in the 13th Century, surrounded by ramparts. The Moorish influence can be felt in the elegant arcaded courtyard and in the marble porch to one of the chapels. The castle was further reinforced at the orders of Louis XI and Charles V. Vauban, Louis XIV's famous military engineer, made improvements to the castle and built walls around the town but the latter were demolished in the early 20th Century. The 14th-century St. John Cathedral was built in layers of stone and brick. It contains an elaborate altarpiece and a famous wooden crucifix. Campo Santo next to the Cathedral is one of the oldest cemeteries in France. The church of St. Jacques by the Miranda Gardens is another elegant Catalan building.