The Tech (French: [tɛk] ; Catalan: Tec [ˈtɛk]) is a river in southern France, very close to the French-Spanish border. It runs through a valley in the Pyrénées-Orientales, in the former Roussillon, and is 84.5 kilometres (52.5 mi) long.[1] Its source is the Parcigoule Valley, elevation 2,500 metres (8,200 ft), and it feeds the Mediterranean Sea. At Céret, the medieval Devil's bridge, once the largest bridge arch in the world, spans the river in an arc of 45 metres (148 ft) in length.

Tech
Pont du Diable, spanning the Tech, in Céret
Tech (river) is located in France
Tech (river)
Tech (river) is located in Occitanie
Tech (river)
Location
CountryFrance
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationPyrenees
 • elevation±2,500 m (8,200 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Mediterranean Sea
 • coordinates
42°35′24″N 3°2′43″E / 42.59000°N 3.04528°E / 42.59000; 3.04528
Length84.5 km (52.5 mi)
Basin size750 km2 (290 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average9.6 m3/s (340 cu ft/s)

Geography

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The Tech flows through 25 different towns, from its source to the sea: Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste, Serralongue, Le Tech, Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans, Montferrer, Corsavy, Arles-sur-Tech, Montbolo, Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda, Reynès, Céret, Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts, Maureillas-las-Illas, Le Boulou, Tresserre, Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines, Montesquieu-des-Albères, Banyuls-dels-Aspres, Villelongue-dels-Monts, Brouilla, Ortaffa, Palau-del-Vidre, Elne and Argelès-sur-Mer. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea between Saint-Cyprien and Argelès-sur-Mer, southeast of Perpignan.[1]

In culture

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Poetry
  • (in French) Ode au Tech [Ode to the Tech] (1912), a poem by the writer Marc Anfossi.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Sandre. "Fiche cours d'eau - Le Tech (Y02-0400)".
  2. ^ (in French) Fabricio Cardenas, Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, Ode au Tech en 1912, 29 May 2015
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