The Tech (; ca, Tec ) is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

in southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, very close to the French-

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

border. It runs through a valley in the

Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. ...

, in the former Roussillon, and is long. Its source is the Parcigoule Valley, elevation , and it feeds the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

. At

Céret Céret (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is the capital of the historic Catalan comarca of Vallespir. Geography The town lies in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, in southern France. ...

, the medieval '' Devil's bridge'', once the largest bridge arch in the world, spans the river in an arc of in length.

Geography

The Tech flows through 25 different towns, from its source to the sea:

Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, near the border with Spain and the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. The name ''Prats-de-Mollo'' comes from Catalan "meadows of Molló". Mol ...

, Serralongue,

Le Tech Le Tech (; ca, El Tec) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is part of the historical Vallespir comarca. Geography Localisation Le Tech is located east of Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste, in the canton of ...

Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans (; ca, Sant Llorenç de Cerdans) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans is located in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissement of Céret. ...

Montferrer Montferrer () is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Montferrer is located in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissement of Céret. Population See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-O ...

Corsavy Corsavy (; ca, Cortsaví) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is part of the historical Vallespir comarca. Geography Localisation Corsavy is located in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissem ...

Arles-sur-Tech Arles-sur-Tech (, literally ''Arles on Tech''; ca, Arles de Tec) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Location Arles-sur-Tech is located in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissement of C ...

Montbolo Montbolo (; ca, Montboló) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Localization Montbolo is located in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissement of Céret. Geology Montbolo once ha ...

Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda (; ca, Els Banys i Palaldà) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Prior to 1942, it was known as Amélie-les-Bains. It is situated in the Tech valley, and combines the old and the ne ...

Reynès Reynès (; ca, Reiners) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Reynès is in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissement of Céret. Population Talc Reynès was home to a very produ ...

Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts (; oc, Sant Joan de Pladecorts) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Saint-Jean-Pla-de-Corts is located in the canton of Vallespir-Albères and in the arrondissement of C� ...

Maureillas-las-Illas Maureillas-las-Illas (; ca, Morellàs i les Illes) is a rural commune in the Vallespir, Pyrénées-Orientales in the south of France. The commune belongs to the ''Communauté de communes'' of Vallespir uniting Maureillas-las-Illas with nine oth ...

Le Boulou Le Boulou (; ca, El Voló ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is situated 12 km from the Spanish border. Geography Localisation The town of Le Boulou is located in the canton of Vallespir-Alb� ...

Tresserre Tresserre (; ca, Trasserra) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Tresserre is located in the canton of Les Aspres and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. Demography Sites of interest * ...

Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines ( ca, Sant Genís de Fontanes) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines is located in the canton of Vallespir-Albères and in the arrondissement o ...

Montesquieu-des-Albères Montesquieu-des-Albères ( ca, Montesquiu d'Albera) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Montesquieu-des-Albères is located in the canton of Vallespir-Albères and in the arrondissement of Cér ...

Banyuls-dels-Aspres Banyuls-dels-Aspres (; ca, Banyuls dels Aspres) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Localisation Banyuls-dels-Aspres is located in the canton of Les Aspres and in the arrondissement of Céret. ...

Villelongue-dels-Monts Villelongue-dels-Monts (; ca, Vilallonga dels Monts) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. The inhabitants are called ''Villelonguais''. Geography Villelongue-dels-Monts is located in the south of the depart ...

Brouilla Brouilla (; ca, Brullà) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, ...

Ortaffa Ortaffa (; ca, Ortafà) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Ortaffa is located in the canton of La Plaine d'Illibéris and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. Population See also *Commun ...

Palau-del-Vidre Palau-del-Vidre (; ca, Palau del Vidre) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Palau-del-Vidre is located in the canton of La Côte Vermeille and in the arrondissement of Céret The arrondissemen ...

, Elne and

Argelès-sur-Mer Argelès-sur-Mer (, literally ''Argelès on Sea''; ca, Argelers de la Marenda or ; oc, Argelers de Mar), commonly known as Argelès, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the administrative region of Occitania, France. It i ...

. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea between Saint-Cyprien and

, southeast of

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...

In culture

;Poetry * ''Ode au Tech'' 'Ode to the Tech''(1912), a poem by the writer Marc Anfossi. Fabricio Cardenas
Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, ''Ode au Tech en 1912''
29 May 2015

References

External links

* Rivers of Pyrénées-Orientales Céret 0Tech Rivers of Occitania (administrative region) Rivers of France {{France-river-stub