Carcassonne

The Cite of Carcassonne is a vast fortified medieval city in the south of France, ringed by nearly three kilometres of double walls studded with fifty-two towers, the fairy-tale image of a medieval stronghold. A UNESCO site heavily restored in the nineteenth century, its cobbled lanes, castle and ramparts, floodlit at night, transport visitors into the Middle Ages.

Background

Settlement in the area goes back to about 3500 BC. By the sixth century BC the hilltop known as Carsac, a Celtic name, was an important trading place on routes joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and the Massif Central to the Pyrénées. Around 100 BC the Romans built defences on the hill and made it a colony, Julia Carsaco, a name that later became Carcaso and then Carcasum. Raimond-Bernard Trencavel, who held the viscounties of Albi and Nîmes, acquired Carcassonne in 1067 by marrying Ermengard. In 1096 the foundation stones of a new cathedral received the blessing of Pope Urban II. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc restored the citadel between 1853 and 1879, and UNESCO listed it in 1997.

Source: Wikipedia, "Carcassonne"

What you'll find

• The double walls and towers - the great ring of medieval fortifications.
• The Chateau Comtal - the inner castle and the walkable ramparts.
• The cobbled Cite - the medieval lanes and the basilica within the walls.
• The floodlit night view - the whole citadel lit up after dark.

When to go

Spring to autumn for mild weather; the citadel is floodlit and magical at night, and the Bastille Day fireworks over it in July are famous. Early or late avoids the day-trip crowds in the lanes.

Good to know

The nineteenth-century restoration means it is part authentic, part romantic reconstruction, which purists note. The main lanes are touristy and crowded by day. Its magic is best felt early, late, or floodlit at night.

Nearby

The Canal du Midi passes below; the Cathar castles and the Languedoc wine country spread around.