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The floodlit walls of the Cité de Carcassonne

Carcassonne & Cathar Country

Just north of the eastern Pyrenees, Carcassonne's double ring of walls and turrets looks straight out of a fairy tale.

Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • RegionOccitanie, France
  • UNESCOSince 1997
  • From Toulouse~1 h
  • Visit1–2 days

The Cité de Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a medieval fortified town with 3 km of walls and 52 towers, heavily restored in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. Below it, the Bastide Saint-Louis is the lively lower town on the Canal du Midi.

Visiting the Cité

  • Walk the lices (the space between the walls) for free.
  • Buy a ticket for the Château Comtal and the rampart walk.
  • Visit early or in the evening to avoid crowds; the floodlit walls are magical.

Cathar castles

The 'citadels of vertigo' crown the ridges south of Carcassonne: Peyrepertuse, Quéribus, Puilaurens and the four castles of Lastours, plus Montségur in the Ariège foothills.

Wine

Taste Corbières and Minervois reds, and the sparkling Blanquette de Limoux, said to predate champagne.

Getting there

Carcassonne is about 1 hour from Toulouse, 1 h 15 from Foix and 1 h 30 from Perpignan.

Stay near Carcassonne & Cathar Country

Compare prices and free-cancellation rates.

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Combine with

Ariège
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Ariège

Wild, green Ariège: Foix castle, prehistoric caves, Cathar ruins and the spa town of Ax-les-Thermes.

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Collioure & Côte Vermeille

The Mediterranean end of the Pyrenees: Fauvist colours, a château on the beach, anchovies and Banyuls wine.

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Header photo: Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

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