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Perched on a rocky hilltop and bristling with zigzag battlements, stout walls and spiky turrets, the fortified city of Carcassonne looks like something out of a children’s storybook when it's seen from afar. A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1997, it’s most people’s idea of the perfect medieval castle.
Built on a steep spur of rock, Carcassonne’s rampart-ringed fortress dates back more than two millennia. The fortified town is encircled by two sets of battlements and 52 stone towers, topped by distinctive ‘witch’s hat’ roofs (added by architect Viollet-le-Duc during 19th-century restorations).
Carcassonne. The castle’s second gate, Porte d'Aude, was partly destroyed in 1816 and no longer has its drawbridge. Discover the best attractions in Carcassonne including Cité Médiévale, Pont-Vieux, and Château et Remparts.
Understand France’s mightiest man-made waterway, the Unesco World Heritage Canal du Midi, through illuminating exhibitions and short films at this museum…
Apr 3, 2023 · From water sports near the Med to lingering on a cafe terrace, here are the best things to do in Montpellier, one of France’s fastest-growing cities.
Carcassonne. Built on a steep spur of rock, Carcassonne’s rampart-ringed fortress dates back more than two millennia. The fortified town is encircled by two sets of…
Understand France’s mightiest man-made waterway, the Unesco World Heritage Canal du Midi, through illuminating exhibitions and short films at this museum…
France, Europe. Carcassonne. The main gateway to the Cité Médiévale, Porte Narbonnaise leads into the citadel’s interior. Read more.
Basilique St-Nazaire. Carcassonne's basilica is worth a peek for its soaring Gothic transept and vivid rose windows. Often, traditional plain chant can be heard inside.
To actually walk on the ramparts of Cité Médiévale, you have to pay to enter the Château et Remparts, a keep built for the viscounts of Carcassonne during the 12th century. Admission includes access to the keep’s rooms and a section of the battlements, with fabulous views over the surrounding countryside and the distant Pyrenees.
