Carcassonne

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Carcassonne is a town in the Aude department in the former province of Languedoc. It has two distinct parts, the fortified City of Carcassonne and the expansive lower city.

First signs of settlement dates to 3500BC. Carcassonne was a Gaul settlement before the Romans fortified the hilltop in 100BC. Carcassonne has been an important crossing point between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean since antiquity and has been known as a trading place since the 6th century.

Carcassonne is most famous for its fortified medieval city and for its role during the Crusades when the city was a stronghold of Occitan Cathars. The city came under the rule of France in 1247 and Louis IX founded the new part of the town across the river.

The fortress was restored in 1853 and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1997. It is still considered “impenetrable” Fortifications consist of a double ring of ramparts and 53 towers enclosing a still inhabited medieval city. Sights not to be missed include; the Castle, built in the 12th century by the powerful feudal lords, the Vicomtes de Carcassonne, the Basilca of Saint Nazarius mentioned in documents dating to 925, the Aude gate built in the 13th century and the Narbonnaise Gate with spike shaped two towers, and the Jousting ground.

The newer part of the town on the other side of the river Aude, dates back to the middle ages. It is a Bastide surrounded by boulevards built in the 18th and 19th centuries over old fortified ditches. The Bastide has a chessboard shape around a central square, Place Carnot, with its16th century fountain of Neptune. The market takes place around the fountain three times each week. The majority of Carcassonne’s income comes from tourism. 3 million visitors annually, attracted to the fortified city but also the Canal du Midi which is also a UNESCO world heritage site.