Editions Sud Ouest

Discovering Carcassonne means experiencing the high points of twenty-eight centuries of history, seeing the remains of a Roman town, watching the mediaeval walled town being built then falling into oblivion and being brought back to life by Viollet-le-Duc. It means understanding the faith of the Cathars and their way of life, remembering the Albigensian crusade, and sharing the anguish and fear of the besieged population.

The might of the walls and towers underlines the strategic importance of the town in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Visiting Carcassonne means recognising the various periods in the building of the walls, the castle and St. Nazaire’s Basilica. It means rediscovering the tactics used by assailants and defendants. It means appreciating to the full the ingenious resources used during attacks, by both sides.

Strolling through Carcassonne means spending time in a hilltop town founded by St. Louis. It means seeing a town that is probably the only one in the world to offer visitors two sites included in Unesco’s World Heritage list - the canal and the walled town.