Carcassonne, South France

Posted by Jill Bowen on Mon 5th November 2007 at 03:56 AM, Filed in Europe

The walled medieval city of Carcassonne is now said to be one of the most visited site in France. In fact there are two Carcassonne; the famous walled city, and the adjacent town (with a population of about 45,000). When you first see the medieval Carcassone from either the Canal du Midi, or the road it’s awe inspiring, slightly forbidding, and just waiting to be explored.

Most visitors arrive mid-day or later, so it’s advisable to start early in the morning to avoid the crowds. Parking at this time of day will not present a problem.  To get an overview of the place, instead of buying a guide book you could try one of the following:
• Visit the is an excellent web site devoted to Carcassonne, (type in mescladis.free to get all the info you could require).
• Join one of the organised tours - usually leaving at intervals of between 30 and 60 minutes – depending on the season, with ticket sales beginning at 9.30.
• Take the little train for a tour of the medieval turrets and ramparts (which lasts about 20 minutes and departs from the Narbonnaise Gate and has multi-language explanations).
• Or, again from Narbonnaise Gate, enjoy a guided tour in a horse drawn carriage; this is also a 20-minute trip taking you between the two ramparts.

The Narbonne’s Gate (which is the most common entrance to the city) isn’t a very inspiring area, busy, with souvenir (tacky) but important to Carcassone’s economy, but it’s worth going to this entrance to look up and take in the architecture.

As you explore within the walls you will find small squares filled with more souvenir shops and café-restaurants some ‘fast food’ others a little more upmarket. After a few hours of sight seeing I’m sure you will welcome a sit down, and a glass or two of the local wine.  A good area to head to for lunch is the Place Marou with terrace restaurants; the prices are reasonable with a good selection of more traditional fare.

Carcassonne has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, and is the goal of many pilgrims.  While the history of Carcassonne dates back to Roman Times, the current fortified “Medieval” structure was actually refurbished and designed and built in the later half of the 19th Century, it was so well done that the City has a true medieval look.

The fortifications consist of a double line of ramparts, with inner and outer walls. The Visigoths built the inner rampart in the 5th Century; they were further fortified by the vicomtes de Trencavel in the 12th century and by Louis IX in the 13th. By the 17th century the ramparts were left to decay, builders began to remove the stone for use in construction. However, a revival of interest in the middle ages had led the French government to repair, and were necessary rebuild. It has 52 towers and the aforementioned 2 rings of town walls, making a total of 3km of battlements

A walk around the circumference of the town takes about an hour and will give a good perspective of the town’s defences and its architecture. The stone streets are very medieval, and you certainly get the feeling you are walking through history. The area inside the city walls is extensive, and to explore it properly you will need a whole day, though if you are not a history buff and just want to soak up the atmosphere, a few hours will provide you with an insight.

The Count’s Castle is an impressive building, built in 1150 and constructed on the remains of older building dating from the Roman times. It was then a far smaller building than the one you see today and was extended in the 13th century. The oldest parts are in the courtyard including the impressive 30 metre high tower. The round chamber, in the heart of the castle is the only one with a fragment of medieval décor – superb frescos adorn it. From the main courtyard there is a covered passage leading to what was at one time an immense room. This room was demolished in the 15th century and plays are now performed here during the summer festival. The first floor is now The Musee Lapidaire, with a collection of archaeological treasures and carvings; it also houses a permanent exhibition explaining the restoration of the City in the 19th century.

Do visit the Cathedral, dating from the 11th and 14th century, it has a very gothic feel with its wide openings, pinnacles and gargoyles. This is Gothic influence is very apparent in the tiny Radulphe’s Chapel. If you are fortunate to be visiting Carcassonne on a Sunday afternoon between June and September you will be treated to recitals on St Nazaire’s fantastic organ. Guest organists come from all over the world to perform here.

The two main streets at the foot of the fortification are the Rue de le Barbacane and the Rue de la Trivalle, this area has village feel with restaurants, cafes, antiques shops and various exhibitions. Walking up –or down- to the main city there is a very long fresco showing the medieval history of the Cathar country and the Crusade, these were painted by artists from Lyon and depict the event that took place in Carcassonne in the 13th century.

There is so much to see both inside the city walls, and if you have the time in the lower town – Bastide Saint Louis, that it’s certainly worth taking a day out from sunbathing to explore Carcassonne’s treasures.

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