Carcassonne is a fortified town in southern France, set in the Aude department, and it is one of the country's best-known medieval places. Its citadel, the old walled city, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it is often described as Europe's largest medieval citadel.
What you will see
The defences are the first thing that stands out. The citadel is ringed by double walls and ramparts that together run for more than three kilometres, so a walk along them gives a clear sense of how the town was guarded. Inside, the streets are paved with cobblestones and lined with old stone buildings and towers, and much of the medieval character has been kept intact.
The place works well as a living museum of medieval town planning and military architecture. You can follow the layout of the lanes and the positions of the towers and gates and read how the town was organised for defence and daily life.
What kind of visit it makes
- A slow walk along the ramparts, with views over the surrounding countryside.
- Wandering the cobbled lanes of the citadel and its towers at your own pace.
- An interest in medieval building and fortification, which the whole town illustrates.
Because the citadel is compact and largely walkable, it suits a half day or a full day, and it fits easily into a wider trip through the region.
Around the town
Carcassonne sits in the Aude area of southern France, a region of hills, vineyards and older towns. Visitors combining the citadel with the surrounding landscape will find the setting a useful counterpoint to the enclosed streets within the walls.
