Welcome to Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a fortified medieval city located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. The city is best known for its well-preserved double ring of ramparts and 52 towers, known as La Cité de Carcassonne, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The medieval city of Carcassonne is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the world to explore its winding streets, ancient architecture, and picturesque squares.

Inside the walls, you can find the Saint-Nazaire Basilica, which dates back to the 13th century, and the Castle of the Counts of Carcassonne, which offers stunning views of the city and the surrounding countryside. There are also several museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum of the Inquisition.

Beyond the walls, the lower town of Carcassonne, known as the Ville Basse, offers a different experience with its charming streets, markets, shops and restaurants. Visitors can also take a boat trip along the Canal du Midi, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site that runs through the region.

Carcassonne is a great destination for history buffs, architecture enthusiasts, and for those who enjoy the beauty of the French countryside.

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Carcassonne Castle

The walled city is a UNESCO world heritage site and the largest medieval city in Europe. You can walk around the ramparts and then stroll down the narrow streets. During high season there is jousting and other attractions. The Castle does get very busy during the day and it is often better to visit in the cooler evening. The night lights and carnival atmosphere make for an unfogettable experience. Carcassonne Castle at night gives you impression you could be walking back in time.

Carcassonne is a great base to explore the land of the Cathars. A short drive from the coast you can also explore the Pyrenees and Andorra is nearby. Carcassonne is a world heritage site and there is plenty of local events to make a wonderful family holiday. Close by there are lakes for swimming and boating. Cavayere, Montbel and Pradelles are well worth visiting The airport is just 10 minutes drive away.You may also fly into Toulouse, Narbonne or Barcelona.

Carcassonne is really two separate cities - the main city (seen on map) with the typically French boulevards and Canal du Midi, and the famous walled city (La Cité) with fairy-tale turrets which forms the backdrop to the Kevin Costner film - 'Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves'. When you walk along the canal in Carcassonne, the shaded road runs alongside the Canal du Midi, past the Central Station and over the lock at Pont Marengo (named after Napoleon's horse!).

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Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a fortified French town, in the Aude département of which it is the préfecture, in the former province of Languedoc. It is separated into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. The folk etymology – involving a châtelaine named Carcas, a ruse ending a siege and the joyous ringing of bells ("Carcas sona") – though memorialized in a neo-Gothic sculpture of Mme Carcas on a column near the Narbonne Gate—is of modern invention.Carcassonne was struck from the roster of official fortifications under Napoleon and the Restoration, and the fortified cité of Carcassonne fell into such disrepair that the French government decided that it should be demolished. A decree to that effect that was made official in 1849 caused an uproar. The antiquary and mayor of Carcassonne, Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille, and the writer Prosper Mérimée, the first inspector of ancient monuments, led a campaign to preserve the fortress as a historical monument. Later in the year the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, already at work restoring the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire, was commissioned to renovate the place.In 1853, works began with the west and southwest walling, followed by the towers of the porte Narbonnaise and the principal entrance to the cité. The fortifications were consolidated here and there but the chief attention was paid to restoring the roofing of the towers and the ramparts, where Viollet-le-Duc ordered the destruction of structures that had encroached against the walls, some of them of considerable age. Viollet-le-Duc left copious notes and drawings at his death in 1879, when his pupil Paul Boeswillwald, and later the architect Nodet continued the rehabilitation of Carcassonne

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Carcassonne

For well over two thousand years Carcassonne has been a cross-roads on routes linking Spain to Italy, and the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. It is ideally located for visiting vineyards, markets, picturesque hilltop villages, Mediterranean ports, Cathar Castles, historic churches and abbeys, and the Pyrenees mountains. The Canal du Midi, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, passes within walking distance of the apartment. Carcassonne is the capital of the Aude departement "Le Pays Cathare" - Cathar Country.

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The Carcassonne train station, also known as the Gare de Carcassonne, is located in the city of Carcassonne in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. The train station is served by the SNCF (French National Railway Corporation) and offers regular services to destinations such as Toulouse, Narbonne, and Paris. The station has a ticket office, as well as a self-service ticket machines, left luggage office, and waiting room. The station is located a short distance from the city's medieval fortress, La Cité de Carcassonne, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular tourist attraction.

The Canal du Midi is a 240-kilometer (150-mile) long canal that runs through Southern France, connecting Toulouse to the Mediterranean Sea. It was built in the 17th century by Pierre-Paul Riquet and is considered one of the greatest engineering achievements of its time. The canal is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered an important cultural and historical landmark. It connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Garonne River, the Étang de Thau and the Aude River. The Canal du Midi is used for pleasure boating and is a popular tourist destination for boating and cycling, and also for hiking along its towpaths. Along the canal, there are many charming towns and villages, as well as locks, aqueducts, and other engineering marvels that can be visited.

Carcassonne Castle

The spectacular medieval walled city of Carcassonne and the famous Canal du Midi has unspoilt landscapes and a rural harmony of vineyards jostling with fields of sunflowers and fruit trees, in the sight of the snow-capped Pyrenees. The region resonates with the magic and the mystery of Cathar castles, roman ruins and medieval monasteries. But there is also white-water rafting, thermal spas, pony trekking, fishing, golf, skiing, and a host of other outdoor activities. Languedoc Roussillon is France's oldest, biggest and most exciting wine producing area. It attracts investors from all parts of the world as well as important vignerons from the rest of France. The Greeks were making wine here 3000 years ago, followed by the Romans and then by the monks. At the heart of all the great wines of the region is the soul of a great winemaking monastery. These monks were around in the 16th century and were known as the Benedictines there monastery is in Limoux, they were the first in the world to bless their wine with beautiful bubbles. To this very day, Blanquette de Limoux is made only in the vicinity of the Abbey of Saint Hilaire.

Carcassonne Airport
Carcassonne Airport

Carcassonne Airport (CCF) offers flights to a variety of destinations, primarily within France but also to several European countries, depending on the season. The airport is mainly served by low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet and Volotea.

Some of the destinations that Carcassonne Airport offers flights to include:

  • Paris (Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport) London (Stansted Airport and Luton   Airport) Dublin Liverpool Bristol Edinburgh Glasgow Frankfurt Brussels Milan Barcelona Madrid Lisbon and many more destinations.

Carcassonne Airport, officially known as Carcassonne Salvaza Airport, is a regional airport located in the city of Carcassonne in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. The airport is located about 5 km (3 miles) west of the city center and it serves mainly domestic and European destinations. It's a small airport but well-equipped with modern facilities. It offers daily flights to major cities in France, as well as seasonal flights to destinations in other European countries. The airport has a terminal building with a range of facilities, including a café, a duty-free shop, and a car rental service. It also offers parking facilities. Passengers can also use the bus service or taxi to reach the city center.