By air
Toulouse (TLS) or Carcassonne (CCF), Toulouse ~1 h
Europe · France
Carcassonne, France
A walled medieval citadel
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September — warm and dry
Don't miss
La Cité
The Château Comtal
The Basilica of Saint-Nazaire
The Pont Vieux
Things to do
The ramparts
The Château Comtal
The Bastille Day fireworks
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Chensiyuan · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Walking shoes
A quieter corner
The Canal du Midi by bicycle
Questions travellers ask
What's the weather like in Carcassonne in summer?
Warm and dry; May to September is the time to go.
What should I see in Carcassonne?
La Cité, the Château Comtal, the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire and the Pont Vieux. Walk the ramparts, and bring walking shoes.
What else is there to do around Carcassonne?
Cycle the Canal du Midi, catch the Bastille Day fireworks, and sit down to a cassoulet.
Can I fly into Carcassonne?
Yes, Carcassonne (CCF) has an airport, and Toulouse (TLS) is about an hour away.
About Carcassonne
- Inland
Where it is
Carcassonne is a town in the Aude department of the Occitanie region in southern France, on the Aude river between Toulouse and the Mediterranean, with its walled medieval Cité crowning a hill above the river.
History
The hill was fortified in Gallo-Roman times and held by the Visigoths, and from the 11th century the Trencavel viscounts built the Château Comtal and the basilica. Crusaders besieged the city in 1209 during the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars, it became a royal French fortress near the border with Aragon, and it lost its military role after the Treaty of the Pyrenees moved the border south in 1659.
People
Carcassonnais speak French, and Occitan heritage survives in place names and local culture. The vineyards of the Aude produce Corbières, Minervois and Cabardès wines, cassoulet of white beans, sausage and duck is the signature dish, and the town has a long tradition in rugby league.
Known for
- La Cité, with its double walls and 52 towers
- The Château Comtal
- The Basilica of Saint-Nazaire
- The Canal du Midi
- Cassoulet
Did you know?
When Eugène Viollet-le-Duc restored the walls from 1853, he gave the towers pointed slate roofs, which critics said belonged to northern France rather than to the south, where terracotta tiles were traditional.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.