Carcassonne

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Carcassonne is an hour drive away from where i live. I've actually driven close by many a time, admiring it's vast and impressive fortress each time. I've always told myself I'd visit it one day.

Why such hesitation? To be honest, i hate crowds. And seeing as the whole world knows Carcassonne, ...
...I recently found out that Carcassonne has 2 million visitors a year, from all destinations.

Of course there are more or less crowded moments in the year, going from a slow moving crowd to a completely stagnant jam. I went on the 14th of May, I'd say that's mid-season.


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Carcassonne, classed as World Heritage, and national monument since 1997, is known world wide for it's Cathare "cité".
It's not easy to describe, but I'll do my best :

Imagine a small town, built in the IVth century. This town has it's cathedral, (built later, by the Cathares), and a castle.... the lot is surrounded by a doubled fortified wall. That's for the quick description, but let me tell you how it came to be, and how my visit went.

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~~ I'll start with my visit ~~
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Carcassonne is an hour drive away from where i live. I've actually driven close by many a time, admiring it's vast and impressive fortress each time. I've always told myself I'd visit it one day.

Why such hesitation? To be honest, i hate crowds. And seeing as the whole world knows Carcassonne, (OK, I'm surely exaggerating, but at least half!) i know that it is constantly crowded. I once got as far as the car park, but went for a walk around it whilst my husband and kids visited the interior.

It's not just crowded, it's jam packed, and that is a really uncomfortable way to visit such a beautiful place. If i were 2 meters tall, i would have been before, but with my 1m64, I've little chance to overlook and breath above the swarm. I recently found out that Carcassonne has 2 million visitors a year, from all destinations.

Of course there are more or less crowded moments in the year, going from a slow moving crowd to a completely stagnant jam. I went on the 14th of May, I'd say that's mid-season.

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So what made me finally get in there? A part from my incredible courage?!

My dear friend, Karla, whom i hadn't seen for many years. She was only staying ten days, so i had to choose which outings would be the most interesting for her to visit in such a short time. Also, my son was playing a rugby match in the next town, Limoux. To get to Limoux from here, you have to go through Carcassonne.

For those of you who have no idea of where Carcassonne is, here are brief directions ;

You go a good 1000 kilometers south from England to the Mediterranean sea. Then you turn right (you go west), when you reach Narbonne, which is about 80 kilometers north of the Spanish border. You can take the A61 motorway to Carcassonne (direction Toulouse), or if you want to go my boat, you can take the Canal du Midi, which is a whole review on it's own ;-) There is also a train station at Carcassonne, and an airport <Carcassonne Salvaza> which receives Ryan Air flights.

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◊ When we arrived (by car), near the <cité de Carcassonne>, we noticed that the only way to park near by, is to hope there is a spare parking space in one of the many over-crowded car parks. Of course, this will cost you a few euros. Not wanting to do like everyone else (that's just part of my awkward character), I decided I'd find a parking space for free further on, even if that meant walking, which, in such a beautiful place, and on such a beautiful day, is a real pleasure.

◊ We did notice the signposts all along the round about roads, pointing out that cars will be taken away by the police.
We parked about 500meters away, besides an old farm house. (amongst the cattle and the and the straw... lol! not really...)

◊ From a distance, you can see that the whole thing is built on a hill, overlooking the "modern" town of Carcassonne and the river "Aude", called l'Atax at that time. Carcassonne is strategically positioned between the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea, the "Montagnes Noir" and the Pyrenees.

◊ The first stunning thing about this "cité" is the fourteen fairy tale like towers, all held together by a 1600 meter long fortified outer wall. As we get closer, we can define the different types of materials used for this construction, as well as making out the renovated or original structures.

◊ As we get to the bottom of this impressive stone and brick rampart, we spot a small opening in the wall, and make our way under and through it, and find ourselves between the two fortified ramparts. This inner wall measures 1200 meters long, and contains many a treasure.

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◊ We get to the main tourist entrance "l'entrée Narbonnaise", by passing on the draw-bridge and through a huge door, which narrows into a small cobbled street.

◊ There are no facilities for wheelchairs, and i do think it would be a very difficult visit for anyone who is unstable on their feet.

◊ The crowd is instant... there are small souvenir shop on the left and right hand side, selling a whole array of different objects such as t-shirts, postcards, flags, stickers, maps, books, paintings, umbrellas, Celtic looking jewellery, daggers and knives, even swords and other battle like looking souvenirs.

◊ On top of the intense crowd, the occasional car tries to get through, which makes mini panic movements as people try to avoid getting run over. The width of the road being not so much larger than a small car. Now this must be a real nightmare for the restaurant deliveries and for those who live inside the "cité", when they get home with their shopping....

◊ We turned off this street at the first occasion, which was a small street on the left. Past a few more souvenir shops, and a couple of snack bars, we got to the village square named "la place Marcou". It's a real pleasure to see these quaint old houses around a shaded square, where restaurants have installed their terraces. It must be quite pleasant to have lunch here. Not this time for us, we'd already eaten.

◊ I must admit that i was pleasantly surprised to see that the prices practised in the shops and restaurants are about the same as here, even though "here" is not a tourist town, nor along the sea front. We even found that the postcards were actually cheaper.

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◊ Off, on the left side of the square, you can look out of the inner rampart, where you get a good overlooking view of the "Nabonnais" entrance, the draw-bridge and the outer wall.

◊ Back through the square, and out the other end, we arrived in front of the cathedral. The St. Nazaire et St. Cestre cathedral's construction started in 1096 (12th of June), and was finally completed after many interruptions, in the XVth century.

◊ The St. Nazaire et St. Cestre cathedral is quite a sight to see! The 22 huge stained glass windows, two of which are rosas, are immense and stunning. The monster like sculptured drain pipes, imagined to scar away the evil spirits, are really scary! Inside, there are 22, six meter high statues, leaning on the pillars. Unfortunately the cathedral was closed to visitors that day, so i didn't get to see the giants. Shame.

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◊ From there, we decided to take the path that runs between the two ramparts. Firstly, to get out of the crowd, but mostly to see the incredible view that the outer wall has to offer. This outer wall was the final construction to make the "cité" invincible. It was built between 1228 and 1245.

◊ What a view (see my photos below). We could make out the Pyrenees, with snow on the summits, and the "Canal du Midi", which is identifiable due to the double row of century old trees that shade the passage of the flat bottomed boats. We could see the town below, and the fields around it.

◊ Further along, you get to the castle itself... Le Château Comtal, 80 meters by 40 meters of crenels and pointed towers, majestic and superb.

◊ A nice stroll further, and many photos later, we'd come back to our starting point, and, although, we did miss out on seeing a good part of the village, our curiosity was satisfied and it was time to go and see my boys' match, so we decided to leave the rest for another day... completely out of season if possible, next time ;-)

We found our car, safe and sound!

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~~ A bit of Carcassonne's History ~~
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The first signs of civilization at Carcassonne go way back to the VIth century b.c.

In 122 b.c. The Romans ruled over Carcassone and the rest of the "Narbonnais" area.
In 70 b.c. They start building the "foundations"of the inner rampart, and the the Gallo-Roman towers.
In 350 a.d., the Francs battle for, and take the town briefly, before the Romans take it back. They decide to fortify the town.
In 436 a.d., the Visigoth take hold of Carcassonne.
In 584 a.d., the town is once again taken very briefly by the king Gontran, and re-gained by the king of the Visigoths, Reccared.
In the VIIth century, Carcassonne suffers attacks from the Saracens, and in 725, the Arabs move in.
In 759, Pépin le bref, Charlemagne's father, chases the Arabs out of the region, then called "la Septimanie", and over the Pyrenees.

The constructions took up again in the XIth century.
In 1082 Bernard Aton Trencavel, vicomte of Albi, Nîmes and Béziers, autoclaims himself vicomte of Carcassonne.
He installs commercial taxes of 50% on the benefits of all goods sold in the town. The Catharisme is applied.
1068, the Pope, Urbain II, blesses the materials which will be used to build the Cathedral
1130, the castle is built, and the ramparts renovated.
The 1st of August 1209, Carcassonne is attacked by the crusaders. Simon de Montfort imprisons Trencavel, who dies there soon after.
In 1248, St. Louis orders the construction of the outer wall.
Philippe III continues the works of his father during the war against Aragon.
The "Cité" became invincible.

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What else can you see and do in the <cité de Carcassonne>?
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▪▫► you can visit the castle by a horse-drawn carriage!
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phone / fax : 0468715457
e-mail : spidatel@cegetel.net
Website : www.carcassonne-caleche.com

this is a 20 minute ride around and between the ramparts of the fortified walls. There are multi lingual explanations.

▪▫►or by the little train (on wheels)
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phone : 0468244570 / 0608438806
fax : 0468244733

functional between May and September, the visit lasts approximately 20 minutes, and is explained in multi languages.

▪▫►You can sleep there ;
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۝ Hôtel le Donjon *** (Best Western)
Les remparts
2 rue du Comte Roger - La cité
11000 Carcassonne

phone : 0468112300 / fax : 0468250660
e-mail : info@bestwestern-donjon.com
Website : www.hotel-donjon.fr

or :

۝ Hôtel de la Cité **** (Oreint Express Hotels)
Place Auguste Pierre Pont - la Cité
11000 Carcassonne

phone : 0468719871 / fax : 0468715015
e-mail : reservations@hoteldelacite.com
Website : www.hoteldelacite.com/

▪▫►visit the castle :
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۝ Castle and ramparts
phone : 0468117070 / fax: 0468117071
Website : www.monuments.fr

▪▫►else you can go to the museum :
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۝ Museum of Cavalry, Arms and Archery
la Cité, Carcassonne

phone : 0468727551 or 0603841386
e-mail : intermusee@wanadoo.fr
Website : www.r-plus/carcassonne/

open daily from Easter to the beginning of November, except on mondays.
guided tours : 10.30 until 11am, and 3.30 until 4pm.
Prices : adults 5€, children 3€ , guided tou 7€

۝ The School Museum
3 rue du Plô - la Cité
11000 Carcassonne

tel : 0468259514
e-mail : musecole.carcas@tele2.fr

open all year around, except for January, from 10am until 6pm, or 7pm in the summer.
Prices : adults 4€, children 3€

▪▫►you can go to the theater!
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phone : 0468115915

▪▫►and if you want some general information, you can contact the Tourist Office :
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phone : 0468102430 / fax : 0468102438
e-mail : accueil@carcassonne-tourisme.com

▪▫►you can even visit the haunted house!
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phone : 0603741386

▪▫►As well as all of that, you can eat in one of the six restaurants or have a drink in one of the many bars.

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So that is about as much information that i found about, and experienced at Carcassonne. Take time to look at my photos, taken for you, my dear fellow Ciaonautes, with love ;-)

Thanks for reading,
(¯`•.¸ ♥ Squidge.♥ ¸.•´¯)

 

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