Carcassonne
The largest medieval city in Europe and World Heritage Site, breathtaking Carcassonne rises like a fairy-tale castle from the surrounding fields and forests. But its history is no fairy-tale, punctuated with fierce battles, sieges and crusades. Moving reminders of a troubled past abound in Carcassonne, but they never distract from the city’s stunning beauty of towering, turreted walls, graceful basilicas and narrow, winding streets of red-roofed stone houses.
- The Romanesque Château Comptal, home to the Trencavel family before they were removed in a brutal crusade against their perceived heresy.
- The Gothic Basilica de St Nazaire would have been the focal point for the city’s medieval populace, a monumental place of worship with amazing stained glass windows.
- Explore the Carcassonne area, dotted with grottos and caves, bustling market towns and curious circular villages, imposing castles and romantically ruined abbeys.
- Try delicious dishes and characteristic wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
