What to see in Carcassonne, itinerary to visit the ancient fortified citadel, in the enchanting landscape of the Languedoc region, located in the south of France.
Tourist information
A splendid example of a fortified medieval village, Carcassonne is located in the Languedoc region, relevant from a landscape point of view and a very popular destination for those who decide to spend a few days of vacation in France.
Arriving in Carcassonne one has the feeling of going back in time, seeing the perfectly preserved turrets and ramparts of the fortress, in a dominant position on the lower city, subsequently built on the banks of the Aude river.
To many who come to this place it seems to live in a dream, imagining to see medieval characters who seem to come to meet to give their own personal welcome.
In the first century BC, Carcassonne was a colony of the Romans, who carried out the first defense works, continued by the Visigoths in the fifth century AD, then was conquered by the Saracens before passing under the Franks in the eighth century.
In the thirteenth century, during the reigns of San Luigi and Filippo l'Ardito, the city was completed.
In the following centuries the village was demolished and used as a building material by its inhabitants, only in the nineteenth century was the architect Violet-le-Duc commissioned to restore the fortified citadel to bring it back to its former glory.
What see
The village has an elliptical plan, with a double circle of walls and 52 towers.
Inside, closed to traffic, the 12th century Chateau Comtal, the Cathedral of St-Nazaire, with its Romanesque and Gothic interior, and the Roman Theater stand out.
Carcassonne is located in the center of a region rich in vineyards, very important for the production of wine, moreover the spectacular chain of the Pyrenees Mountains completes the magnificent landscape.
