Citè de Carcassonne

One of the highlights of our holiday in France was a visit to Citè de Carcassonne. It is another place we visited when our children were young. My Dad loved it, we have a lovely video of him walking round the cobbled streets with his stick.

Our son owns All Mana of Games and runs a table top focused social group which his girlfriend is also involved with. City de Carcassonne is one of their favourite games so they had an added interest to visit this amazing place.

The Cité is an UNESCO heritage site and dates back to pre-Roman times. Fortifications have been built here as it sits on an outcrop of rock overlooking the Aude valley and is a strategic location between the Mediterranean and Atlantic coast.

It has two enclosures that surround the houses, chateau and Gothic cathedral, these were first developed in the 13th century but after a fire in 1849 the Citè was extensively restored by Eugene Biollet-le-Duc in 1853 to 1879

The outer ramparts have 19 round towers and the inner has 26 such towers. The Citè would have been surrounded by a moat with two access points; Porte Narbonnaise which faces the Mediterranean and Porte de l'Aude to enter from the west. 

In 1096 Pope Urbsin II blessed the first stone laid for the cathedral, dedicated to Saint Michael it became a Basilica in 1898. The Cathedral has both Roman and Gothic features but the outstanding features for me is the stunning design glass window above the altar and the beautiful rose window.

We had a super time visiting Citè de Carcassonne, a day walking round this amazing mix of houses, hotels and towers remembering past times and making new memories to treasure.