Carcassone

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We arrived at Carcassone late in the afternoon, and probably made a foolish decision to walk up the hill (Kansas mountain) to the fortress. It was a very long walk, involving marital snarkiness. Finally we reached the top; at least one mile and possibly two.

I have wanted to visit Carcassone for a very long time. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site because there are so many intact medieval buildings inside the old walled city. Printed guides claim it is worth it to spend the night inside the old city walls because the town retains its character after all the tourists have left for the day. This is very true. We entered the main gate after the last busses were pulling out of the parking lot. The rest of the night was charming.

Carcassone has some structures dating from as early as the 9th century, although many date from the 13th. The town was located on the shortest land route between the Mediterranean sea and the Atlantic, and its industry was fullering wool, so it had a degree of prosperity. In the 12th century, the area was a hotbed for Cathars, a Catholic sect which the French king considered heretics. The biggest problem was that they were wealthy, sassy folk. Over the course of 20 years or so, the old city was turned over to the French king. The fortressed enclave we see today is one of the best preserved examples of a medieval city anywhere. It is magnificent.

We choose a restaurant along the fortress ramparts for our evening meal (cassoulet of duck and pork), sitting next to a Scottish couple with whom we had a pleasant conversation. There are a great many British tourists in France just now. Then we wrapped up the evening with a stroll along the city ramparts until the night closed in. Almost no tourists. This was the reason we decided to spend more than usual on the hotel, to experience the town in a quiet fashion. It was worth it.

The following morning we rose early and got in line at the fortress, now operated as a museum. The tourist hordes had already descended on the town; we decided spending money on a hotel inside the old city walls had been a good decision; because we got to see it at its best the night before. It reminded me a bit of Mont St Michel--a crush of people, all taking photos of the same scenes and not really thinking about anything they saw. So many people, and we were happy to leave. But I am glad I got to see Carcassone at it's best.

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Photos

Carcassone
View of the old city walls.

Fortress
View from the fortress ramparts at Carcassone

Dinner
Cassoulet at Carcassone