Carcassonne is a fairy-tale fortress

Nov 19 2010 By Diane Parkes

The impregnable walled city of Carcassonne has lowered its defences to welcome visitors, writes Diane Parkes.

For centuries invaders failed to breach the mighty walls of the fortress city of Carcassonne – but our driver seems to be making a pretty good go at it.

With sensors bleeping into distraction, he successfully negotiates the tightest of moat bridges and heads into the winding lanes. Tourists hug the medieval walls and stare in wonder and disbelief as we turn the narrowest of corners.

And as our car works its way through a double bended gateway I feel myself cowering back from the walls just in case.

But seconds later we pull up, safe and sound, outside the Hotel de la Cite in the heart of the citadel.

The hotel is a relatively new addition, built in 1909 on the site of a former Bishop’s Palace, and it lies less than a minute away from many of Carcassonne’s main sights including the Basilica of St Nazaire, the Chateau and the double ramparts.

The cite’s impressive inner defensive walls were built in medieval times with the outer walls added by the French in the 13th century. In fact the defences were so impregnable that the cite died on its feet as traders upped sticks and moved to the new city, known as ville basse, which abuts it.

From the 1850s the cite was restored under an ambitious project lead by one architect, Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, and it now resembles a fairy-tale castle with conical turrets and dramatic gateways.

What is particularly attractive about the cite of Carcassonne is that it is so small. Its narrow winding streets constantly lead you back towards the ramparts, which can be walked, or into nooks and crannies filled with stores selling the local fare – delicate lace pillows, bags of Provencal herbs or, the children’s favourite, plastic swords.

These alleyways suddenly break out into sun-filled squares where you can put your feet up with a glass of local wine or enjoy a cassoulet, the traditional stew.