One Summer in Europe - Hidden gem #3 - Carcassonne, France | One Summer in Europe

Hidden gem #3 – Carcassonne

Posted on 23. Aug, 2009 by Ryan in Sights and Sounds

Our latest episode features Nice/French Riviera, which is a natural next destination for those exiting Spain via Barcelona. However, castle lovers and history buffs might want to consider breaking the 9-10 hour Barcelona-Nice train ride into two more or less equal segments, with a visit to the stunning fortified town of Carcassonne in southern France.

Simply put, along with Dubrovnik in Croatia, Carcassonne is the most spectacular and impressive fortified town in Europe and quite possibly the world.

The fortified medieval town of Carcassonne, France

People have settled in this fertile region for over 5000 years and quite naturally, for defensive purposes, quickly concentrated their activity on the most prominent hill. Fortifications were built up over the centuries, initiated by the Romans and continuing during the first millennium AD. Various attempts by ambitious warriors were made to conquer this nearly impregnable city but almost always failed. The most famous and dramatic history of the castle involves the Cathar period of the 11-13th centuries and the resulting anti-Cathar Albigensian Crusade in which many thousands of “heretic” Cathars were killed in the name of French Catholicism.

Eventually the enlargement of the French nation in the 16-17th centuries made Carcassonne less strategically important and the fortified town on the hill was practically abandoned and nearly demolished in the name of progress. But fortunately it was saved and restored to its present magnificence.

Carcassonne makes a great one-night stop, spending 5-6 hours inside the fortified town up on the hill and then enjoying an evening in the pleasant modern town below. It makes an interesting contrast to the upscale atmosphere of the French Riviera that awaits.