France

Carcassonne France Medieval city

We went and explored the historic fortified city of Carcassonne in the southern part of France. We began by walking along the Roman bridge towards the fortified walled city.

View of the walled city from the Roman bridge.
View of the fortified city

Carcassonne was of a key strategic importance  between historic trade routes, linking the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea.  It has a very long history that dates back to around 3500 BC when the first signs of a settlement was established.  In 100 BC the Roman empire recognized the strategic importance of the area and began fortifying the hilltop. The hilltop eventually became a rural settlement and later under the control of Julia Carsaco. Eventually the name changed over time to Carcassonne.

The main gate entrance with draw bridge behind it.

The castle itself possesses its own drawbridge and ditch leading to a central area of the castle.

The draw bridge section into the main fortified city.

The fortified city consists of two outer walls with a total of 53 towers and fortified outpost to prevent attack. The walls consist of towers built over the years.

View of the outer wall fortification with a sentinel tower

We could see the different styles in the construction some were Roman and is notably different from the medieval walls.

One of these towers housed the Catholic Inquisition in the 13th century and is still known as “The Inquisition Tower”.

We explored the inner city and enjoyed walking along the narrow streets with unique shops and restaurants. 

One of the many narrow streets inside the walled city

We walked the walls of the city exploring the different towers along the way.

Shelley and Ray on the walls of Carcassonne
Shelley and Ray on one of the sentinel lookout towers in Carcassonne

We had great views of the surrounding areas of the city.

View of the outer wall and the rolling hills of the countryside

There was views that overlooked the outer areas of the fortified city while other views overlooked the inner city. Both were tremendous and beautiful in their own way.

View of the city of Carcassonne
View of the Cathedral from the walls of the city.
View of the inner portion of the walled city.

We spent the entire day walking throughout this amazing walled city. There was so much history and unique things to see. There was even a Roman Amphitheater within the walled city.

The Amphitheater in the walled city of Carcassonne

We thoroughly enjoyed this UNESCO world heritage site . It is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defences encircling the castle. Here are a few pictures of the castle and walled city. It was well worth exploring this city.

“Certes, voyager est plus que voir des sites touristiques ; c’est un changement qui s’opère, profond et permanent, dans les idées de vivre. “– Miriam Barbe