Originally we thought we'd walk up to the fortified "Cite", but after considering traffic, weather (warm temperatures) and the long steep incline, we opted for the city bus for 2 euros round trip. The bus meandered through several streets and began its climb, curving around narrow lanes as we held our breath passing cars, trucks and vans - on two-way streets! That part of the adventure over, we arrived to "Le Cite"....amazing with breathtaking views. We walked and walked, stared into storefronts full of delectable sweets, perused menus, admired hand made items and marveled at it all as we walked the cobbled streets. The ramparts protect the village within and then there is the castle. The village has plenty of shops, a hotel or two and no shortage of places to eat. We found a cute little place to eat with a hidden garden tucked behind a stone wall entrance and enjoyed the menu of the day. During the earlier part of the day, we opted to take a tour of the castle and took as many pictures as I could to share. The tour of the castle is not for everyone, it seemed as if the entire tour was up another set of steps - and not just little steps - steps with huge risers. Not sure how the people of the Middle Ages (who were shorter than today's average) could climb those stairs, in full armor and/or carrying weapons! But it was all worth it - the tour was well worth every step!
Should you ever find yourself in SW France, whether visiting by cruise ship, river boat or self-drive boating vacation, Carcassonne should be on your "must see" list. There is a tremendous amount of history there - not just of military fortifications, but of religious persecution. (Several years ago I read a really good book about the massacre at Beziers (near Carcassonne) and the Crusade against the Cathars - The Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. The story line is terrific and goes between 1209 and 2005!)
Well, enjoy the visit to Carcassonne via my video of photos!
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