Carcassonne, enjoying inside and outside the walls
FOR THE FIRST TIME , visitors who arrive for the first time to walk up and down the medieval citadel.
1. For the stones and their magnetic photogenicity
Well, yes, dear rookie, this is where you will get through the hundreds of stones placed in a rigging to form walls, ramparts, gates and other medieval-style buildings. Fuck modern! Even the cats have an old-fashioned look, just missing the full armor and sheathed sword. It is not bragging, even the most passionate about photography can get tired of taking millions and millions of gigabytes of photos of those towers in the background puncturing the horizon. And so, hours of comforting walks between doors (mandatory snapshot in the Narbonne and the Aude ), lectures and amateur skirmishes to conquer some old lookout post.
two. For the visit to the castle
The most outstanding intramural civil construction is quite well set up to receive visits. It is the castle , well separated by a ticket office (under 26 Europeans get in free) and a moat that puts a bit of order in so much chaos of alleys. And you have to go in to take a stroll through a space that was a palace, castle and fortification and also to learn that you are in front of a ne of the first restorations for tourist purposes in history . In the 19th century, a visionary like Eugène Viollet-le-Duc he was interested in knowing what the old impregnable citadel had been like, that resisted for so many centuries and that only progress brought it down. And for this he rebuilt it based on plans and historical documents. An exercise in pure romanticism that today the city is grateful for. Don't you see how picturesque he left her.
Aude Gate, Carcassonne
3. Through the nooks and crannies, the little shops and the good life
Given the success of Carcassonne among the mainstream, one would think that its narrow streets would be a hive of souvenir shops. And the truth is that there are quite a few, but not enough to cause **stupor at the sight of so many memories made in China **. It seems that Caracassonne has passed the fever and is now dedicated to claiming all the good things that this rich region has with gourmet shops where foie gras, wines and artisan pastries stand out and with small workshops of artisan artists. The rue Saint-Louis It is the main alternative route to plastic, with a last stop to -even if it is- have a coffee and feel like a prince in a bathing suit in the wonderful Hotel de la Cite .
Craft shops supersede plastic souvenirs
The little castle where you can sleep like a king
Four. By Saint Nazaire
Dear newbie, whatever you do will always end up entering the basilica . You don't have to be a big fan of architecture or a staunch parishioner to be fooled by what's under those different towers that make up the bell tower. The interior dazzles with its stained glass windows and serves, in a way, to satisfy the desire for great French-style cathedrals. It is true that it is not the peak of Carcassone's deflowering, but it does make it not a monotonous dalliance. It has an intriguing I-don't-know-what.
Saint Nazaire, you will always end up entering the basilica
FOR THE REPEATERS, those who want to get a less crowded impression of Carcassonne.
1. For the tour of the wall and the surprise of the theater
If you are careful and have enough patience to be well informed, you may not need a second visit to tour the wall. It is an itinerary that changes schedule every day and that serves to tour the walls guided by a talkative specialist . It's cool if it's done in Spanish (very occasionally). If not, you will always have to improve the languages trying to understand the peculiarities of each tower and discover a hidden corner to the general public. It's about the fantastic jean deschamps theater , headquarters of the summer festival where the magnificent acoustics, the good weather and the original situation are used to present theater, opera, circus and music. Snobbery at a good price (even free).
Walking the ramparts of Carcassonne
two. For the tasty gastronomy
So many visits so many low cost creperies and so many Sunday solutions of sandwiches and canteens overshadows a quite succulent gastronomic offer. The unavoidable dish is Cassoulette , a kind of bean stew but with duck made in a clay pot and with a very successful churruscadito finish. It is rich, it is traditional and it even has its own route throughout the region. Other specialties are game stews or Languedoc-style snails . All of them are recipes that cry out for a wine from the region (the magnificent Côtes de St-Mont or Côtes de Brulhois ) that helps digestion and nap.
Vineyards in Carcassonne
3. For extra reasons... walls
There is an innate tendency to discredit the rest of the city, which grew up outside the walls and where real life is made. And this is a serious mistake. Okay, it's normal that after so much about medieval excitement everything else seems little. But is not. The Bastide Saint-Louise It is a harmonious, orderly and friendly city with some monument worth visiting such as the Saint-Michel cathedral or the lively Place Carnot . The old bridge is the point of union with the past, a place of extreme beauty. Although, to be honest, the impressive picture is the one that is admired with the walled city behind. And then there's the midi canal , with its innocent river cruises that, as they pass through Carcassone, offer a peaceful walk flanked by trees whose branches fall like tears to the water.
Canal du Midi
Four. For the excursion to St. Hilaire
There are 24 kilometers that can be scary, but the path that leads to Saint Hilary's Abbey is a brief trailer of what is expected of a languedoc landscape . It is not necessary to do it on foot, there are ideal paths to do it on horseback or to follow the route by car, stopping every 5 minutes 'forced' by the deceitful views. This road, known as 'Stones and vines' crosses a sea of vineyards and flowering bushes and has its end point in San Hilario, a town with a beautiful monastery famous for the carvings of the Master Cabestany. But also a place where the best sparkling wine in the south of France is tasted: The Blanquette de Limoux , the oldest in the world. A very remarkable honor in the country of Champagne.
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The peaceful life of Carcassonne