Carcassonne (Part 10, France)

Even in Roman times, a fortress wall stood in what is now Carcassonne. However, the famous silhouette of the city, which rose before us as we approached, was created much later.

Carcassonne was once located on the border between France, Spain, and Occitania. As a result, the fortress was repeatedly expanded and reinforced.

Inside the walls, one actually feels transported back to the Middle Ages - if it weren't for the numerous restaurants, souvenir shops, tourists, and school groups.

Today, only 30 people live in the city, but 3 million tourists visit the city every year. Since we were there in May - and not in summer - the number of visitors was still manageable, and we weren't just pushed through the narrow streets.

We visited the interior of the castle, which received its current appearance during a restoration in the 19th century.

It is said that not only historical accuracy was taken into account during the restoration, but also a tower or two that the architects liked and appeared medieval was added.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed the tour of the well-preserved complex and the view from the battlements.

Once, Carcassonne was also an episcopal see, as evidenced by the former cathedral and the old bishop's palace.

In this area, the 'Cathar Movement' was also widespread and was fought as heresy by the church. Today, there are still inquisition and torture museums in the city, but we didn't visit them due to bad experiences with small museums in highly touristy places...

In the evening, we visited the wine cellars of the company 'Les Jamelles' in Barbaira, as an old friend works there. After a wine tasting, we were invited to a cozy barbecue evening, allowing us to experience French hospitality.