It’s been on her bucket list for years and this summer Sarah Hardy finally made it to Carcassonne in southern France. Did it live up to her high hopes?
Carcassonne has, for some reason, always intrigued me. Set in deepest southern France, I just found the idea of its medieval citadel, La Cite, all battlements and watchtowers set on a hill, fairytale-ish in its appeal. But I just couldn’t quite picture how it all worked – what was the size of it, how did it feel inside the fortifications and, basically, was it as good as the pictures looked? And, for all you cynics out there, were the 19th century restorations any good?
There is no particular reason why it’s taken me years to get there. For a start it is relatively easy and cheap to visit, with regular, direct flights from Stansted airport with Ryanair.
But, this was the summer that my husband and I finally went. I did my homework, reading Kate Mosse’s trilogy of thrillers, starting with Labyrinth, and was ready to be impressed.
There are two distinctive areas to the city: the aforementioned La Cite, a Unesco World Heritage site since 1997, perched on a little hill and dating from Roman times. It is separated from the newer, 13th century Bastide Saint Louis area, by the River Aude and reached by crossing the Point-Vieux. It is indeed a photographer’s dream, and a joy to simply potter about the alleyways and squares, marvelling at architecture.
Be sure to go on a tour of the huge Château Comtal, built on Roman foundations in the 12th century by the Trencavel family and restored by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 1800s. And walk in the Lices, a path that meanders round between the inner and outer fortifications, and enjoy glimpses of the countryside through narrow window slits and panoramic views of the Pyrenees.
Apart from just wallowing in the sheer spectacle of the place, there are plenty of shops to browse around and more than enough restaurants and bars to try. We liked L’Escargot with its good wine list and tapas, and the newish food court, with about 10 different eating options, and a couple of bars, was the trendy place, with a resident DJ, squidgy sofas and a very glam clientele.
It can get more than a little busy so escape across the river to the ‘lower city’, where Place Carnot is at the heart of things and is the place to enjoy yet more café culture. Crepes are popular – try Creperie Le Ble Noir – and just about everywhere does their own version of cassoulet, that classic French dish which was too heavy for me in the height of summer. But I did enjoy Jardin d’ete and it gorgeous tree-lined garden, set in the foothills of the medieval city, with its delicate fish dishes and great crème brûlée.
Place Carnot has a wonderful fruit and veg market, three mornings a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). We simply drooled over the apricots, cherries, peaches and more, with super fresh herbs like mint, parsley and coriander filling the air with gorgeous scents. And, as for the cheeses on offer? Well!
The city also boasts a daily indoor fish and meat market, Les Halles, which again offers a
It’s also an area for quirky speciality shops – I saw one selling antique clocks, one straw hats and another vintage wedding dresses.
We enjoyed flying about the city on our bikes, weaving, no doubt somewhat dangerously, in and out of the traffic, and being able to access all areas and, of course, park up for free – and close to where we wanted to be.
We also spent a very pleasant afternoon cycling alongside the Canal du Midi, a 200-mile odd waterway and another Unesco World Heritage site, running from Toulouse to the Med. Fortunately there are regular bars, often in the former lock keepers’ houses, where you can stop for a drink and meal.
Also nearby, about eight miles from the city, is the manmade Cavayere Lake with beaches, water sports, cycling trails and more – a very pleasant space for some R&R, and you obviously are in fabulous vineyard territory, the Minervois to the north, and the rugged Corbières to the south, with most domaines open to the public for sampling and buying!
Finally, head towards the village of Lastours, 10 miles north of Carcassonne. Up here, in the Black Mountains, you will spot four mythical-looking Cathar castles (the Cathars were a medieval Christian sect) which have clung to the hillside through raids and sieges for 10 centuries.
All in all, it’s more than fascinating and evocative and for a closet history geek like me, hard to better! And it certainly didn’t disappoint.
Carcassonne Festival takes place each July and sees numerous events and activities, both free and paid for, happenings all over the city. Dance, jazz, stand up comedy and classical music are all on offer.
Splash out and stay at five star Hotel de la Cite, in the medieval quarter. Its position is hard to beat and there’s a swimming pool!
Read the article on the Feast Norfolk website: https://www.feastnorfolkmagazine.co.uk/the-magazine/latest-editions/issue-39-september-2019/