La Cité Médiévale of Carcassonne.
A medieval town still inhabited, has 52 towers and 2 concentric walls totaling 3km of ramparts. the Narbonnaise Gate and the Aude Gate, and a large part of the Medieval City is free to visit.
Take a journey back to 2,500 years ago. Built at the top of a hill, the Medieval City dominates the whole city and is said to be one of the best preserved medieval cities in the world. Stroll through its charming streets and alleys for a real immersion into the Middle Ages.
Discover the architectural gems of the Medieval City of Carcassonne by walking along the streets and ramparts. Don’t hesitate to get lost and wander around to discover as much as possible. The history of Carcassonne echoes off the cobblestones and you will feel the medieval atmosphere getting stronger as you go deeper into the heart of the city. Don’t hesitate to walk in the Lices, an area set up between the two ramparts allowing you to discover the different characters of the military architecture and to take advantage of the superb viewpoints on the mountains and the Bastide Saint Louis. The string of towers is truly impressive.
With its typically medieval appearance, the City has been the setting for many film shoots and offers magnificent views of the ramparts and the Bastide Saint-Louis. At the end of the day it is the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Get your cameras out and enjoy!
The Legend of Dame Carcas
“During the Saracen occupation, the Emperor Charlemagne laid siege to the town of Carcassonne. The Saracen king Ballak was killed and it was left to his wife, Dame Carcas, to intervene to save her people.
After five years of siege the last defenders died of starvation, so Dame Carcas set up dummies made of straw and shot crossbow bolts at the besieging army to make it look as there were still plenty of defenders.
All that was left in the city to feed the population was one small pig and a measure of wheat. She decided to force-feed her pig with the remaining wheat and to throw it over the ramparts.
Upon hitting the ground, the pig burst open and from its torn belly came a flood of fine wheat.
Charlemagne immediately raised a siege that served no purpose: there was so much wheat in Carcassonne that they fed the pigs with it! Before the great army left, Dame Carcass called back Charlemagne to make peace. She ordered the trumpets to be sounded – in French, “Carcas sonne”. And so the emperor turned back to receive her allegiance!“
And that is how Dame Carcas saved her people and the town came to be called Carcassonne. You can see the stone carving of her at the Narbonnaise Gate.