Carcassonne

Well, I’ve heard that Carcassonne is a really beautiful city what with the fortifications and all. And I’ve read about it in Labyrinth, so that has to be a tiny reason why I want to go.

If you can, stay here overnight. During the day the streets are just packed but towards the end of the afternoon it empties out and then it’s fantastic to stroll around in the relatively-crowd free walled city.

The first time I saw the Citadel was from afar, and it looked like something out of a fairy tale. The huge fortress sits alone, surrounded by a high stone wall, towers, and looks like a painting. Once inside, you can walk around, shop for trinkets and eat at the many restaurants inside.

First off, getting there. The best way to get to Carcassone from the United States is to fly to Dublin and take a Ryan Air flight direct to Carcassonne.

I was blessed that a friend of mine worked nights @ Le Bar de Vin inside the walled city. My first experience in the city happened at 330 in the morning. I was one of maybe 10 people I saw walking the streets that early morning. It made for a unique experience no crowds, no loud noise. Completely different then the experience on Bastille day. Which is the Day to Visit. The fireworks display is unlike anything you will ever witness. Absolutely Spectacular. The more amazing part is how a town of 40,000 people holds 750,000 people.

If you’d like to experience a back-in-time trip, Carcassonne is the place to go! During summertime, it seems that everyone has kept their ancestors clothes and walk around in medieval attire!