Perhaps more of a fortified town rather than a castle, the Cité de Carcassonne is one of the country’s oldest and most impressive fortifications. Due to its position on the historical routes across southern France the location has been occupied for more than 5,000 years.
Sections of the citadel’s walls date back to the heyday of the Roman Empire, and Visigoths occupied the structure during the 5th century. The castle’s successive rulers continued to improve the fortress until the 17th century when it began to fall into decay. A 19th-century restoration project of the Cité turned Carcassonne into a popular tourist destination. Guided tours take visitors into the citadel’s innermost chambers.
