Carcassonne, France

Carcassonne is a town in southern France, located in the historic province of Languedoc, now the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

The first recorded traces of human presence in the Carcassonne area date back to 3500 BC. The lands of present-day Carcassonne were settled in the 6th century BC by the Iberian Celts. Later, in 100 BC, the Romans fortified the city and called it Julia Carsaco, which then passed into the name Carcasum. In 725 Carcasum was captured by the Saracens, and in 759 Pippin III incorporated it into the borders of the Frankish state.

The fortified town of Carcassonne stands majestically on a hill overlooking the surrounding picturesque countryside of the Languedoc with a stunning view of the distant Pyrenees. Carcassonne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its medieval walls were built on Roman foundations and underline its historical importance.

UNESCO also recognises the conservation work carried out in the 19th century by the architect Eugène Viollet le Duc. There was a concept to demolish the old town, but Carcassonne was saved from ruin thanks to a local campaign against this decision.

Many medieval French castles were not built as defensive structures but as pleasure palaces. But at Carcassonne Palace, one of the jewels of the town of the same name, was nevertheless built in the manner of the battlements on the Anglo-Scottish border. For centuries it remained impregnable to all enemy incursions.

Other things that would be of interest on a tour of Carcassonne are the walls, towers and basilica of Saint Nazarius, and the old merchant's house of Maison de Memoir.