Carcassonne

the impressive Midi Rose window.

the large organ of the basilica dates back to the 17th century.

it is hot, luckily there are ample watering holes.

here you can see the double walled structure.

this is the Porte d Aude entrance.

an empty moat, where has all the water gone? (there never was any)

from the castle you have a good view of the basilica.

the castle is heavily fortified.

the entrance to Chateau Comtal.

the basilica sports impressive waterspouts.

The Cite de Carcassonne is an old, heavily fortified citadel in the Occitanie region, located on the Aude River, just south of present day Carcassonne.

In the 8th century BC, an oppidum (fortified trade center) called Carsac, was built on the important trade route between Narbonne and Bordeaux.

The Romans captured the area in the 2d century BC and built their own fortified city called Carcaso close to Carsac, and eventually everybody moved to Carcaso.

After the fall of the Roman Empire the Visigoths ruled, then came the Moors and finally the Franks took over in 759.
In 1209, during the Albigensian Crusade, all Cathars were forcibly expelled from the city of Carcassonne.

Over the next centuries the Cite was turned into an unimpregnable fortress until in 1840 it was decided to demolish the decaying city.

Fortunately, this plan was reversed and the Cite was restored so that today about 4 million visitors a year come to admire this old city with Chateau Comtal and the Basilica St Nazaire (famous for the stained glass windows) as highlights.

We visited in May 2025.

a first glance of the old town of Carcassonne

we approach from the riverside on a small and steep cobble path.

outside the Basilica Saint Nazaire.

the church is famous for the stained glass windows.

a wider view over the Carcassonne area with the Eglise Saint Gimer in the forefront.

it features Christ in the center.