Medieval City of Carcassonne Walking Tour (Self Guided), Carcassonne

A pig full of wheat was thrown off the battlements. The lady commanding the fortress was a Muslim. The besieging Christians knew Muslims do not eat pig. What is more, the defenders must have plenty of food if they could feed wheat to a pig and throw it over the walls. The siege had lasted five years. The attackers were starving. They left.

Many stories are told about the fortified medieval citadel in the French city of Carcassonne. It looms on the east bank of the river Aude. The fortress city was founded in Roman times. Walls, towers and barbicans have been added to and improved over time. Today it looks as it did centuries ago.

The citadel, or Cite, as it is known locally, is wrapped in two concentric stone walls that stretch around it for two miles. There are 52 towers with pointed Gothic or slanted Roman roofs. In the surrounding vineyards comes the scent of pine, spices and flowers. This is the garrigue, the scent of southern France.

The Cite is the largest and best preserved medieval fortress in Europe. Within its walls are churches, a basilica, a castle and a meandering maze of cobbled streets lined with ancient buildings and squares. Not to be missed are Basilica Saint Nazaire, the count's castle, the Narbonnaise Gate and the Museum of the Inquisition.

Auto traffic is essentially banned in the Cite but Parking is available near the Narbonne Gate or Aude Gate.

Gustave Nadaud, a French poet wrote about Carcassonne:
"My prayer will ne'er fulfilment know
I never have seen Carcassonne,
I never have seen Carcassonne!"

Don't grieve like Gustave, see the walls and Towers of Carcassonne.