Montagne Noire Gîte
in the South of France
Visit Carcassonne
The walled mediaeval cité of Carcassonne is one of France’s most popular tourist sites.
After falling into ruin when it became redundant as a fortress in the 17th century, it was rescued from destruction for building stone and restored, somewhat controversially, in the 19th century, initially by the architect Viollet-le-Duc.
At the western foot of La Cité, on the other side of the River Aude, is La Bastide Saint Louis - Carcassonne’s 'new' town which sprung up around the old fortress. It’s a vibrant town with impressive boulevards and and a dense maze of streets in the centre with architecture typical of the 18th and 19th centuries. At the heart of the town is Place Carnot, a large square with an ornate fountain at its centre surrounded by pavement cafés.
The Canal du Midi passes the northern edge of La Bastide, and there is a large canal basin in front of the railway station. Once the main thoroughfare for trade across the south of France, linking the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, today the Canal du Midi is used almost exclusively for leisure.
Carcassonne has grown to become an important regional centre, and is well connected geographically with an autoroute, a main line railway station and an international airport.
