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I have gone to Carcassonne so many times, I could walk in there with my eyes closed. This is our favorite place to go whenever we're in town. My family owns a property about 30 minutes away from Carcassonne, and we used to go there every summer growing up. It is as famous as the Mont Saint Michel. The medieval city of Carcassonne is inevitably the best place if you love castles and the medieval time. Here are the things you might find useful before traveling through time at the Medieval City of Carcassonne.
The Medieval city
When you get to the city, you first have to go over the portcullis. The city inside is almost exactly how it was during the Middle Age. The streets, the stores, the restaurants, the entertainments are all still from the medieval time. Sometimes, some actors are dressed up and might even play a little show in the streets. You can walk around everywhere for free, inside and around the inner wall. The best time to go is outside of the high season (summer), otherwise the narrow streets can get crowded quickly. You can also take a little train or a carriage with a guide that will drive you around the city. In Summer you can as well have a night visit in the city, which I think it’s nice because that means less crowded with people and cooler temperatures. To get Carcassonne Remparts and Castle skip-the-line tickets click here. To get a private guided tour ticket click here. To get a Day ticket for Carcassonne click here.
The castle
The castle there is open to visits. You do have to pay for an entry ticket. It is 9.50 euros for adults and free for 18 and under. You can walk around the castle and in most places inside. They have a lot of artifacts like pieces of the old walls and decorations, as well as some tombs. The awesome part of that visit in my opinion is the little movie you can watch in one of the rooms in the castle. It introduces you to the history of Carcassonne (I'm a history nerd) and gives you some fun facts about the castle and the medieval city. For example, Carcassonne was the first fortress to use hoardings. How cool is that!
The haunted house
This is the one thing we always do every single time we go to the medieval city. If you like the thrill and being chased by a scary hooded guy, this one's for you. It is usually very busy so keep in mind that you might not go inside right away. The lines can be long and you get an entry time. You usually go in groups, either your own group or other random people combined. They explain the rules before it starts. You pretty much have to walk around the haunted house. Each room has an animation happening and the doors open by themselves. You then have like 15 seconds to go to the next room, otherwise you are stuck in the same room and you'll have to go through the animation all over again. I wouldn't recommend it for kids under 10, though they say they have a soft version. A guy will try to chase you and scare you the entire ride. It's so fun!
The school museum
This is a fun little museum showing how the school system was between 1880 and 1960. In the five rooms you will have different classrooms that will show you different materials used during that time like the ink and the quill on old desks. It is 4 euros for the entrance ticket. It is such a fun little museum to go to with kids to show them how school used to be at the time. I am so glad that the school system has evolved since then though. The torture museum (the Inquisition museum) This is my second favorite thing to go to at Carcassonne. This museum exhibits how the Inquisition used to torture people from the Middle Ages to the French revolution. Some are very gruesome. I will always remember one instrument used to tighten the hands and feet, and people that were in it would not be able to move at all. Can you imagine being in that thing and you have an itch that you can’t get rid of? I would not recommend this museum for young kids, even if most of the exhibition is fake. One thing to note: the museum is in two parts, located in two different locations in the medieval city. One part will have the instruments of torture, the other part will have the dungeon. You can get a map at the entrance of the city to help you find them. The entrance tickets are 10.50 euros.
The restaurants
Something that you have to try in the southwest part of France is the "cassoulet". This dish is mainly made with white beans and duck meat. I absolutely love it! It's so delicious! The medieval city of Carcassonne has some good restaurants that serve cassoulet. I recommend "La Maison du Cassoulet". There are also some good stall-like places to just get treats like crepes, waffles, ice cream… When you plan on going to the Medieval city, you have to plan on staying all day!
The stores
We love going to all the stores in the city. They're all so fun to look around and even find an awesome souvenir to buy. Some will have toys for kids, handmade jewelry, or even some costumes. There is that one store that I have never been to inside, but the windows are so nice to look at. It has a very nice medieval themed chess game made out of stone. It's the biggest one I've ever seen, and it seriously looks so awesome. Even if you don't have the extra money to buy any souvenirs, the stores are just fun to enjoy.
The basilica of Saint-Nazaire
This one is a very cool (pun intended) basilica to visit. It's so cold inside!! It's so nice to visit in summer and get a break from the heat. It is known for its beautiful windows made with stained glass. It is a gothic and roman style church. The mass is on Sunday at 11 am and is open to the public from 9 am to 5:30 pm. It is such a magnificent basilica that can't be missed during your visit to Carcassonne. Plus it’s nice to go inside in summer to escape the heat for a moment.
The shows and events
There are so many things happening throughout the year at Carcassonne. In summer they have a show called the Knight tournaments. We absolutely loved it and it is great for kids too! My husband thought it was the coolest thing to see knights fight. They also have the Carcassonne festival in July that takes place outside the castle or in an outside amphitheater in the medieval city. They have concerts with French and international singers like James Blunt or Ben Harper. On the 14th of July (French Independence day) they have the most beautiful firework shows in France happening outside the walls of the medieval city. During Christmas time, Carcassonnne becomes magical. They have Christmas decorations up, markets, and lots of attractions. In September they have the Games festival where they have outside board games that are on the theme of the Middle Ages throughout the city. For more information on shows and events at the Medieval City go to https://www.tourisme-carcassonne.fr/en/highligths/.
Carcassonne is such a fun place to visit. We really love it because of how unique it is. It’s not everyday you can walk around an actual Medieval city. They really go over the top with all the events happening there. The food is so delicious (for those who like duck). The kids think it’s awesome (I mean, you can’t go wrong with knights and princesses). Let me know what you think next time you get a chance to see it with your own eyes. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
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AuthorMy name is Melanie Ashby. I am from France and I currently live in the US. Here are some tips about traveling to France from a French and an American perspective! Archives
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