Albi • Carcassonne • Collioure
From the 10th to the 13th century, this mighty and independent region controlled most of southern France. The ultimate in mean-spirited crusades against the Cathars (or Albigensians) began here in 1208, igniting Languedoc-Roussillon’s meltdown and eventual incorporation into the state of France.
The name languedoc comes from the langue (language) that its people spoke: Langue d’oc (“language of Oc,” Oc for the way they said “yes”) was the dialect of southern France; langue d’oïl was the dialect of northern France (where oïl later became oui, or “yes”). Languedoc-Roussillon’s language faded with its power.
The Moors, Charlemagne, and the Spanish have all called this area home, with the Roussillon part corresponding closely with its Catalan corner, near the border with Spain. The Spanish influence is still muy present, particularly in the south, where restaurants serve paella and the siesta is still respected.
While sharing many of the same attributes as Provence (climate, wind, grapes, and sea), this sunny, intoxicating, southwesternmost region of France is allocated little time by most travelers. Lacking Provence’s cachet and sophistication, Languedoc-Roussillon (long-dohk roo-see-yohn) feels more real. Pay homage to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in Albi; spend a night in Europe’s greatest fortress city, Carcassonne; scamper up to a remote Cathar castle; and sift through sand in Collioure. That wind you feel is called la tramontane (trah-mohn-tahn-yuh), this region’s version of Provence’s mistral wind.
Albi or Puycelsi make a good day or overnight stop between the Dordogne region and Carcassonne (figure about two autoroute hours from Albi to either place; Puycelsi is 40 minutes closer to the Dordogne). Plan your arrival in popular Carcassonne carefully: Get there late in the afternoon, spend the night, and leave no later than 11:00 the next morning to miss most day-trippers. Collioure lies a few hours from Carcassonne and is your Mediterranean beach-town vacation from your vacation, where you’ll want two nights and a full day. To find the Cathar castle ruins and the village of Minerve, you’ll need wheels of your own and a good map. If you’re driving, the most exciting Cathar castles—Peyrepertuse and Quéribus—work well as stops between Carcassonne and Collioure on a scenic drive. No matter what kind of transportation you use, Languedoc-Roussillon is a logical stop between the Dordogne and Provence—or on the way to Barcelona, which is just over the border.
Albi, Carcassonne, and Collioure are all accessible by train, but a car is essential for seeing the remote sights. Pick up your rental car in Albi or Carcassonne, and buy Michelin Local maps #344 and #338. Roads can be pencil-thin, and traffic slow.
For a scenic one-hour detour route connecting Albi and points north (such as the Dordogne), take D-964 from Gaillac to the villages of Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Puycelsi, and Bruniquel; from there, follow Caussade signs to pick up the A-20 autoroute (from here, it’s 30 minutes north to Cahors, and another 30 minutes to the exit for Sarlat or Rocamadour). With a bit more time, tie the same towns in with Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val (D-5 and D-926), see “Route of the Bastides” on here). If you really want to joyride, take a half-day drive through the glorious Lot River Valley via Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Cajarc, and St-Cirq-Lapopie (see the Dordogne chapter).
Hearty peasant cooking and full-bodied red wines are Languedoc-Roussillon’s tasty trademarks. Be adventurous. Cassoulet, an old Roman concoction of goose, duck, pork, mutton, sausage, and white beans, is the main-course specialty. You’ll also see cargolade, a satisfying stew of snail, lamb, and sausage. Local cheeses are Roquefort and Pelardon (a nutty-tasting goat cheese). Corbières, Minervois, and Côtes du Roussillon are the area’s good-value red wines. The locals distill a fine brandy, Armagnac, which tastes just like cognac and costs less.
Remember, restaurants serve only during lunch (11:30-14:00) and dinner (19:00-21:00, later in bigger cities); some cafés serve food throughout the day.
Albi, an enjoyable river city of sienna-tone bricks, half-timbered buildings, and a marvelous traffic-free center, is worth a stop for two world-class sights: its towering cathedral and the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. Lost in the Dordogne-to-Carcassonne shuffle and overshadowed by its big brother Toulouse, unpretentious yet dignified Albi rewards the stray tourist well. For most, Albi works best as a day stop, though some will be smitten by its red-brick charm and lured into spending a night.
Albi’s cathedral is home base. For our purposes, all sights, pedestrian streets, and hotels fan out from here and are less than a 10-minute walk away. The Tarn River hides below and behind the cathedral. The best city view is from the 22 Août 1944 bridge. Albi is dead quiet on Sundays and Monday mornings.
There are two TIs in Albi. The main TI is on the square in front of the cathedral, next to the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum (mid-June-Sept Mon-Sat 9:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-12:30 & 14:00-18:30; Oct-mid-June Mon-Sat 9:00-12:30 & 14:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-12:30 & 14:00-17:00; free Wi-Fi, tel. 05 63 49 48 80, www.albi-tourisme.fr). A second TI is in the Grand Théâtre building just off Place Lapérouse on Avenue du Général de Gaulle (you can’t miss the wild bronze walls and windscreen; mid-June-Sept Mon-Sat 10:30-17:30, Sun 10:30-12:30 & 14:00-17:30; Oct-mid-June Mon 14:00-17:00, Tue-Sat 10:30-12:30 & 14:00-17:00, closed Sun). Both sell a combo-ticket that includes the Toulouse-Lautrec museum and the cathedral choir for €12 (saves €2). Ask about concerts, and pick up a map of the city center, the walking-tour brochure, and the map of La Route des Bastides Albigeoises (hill towns near Albi). You can download a free, 19-minute English audio tour of the city’s monuments and old town from the TI website.
By Train: There are two stations in Albi; you want Albi-Ville (see “Helpful Hints” for baggage storage). It’s a level 15-minute walk to the town center: Exit the station, take the second left onto Avenue Maréchal Joffre, and then take another left on Avenue du Général de Gaulle. Go straight across Place Lapérouse and find the traffic-free street to the left that leads into the city center. This turns into Rue Ste. Cécile, which takes you to my recommended hotels and the cathedral.
By Car: Follow Centre-Ville and Cathédrale signs (if you lose your way, follow the tall church tower). For a free parking lot close to the old city, follow signs for Cathédrale parking along Boulevard Général Sibille. There are also handy pay garages under the market hall (Marché Couvert) and Place du Vigan. If you find a spot on the street, remember parking meters are free 12:00-14:00 & 19:00-8:00, and all day Sunday; otherwise pay by the hour with coins.
Market Days: The beautiful Art Nouveau market hall, a block past the cathedral square, hosts a market daily except Monday (8:00-14:00). A farmers’ market is held Saturdays outside the market hall.
Internet Access: The main TI has free Wi-Fi, as do many cafés.
Baggage Storage: The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum has large lockers accessible only during the museum’s open hours.
Groceries: Carrefour City is across from the recommended Hôtel Lapérouse (Mon-Sat 7:00-22:00, Sun 9:00-13:00, 14 Place Lapérouse).
Laundry: Do your washing at Lavomatique, above the river at 10 Rue Emile Grand (daily 7:00-21:00).
Taxi: Call Albi Taxi Radio, mobile 06 12 99 42 46.
Tourist Train: Le Petit Train leaves from Place Ste. Cécile in front of the cathedral and makes a 45-minute scenic loop around Albi (€6.50).
Everything of sightseeing interest is within a few blocks of the towering cathedral. (I’ve included walking directions to connect some of the key sights.) Get oriented in the main square (see map; remember that you can download a free audio tour from the TI’s website).
Grab a bench on the far side of Place Ste. Cécile. With the church directly in front of you, the bishop’s palace (along with the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, river view, and TI) is a bit to the right. The market hall is a block behind you on your right.
Why the big church? At its peak, Albi was the administrative center for 465 churches. Back when tithes were essentially legally required taxes, everyone gave their 10 percent, or “dime” (pron. “deem”), to the church. The local bishop was filthy rich, and with all those dimes, he had money to build a dandy church. In medieval times, there was no interest in making a space so people could step back and get a perspective on such a beautiful building. A clutter of houses snuggled right up to the church’s stout walls, and only in the 19th century were things cleared away. Just in the past few years the cars were also cleared out (another triumph for pedestrians).
Why so many bricks? Because there were no stone quarries nearby. Albi is part of a swath of red-brick towns from here to Toulouse (nicknamed “the pink city” for the way its bricks dominate that townscape). Notice on this square the buffed brick addresses next to the sluggish stucco ones. As late as the 1960s, the town’s brickwork was considered low-class and was covered by stucco. Today, the stucco is being peeled away, and Albi has that brick pride back.
When the heretical Cathars were defeated in the 13th century, this massive cathedral was the final nail in their coffin. Big and bold, it made it clear who was in charge. The imposing exterior and the stunning interior drive home the message of the Catholic (read: “universal”) Church in a way that would have stuck with any medieval worshipper. This place oozes power—get on board, or get run over.
Cost and Hours: Church interior—free, daily May-Oct 9:00-18:30, Nov-April 9:00-13:15 & 14:00-18:30. Once inside, you’ll pay €5 to enter the choir (worthwhile, includes audioguide for entire church). The choir opens at 9:30, and its last entry time is one hour before the church (on Sun it’s closed from 10:15 until Mass is over—usually 14:00). The treasury (a single room of reliquaries and church art) is not worth the €2 fee or the climb (€6 combo-ticket with choir).
Organ Concerts: From mid-July to mid-August, there are often concerts at the cathedral on Wed, and at St. Salvy Church on Sun (both at 16:00, ask TI for schedule).
Self-Guided Tour: Visit the cathedral using the following commentary.
• Begin facing the...
Exterior: The cathedral looks less like a church and more like a fortress. That’s because it was a central feature of the town’s defensive walls. Notice how high the windows are (out of stone-tossing range). The simple Gothic style was typical of this region—designed to be sensitive to the anti-materialistic tastes of the local Cathars.
The top (from the gargoyles and newer, brighter bricks upward) is a fanciful, 19th-century, Romantic-era renovation. The church was originally as plain and austere as the bishop’s palace (the similar, bold brick building to the right, now housing the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum). Imagine the church with a rooftop more like that of the bishop’s palace.
• Circle around the left side, and climb up to the extravagant Flamboyant Gothic...
Entry Porch: The entry was built about two centuries after the original plain church (1494), when concerns about Cathar sensitivities were long passé. Originally colorfully painted, it provided one fancy entry.
• Head into the cathedral’s...
Interior: The inside of the church—also far from plain—looks essentially as it did in 1500. The highlights are the vast Last Judgment painting (west wall, under the organ) and the ornate choir (east end).
• Walk to the front of the altar and face the...
Last Judgment: The oldest art in the church (1474), this is also the biggest Last Judgment painting from the Middle Ages. The dead come out of the ground, then line up (above) with a printed accounting of their good and bad deeds displayed in ledgers on their chests. Judgment, here we come. Those on the left (God’s right) look confident and comfortable. Those on the right—the hedonists—look edgy. Get closer. Below, on both sides of the arch, are seven frames illustrating a wonderland of gruesome punishments sinners could suffer through while attempting to earn a second chance at salvation. Those who fail end up in the black clouds of Hell (upper right). The assembly above the risen dead (on the left) shows the heavenly hierarchy: The pope and bishops sit closest to the center; then more bishops and priests—before kings—followed by monks; and then, finally, commoners like you and me.
But where’s Jesus—the key figure in any Judgment Day painting? The missing arch in the middle (cut out in late-Renaissance times to open the way to a new chapel) once featured Christ overseeing the action. Go back to the last pew and find the black-and-white image on a small stand. The picture provides a good guess at how this painting would have looked—though no one knows for sure. To learn more about the Last Judgment, tour the choir (described below), which includes an audioguide with commentary on the painting.
The altar in front of the Last Judgment is the newest art in the church. But this is not the front of the church at all—you’re facing west. Turn 180 degrees and head east, for Jerusalem (where most medieval churches point).
• Stop first in front of the choir—a fancy, more intimate room within the finely carved stone “screen.”
The Choir: In the Middle Ages, nearly all cathedrals had ornate Gothic choir screens like this one. These highly decorated walls divided the church into a private place for clergy and a general zone for the common rabble. The screen enclosed the altar and added mystery to the Mass. In the 16th century, with the success of the Protestant movement and the Catholic Church’s Counter-Reformation, choir screens were removed. (In the 20th century, the Church took things one step further, and priests actually turned and faced their parishioners.) Later, French Revolutionary atheists destroyed most of the choir screens that remained—Albi’s is a rare survivor.
Pay €5 to stroll around the choir (excellent audioguide included, follow the English diagram). You’ll see colorful Old Testament figures along the Dark Ages exterior columns and New Testament figures in the enlightened interior. Stepping inside the choir, marvel at the fine limestone carving. Scan each of the 72 unique little angels just above the wood-paneled choir stalls. Check out the brilliant ceiling, which hasn’t been touched or restored in 500 years. A bishop, impressed by the fresco technique of the Italian Renaissance, invited seven Bolognese artists to do the work. Good call.
• Exit through the side door, next to where you paid for the choir. You’ll pass a WC on your way to the...
The Palais de la Berbie (once the fortified home of Albi’s archbishop) has the world’s largest collection of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings, posters, and sketches.
Cost and Hours: €9; July-Sept daily 9:00-18:00; June daily 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00; April-May and Oct daily 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00—but closed Tue in Oct; Nov-March Wed-Mon 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:30, closed Tue; audioguide-€4 (for most, the printed English explanations are sufficient), lockers for day packs-€1; Place Ste. Cécile, tel. 05 63 49 48 70, www.musee-toulouse-lautrec.com.
Background: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, born here in 1864, was crippled from youth. After he broke his right leg at age 13 and then his left leg the next year (probably due to a genetic disorder), the lower half of his body stopped growing. His father, once very engaged in parenting, lost interest in his son. Henri moved to the fringes of society, where he gained an affinity for people who didn’t quite fit in. He later made his mark painting the dregs of the Parisian underclass with an intimacy only made possible by a man with his life experience.
Visiting the Museum: From the turnstile, walk down a few steps and enter the main floor collection. Every room has information sheets in English.
The first room is filled with portraits of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec painted by other artists. In the next sections we see his earliest classical paintings, horses, and his boyhood doodles. I especially like the dictionary he scribbled all over as a schoolkid. In the 1880s, Henri was stuck in Albi, far from any artistic action. During these years, he found inspiration in nature, in the pages of magazines, and by observing people. This was his Impressionistic stage—find Cheval de Trait à Céleyran (in the third section) for a good example.
Next, go down a few more steps and see his most famous stuff, his paintings of the prostitutes and brothels of Paris. In 1882, Henri moved to the big city to pursue his passion. In these early Paris works, we see his trademark shocking colors; down-and-dirty, street-life scenes emerge. Compare his art-school work and his street work: Henri augmented his classical training with vivid life experience. His subjects were from bars, brothels, and cabarets...Toto, we’re not in Albi anymore. In these exploratory years, he dabbled in any style he encountered. The naked body emerged as one of his fascinations.
Step into the next room. Henri started making money in the 1890s by selling illustrations to magazines and newspapers. Back then, his daily happy hour included brothel visits—1892-1894 was his prostitution period. He respected the ladies, feeling both fascination and empathy toward them. The prostitutes accepted him the way he was and let him into their world...which he sketched brilliantly. Notice how he shows the prostitutes as real humans—they are neither glorified nor vulgarized in his works.
At the far end of this room, notice the big Au Salon de la Rue des Moulins (1894). There are two versions: the quick sketch, then the finished studio version. With this piece, Toulouse-Lautrec arrived—no more sampling. The artist has established his unique style, oblivious to society’s norms: colors (strong), subject matter (hidden worlds), and moralism (none). Henri’s trademark use of cardboard was simply his quick, snapshot way of working: He’d capture these slice-of-life impressions on the fly on cheap, disposable material, intending to convert them to finer canvas paintings later, in his studio. But the cardboard quickies survive as Toulouse-Lautrec masterpieces.
Now, spiral up two flights through a room showing off a rare, 13th-century terra-cotta tile floor original to the building. You’ll soon come to Toulouse-Lautrec’s famous advertising posters, which were his bread and butter. He was an innovative advertiser, creating simple, bold, and powerful lithographic images. Look for displays of his original lithograph blocks (simply prepare the stone with a backward image, apply ink—which sticks chemically to the black points—and print posters). Four-color posters meant creating four different blocks. Many of the displayed works show different stages of the printing process—first with black ink, then the red layer, then the finished poster. The Moulin Rouge poster established his business reputation in Paris—strong symbols, bold and simple: just what, where, and when. Across the room, cabaret singer and club owner Aristide Bruant (dans son cabaret—“in his cabaret”) is portrayed as bold and dashing.
Next, move on to a room with more advertising posters. Henri was fascinated by cancan dancers (whose legs moved with an agility he’d never experience), and he captured them expertly. Then head up a few steps to continue through several more rooms with other portraits of Parisian notables and misfits, and finally the darker works he painted before his death. The exhibit sprawls through several rooms, so make sure you see everything.
One thing you may not see (because it’s often away on loan) is Toulouse-Lautrec’s cane, which offers more insight into this tortured artistic genius. To protect him from his self-destructive lifestyle, loved ones had him locked up in a psychiatric hospital. But, with the help of this clever hollow cane, he still got his booze. Friends would drop by with hallucinogenic absinthe, his drink of choice—also popular among many other artists of the time. With these special deliveries, he’d restock his cane, which even came equipped with a fancy little glass.
In 1901, at age 37, alcoholic, paranoid, depressed, and syphilitic, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec returned to his mother—the only woman who ever really loved him—and died in her arms. The art world didn’t mourn. Obituaries, speaking for the art establishment, basically said good riddance to Toulouse-Lautrec and his ugly art. Although no one in the art world wanted Henri’s pieces, his mother and his best friend—a boyhood pal and art dealer named Maurice Joyant—recognized his genius and saved his work. They first offered it to the Louvre, which refused. Finally, in 1922, the mayor of Albi accepted the collection and hung Toulouse-Lautrec’s work here in what, for more than a century, had been a boring museum of archaeology.
Your visit ends with a few rooms showing off the one-time grandeur of the Palais de la Berbie and two captivating paintings by 17th-century master Georges de La Tour. And if you still have stamina left, you can climb up to the second floor, with a sprawling exhibit of modern art. You’ll see works by Toulouse-Lautrec’s classmates and contemporaries (including a fine Matisse).
• Leaving the museum, curl around to the right of the hulking building to find a gorgeous garden overlooking a fine...
Albi was situated here because of its river access to Bordeaux (which connected the town to the global market). In medieval times, the fastest, most economical way to transport goods was down rivers like this. The lower, older bridge (Pont Vieux) was first built in 1020. Prior to its construction, the weir (look just beyond this first bridge) provided a series of stepping stones that enabled people to cross the river. The garden of the bishop’s palace dates from the 17th century (when the palace at Versailles inspired the French to create fancy gardens). The palace itself grew from the 13th century until 1789, when the French Revolution ended the power of the bishops and the state confiscated the building. Since 1905, it’s been a museum.
• The last two sights are in the town center, roughly behind the cathedral.
Although this church (the oldest in town) is nothing special, the cloister creates a delightful space embracing an ancient well and modern garden (open 8:00-20:00, look for easy-to-miss entrance on main shopping street just a block from the main square). Delicate arches surround an enclosed courtyard, providing a peaceful interlude from the shoppers that fill the pedestrian streets. Notice the church wall from the courtyard. It was the only stone building in Albi in the 11th century; the taller parts, added later, are made of brick. This is one of many little hidden courtyards throughout town. In the rough-and-tumble Middle Ages, most buildings faced inward. If doors are open, you’re welcome to pop in to courtyards.
• Leave the cloister, go up the steps, and find a sweet square with quiet cafés.
Albi’s elegant Art Nouveau market is good for picnic-gathering and people-watching—and has a grocery store in its lower level (Tue-Sun 8:00-14:00, closed Mon, 2 blocks from cathedral). On Saturday, a farmers’ market sets up outside the market hall.
$$$ Hostellerie du Grand Saint Antoine**** is Albi’s oldest hotel (established in 1784) and the most comfortable and traditional place I list. Guests enter an inviting, spacious lobby that opens onto an enclosed garden. Some of the 44 rooms are Old World cozy, while others have a modern flair (Db-€130-150, big Db-€170-200, suites-€190-260, breakfast-€15, air-con, elevator, parking-€10/day, a block above big Place du Vigan at 17 Rue Saint-Antoine, tel. 05 63 54 04 04, www.hotel-saint-antoine-albi.com, courriel@hotel-saint-antoine-albi.com).
$$ Hôtel Chiffre*** is a safe bet, with 38 well-appointed rooms (Db-€78, bigger Db-€98-128, family rooms-€145, some with queen-size beds, check website for deals, breakfast-€12, air-con, elevator, garage-€9/day, traditional restaurant, near Place du Vigan at 50 Rue Séré de Rivières, tel. 05 63 48 58 48, www.hotelchiffre.com, contact@hotelchiffre.com).
$ Hôtel Lapérouse** is a work in progress, one block from the old city and a 10-minute walk to the train station. This family-run hotel offers simple rooms and enthusiastic owners. Spring for a room with a balcony over the quiet garden and big pool (Db-€55-75, Db with deck-€80, Tb-€70-85, no air-con, no elevator, reception closed 12:00-15:00 and after 20:00, 21 Place Lapérouse, tel. 05 63 54 69 22, www.hotel-laperouse.com, contact@hotel-laperouse.com).
(See “Albi” map, here.)
Albi is filled with reasonable restaurants that serve a rich local cuisine. Be warned: “Going local” here is likely to get you tripes (cow intestines), andouillette (sausages made from pig intestines), foie de veau (calf liver), and tête de veau (calf’s head). Choose a restaurant or select one of the many tempting cafés on a traffic-free lane or on a quiet square (the squares behind St. Salvy’s cloister and in front of the market hall are two good choices).
Le Tournesol is a good lunch option for vegetarians, since that’s all they do. The food is organic and delicious, the setting is bright with many windows, and the service is friendly. Try the wonderful homemade tarts (€11 plats, open for lunch only, closed Sun, 11 Rue de l’Ort en Salvy, tel. 05 63 38 38 14).
Le Clos Sainte Cécile, a short block behind the cathedral, is an old school transformed into a delightful family-run restaurant. Friendly waiters serve delicious dishes in their large, shady garden—at a French pace (€18-26 menus, closed Tue-Wed, 3 Rue du Castelviel, tel. 05 63 38 19 74).
Oscar by Saint Loup may intimidate some with its fine stemware and chandeliers, but beyond the formal dining room lies an inviting courtyard full of happy eaters enjoying well-priced Mediterranean cuisine (€13 lunch menus come with a plat, dessert, and choice of coffee or wine, good-value dinner menus from €19, open for lunch Wed-Fri, for dinner Wed-Sat, closed Sun-Tue, 8 Rue Roquelaure, tel. 05 67 67 42 96).
You’ll connect to just about any destination through Toulouse.
From Albi by Train to: Toulouse (11/day, 70 minutes), Carcassonne (12/day, 3 hours, change in Toulouse), Sarlat-la-Canéda (6/day, 6 hours with 2-3 changes, some require bus from Souillac to Sarlat), Paris (6/day, 7-8.5 hours, change in Toulouse, also night train).
The hilly terrain north of Albi was tailor-made for medieval villages to organize around for defensive purposes. Here, along the Route of the Bastides (La Route des Bastides Albigeoises), scores of fortified villages (bastides) spill over hilltops, above rivers, and between wheat fields, creating a worthwhile detour for drivers. These planned communities were the medieval product of community efforts organized by local religious or military leaders. Most bastides were built during the Hundred Years’ War (see sidebar on here) to establish a foothold for French or English rule in this hotly contested region, and to provide stability to benefit trade. Unlike other French hill towns, bastides were not safe havens provided by a castle. Instead, they were a premeditated effort by a community to collectively construct houses as a planned defensive unit, sans castle.
Connect these bastides as a day trip from Albi, or as you drive between Albi and the Dordogne. I’ve described the top bastides in the order you’ll reach them on these driving routes.
Day Trip from Albi: For a good loop route northwest from Albi, cross the 22 Août 1944 bridge and follow signs to Cordes-sur-Ciel (allow 30 minutes). The view of Cordes as you approach is memorable. From Cordes, follow signs to Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, an appealing, flat “hill town” on the river, with few tourists. Then pass vertical little Penne, Bruniquel (signed from Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val), Larroque, Puycelsi (my favorite), and, finally, Castelnau-de-Montmiral (with a lovely main square), before returning to Albi. Each of these places is worth exploring if you have the time.
On the Way to the Dordogne: For a one-way scenic route north to the Dordogne that includes many of the same bastides, leave Albi, head toward Toulouse, and make time on the free A-68. Exit at Gaillac, go to its center, and track D-964 to Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Puycelsi, and on to Bruniquel. From here you can head directly to Caussade on D-118 and D-964, then hop on the A-20 northbound (toward Cahors/Paris); from here, exits for Cahors, St-Cirque-Lapopie, Rocamadour, and Sarlat-la-Canéda are all well-marked.
It’s hard to resist this brilliantly situated hill town just 15 miles north of Albi, but I would (in high season, at least). Enjoy the fantastic view on the road from Albi, and consider a detour up into town only if the coast looks clear (read: off-season). Cordes, once an important Cathar base, has slipped over the boutique-filled edge to the point where it’s hard for me to find the medieval town. But it’s a dramatic setting filled with steep streets, beautiful half-timbered buildings, and great views. A rubber-tired train shuttles visitors to the top from near the TI (tel. 05 63 56 00 52, www.cordessurciel.fr).
This overlooked, très photogenic, but less-tended village will test your thighs as you climb the lanes upward to the château (€3, April-Sept daily 10:00-12:30 & 14:00-18:00, closed Oct-March). Don’t miss the dramatic view up to the village from the river below as you drive along D-964.
Forty minutes north of Albi, this town crowns a high bluff overlooking thick forests and sweeping pastures. Drive to the top, where you’ll find easy parking and an unspoiled, level village with a couple of cafés, a bistro with a view, a small grocery, a bakery, a few chambres d’hôtes, and one sharp little hotel.
Stroll through the village, passing the Puycelsi Roc Café, and make your way through town. Appreciate the fine collection of buildings with lovingly tended flowerbeds. At the opposite side of the village, a rampart walk circles counterclockwise back to the parking lot, reminding us of the village’s history as a bastide. The park-like ramparts come with picnic benches and grand vistas (ideal at sunset). It’s a good place to listen to the birds and feel the wind.
As you wander, consider the recent history of an ancient town like this. In 1900, 2,000 people lived here with neither running water nor electricity. Then things changed. Millions of French men lost their lives in World War I; Puycelsi didn’t escape this fate, as the monument (by the parking lot) attests. World War II added to the exodus and by 1968 the village was down to three families. But then running water replaced the venerable cisterns, and things started looking up. Today, there is just enough commercial activity to keep locals happy. The town has a stable population of 110, all marveling at how lucky they are to live here.
Sleeping in Puycelsi: An overnight here is my idea of vacation. Church bells keep a vigil, ringing on the hour throughout the night.
$$ L’Ancienne Auberge is the place to sleep, with eight surprisingly smart and comfortable rooms, some with sublime views. Owner/chef Dorothy moved here from New Jersey many moons ago and is eager to share her passion for this region (Db-€80-125, air-con in some rooms, Place de l’Eglise, tel. 05 63 33 65 90, www.ancienne-auberge.com, contact@ancienne-auberge.com). Ask about their self-catering apartments that can accommodate up to five people (€550/week), and consider dinner at their view bistro Jardin de Lys (described below).
$$ Delphine de Laveleye Chambres is another great choice just behind L’Ancienne Auberge. Warm Delphine and her two dogs fill a cave-like, 17th-century house with a variety of rooms, ranging from a small romantic room for two to a three-bedroom suite with a kitchen, all hovering above a small garden and pool (Db-€64-76, Tb-€90-110, Qb-€110-145, cash only, breakfast-€8, tel. 05 63 33 13 65, mobile 06 72 92 69 59, www.chezdelphine.com).
Eating in Puycelsi: The Jardin de Lys bistro-café clings to the hillside, offering breathtaking views and all-day service. Come for a drink at least, or better for a fine dinner based on original recipes and cooked with fresh products (€21 menus, €16 plats, daily, tel. 05 63 33 65 90). Puycelsi Roc Café, at the parking lot, has standard café fare, a warm interior, and pleasant outdoor tables (daily for lunch and dinner, reduced hours off-season, tel. 05 63 33 13 67).
This overlooked village has quiet lanes leading to a perfectly preserved bastide square surrounded by fine arcades and filled with brick half-timbered facades. Ditch your car below and wander up to the square, where a TI, a restaurant, a café, and a small pâtisserie await. Have a drink or lunch on the square either at the simple Auberge des Arcades café (open daily, tel. 05 63 33 20 88) or the slightly more upscale La Table des Consuls—worth the extra euro or two if you have time to linger (May-Sept, closed Mon, tel. 05 63 40 63 55).
Medieval Carcassonne is a 13th-century world of towers, turrets, and cobblestones. Europe’s ultimate walled fortress city, it’s also stuffed with tourists. At 10:00, salespeople stand at the doors of their main-street shops, a gauntlet of tacky temptations poised and ready for their daily ration of customers—consider yourself warned. But early, late, or off-season, a quieter Carcassonne is an evocative playground for any medievalist. Forget midday—spend the night.
Locals like to believe that Carcassonne got its name this way: 1,200 years ago, Charlemagne and his troops besieged this fortress-town (then called La Cité) for several years. A cunning townsperson named Madame Carcas saved the town. Just as food was running out, she fed the last few bits of grain to the last pig and tossed him over the wall. Splat. Charlemagne’s bored and frustrated forces, amazed that the town still had enough food to throw fat party pigs over the wall, decided they would never succeed in starving the people out. They ended the siege, and the city was saved. Madame Carcas sonne-d (sounded) the long-awaited victory bells, and La Cité had a new name: Carcas-sonne. It’s a cute story...but historians suspect that Carcassonne is a Frenchified version of the town’s original name (Carcas).
As a teenager on my first visit to Carcassonne, I wrote this in my journal: “Before me lies Carcassonne, the perfect medieval city. Like a fish that everyone thought was extinct, somehow Europe’s greatest Romanesque fortress city has survived the centuries. I was supposed to be gone yesterday, but here I sit imprisoned by choice—curled in a cranny on top of the wall. The wind blows away the sounds of today, and my imagination ‘medievals’ me. The moat is one foot over and 100 feet down. Small plants and moss upholster my throne.”
Avoid the midday mobs and let this place make you a kid on a rampart.
Contemporary Carcassonne is neatly divided into two cities: the magnificent La Cité (the fortified old city, with 200 full-time residents taking care of lots more tourists) and the lively Ville Basse (modern lower city). Two bridges, the busy Pont Neuf and the traffic-free Pont Vieux, both with great views, connect the two parts.
Carcassonne’s TI has three locations. The main TI, in Ville Basse, is useful only if you’re walking to La Cité (28 Rue de Verdun). A far more convenient branch is in La Cité, to your right as you enter the main gate (Narbonne Gate—or Porte Narbonnaise). Both TIs have similar hours (April-Oct daily 9:00-18:00, until 19:00 in July-Aug; Nov-March Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, La Cité branch also open Sun 9:00-17:00; tel. 04 68 10 24 30, www.carcassonne-tourisme.com). If you’re arriving by train, the most convenient TI is the small kiosk across the canal from the train station (unpredictable hours, generally daily June-Sept 9:15-13:00 & 14:15-19:00, usually closed Oct-May...but you never know).
At any of the TI locations, pick up the map of La Cité. Walking tours in English depart from La Cité TI (€6, May-Oct daily at 13:30, call ahead for departure times). Pass on their City Pass, but ask about festivals and guided excursions to sights near Carcassonne (described later, under “Helpful Hints”).
By Train: The train station (with the nearest pay baggage storage a few blocks away at the recommended Hôtel Astoria) is located in the Ville Basse, a 30-minute walk from La Cité. You have three basic options for reaching La Cité: taxi, various shuttles, or on foot.
Taxis charge €8-10 for the short trip to La Cité but cannot enter the city walls. Taxis wait in front of the train station, or over the canal across from Hôtel Terminus.
Two cheaper options run to La Cité from the Chénier stop (on Boulevard Omer Sarraut, at the far edge of the park a block from the station): public bus #4 (€1, hourly, Mon-Sat, none Sun) and the rubber-tired train-bus (€2 one-way, €3 round-trip, hourly 11:00-19:00, July-Aug daily, June and Sept-mid-Oct Mon-Sat only, does not run off-season). Schedules for both bus #4 and the train-bus are posted in the bus shelter.
An airport bus departs from in front of the station to Carcassonne’s airport, scheduled to coincide with departing flights (€5); most departures also stop at La Cité en route. A taxi to the airport costs around €15.
The 30-minute walk through the new city to La Cité ends with a good uphill climb. Walk straight out of the station, cross the canal, then cross the busy ring road, and keep straight on Rue Clemenceau for about seven blocks. After Place Carnot (frequent markets), turn left on Rue de Verdun, walk three blocks, and turn right on the vast Square Gambetta. Angle across the square, turn right after Hôtel Ibis, then cross Pont Vieux (great views). Signs will guide you up Rue Trivalle and Rue Nadaud to La Cité.
By Car: Follow signs to Centre-Ville, then La Cité. You’ll come to several large parking lots at the entry to the walled city and a drawbridge at the Narbonne Gate, at the walled city’s entrance. If staying inside the walls, you can park for free in the castle moat (pass the small cemetery, heading slightly uphill, and find the parking access). You must show your reservation or have the attendant call your hotel. (Verbal assurances won’t do.) Allow 15 minutes on foot over uneven surfaces to hotels (the recommended Hôtels le Donjon and de la Cité will pick you up). Theft is common—leave nothing in your car at night. Day-trippers will find several huge pay lots clustered around the Narbonne Gate (€5/6 hours, then €1/hour); there’s also free parking along the river, just north of the Pont Neuf (follow signs for CPAM).
Market Days: Pleasing Place Carnot in Ville Basse hosts a non-touristy open market (Tue, Thu, and Sat mornings until 13:00; Sat is the biggest).
Summer Festivals: Carcassonne becomes colorfully medieval during many special events each July and August. Highlights are the spectacle équestre (jousting matches) and July 14 (Bastille Day) fireworks. The TI has details on these and other events.
Internet Access: Several cafés on Place Marcou have Wi-Fi for customers.
Laundry: Try Laverie Express (daily 8:00-22:00, 5 Square Gambetta at Hôtel Ibis; from La Cité, cross Pont Vieux and turn right, mobile 06 04 04 01 95).
Grocery Stores: There’s one in the train station. You’ll also find a Monoprix—a department store with a grocery section—where Rues Clemenceau and de la République cross, a few blocks from the train station.
Bike Rental: Bike riding is very popular thanks to the scenic towpath that follows the canal (start at the train station). Génération VTT rents bikes (get the free English map, daily 9:30-18:00, across the canal from the train station TI kiosk, mobile 06 09 59 30 85, www.generation-vtt.com). Evasion 2 Roues also rents bikes, and has tandems (closed Sun-Mon, 85 Allée d’Iéna, tel. 04 68 11 90 40, www.evasion2roues.eu).
Taxi: Call 04 68 71 50 50 or 04 68 71 36 36.
Car Rental: Avis is at the train station (tel. 04 68 25 05 84). The airport has all the rental companies, but it’s 30 minutes from Carcassonne.
Guided Excursions from Carcassonne: Vin en Vacances runs day-long vineyard tours that mix wine tasting with local food, sightseeing, and cultural experiences. It’s run by Wendy Gedney and her team of wine experts. Prices range from €110 to €135 per person and include visits to two wineries, a fine lunch, and visits to key sights such as the Cathar castles (mobile 06 42 33 34 09, www.vinenvacances.com, wendy@vinenvacances.com).
Minivan Service: Friendly Didier provides comfortable transportation for up to eight passengers to all area châteaux and sights. He’s not a guide and speaks just a little English, though he’s full of smiles (for 4 passengers plan on about €170/half-day, €300/day, or just €24/person for the Châteaux of Lastours, mobile 06 03 18 39 95, www.catharexcursions.com, bod.aude11@orange.fr).
Tourist Train or Horse Carriage: You have two options for taking a 20-minute loop around La Cité (either one costs €8 and begins at the Narbonne Gate): The tourist train has headphone English commentary and loops outside the wall, while the horse-and-carriage ride is only in French and clip-clops between the two walls.
(See “Carcassonne’s La Cité” map, here.)
While the tourists shuffle up the main street, this self-guided walk, rated ▲▲▲, introduces you to the city with history and wonder, rather than tour groups and plastic swords. We’ll sneak into the town on the other side of the wall...through the back door (see map). This walk is wonderfully peaceful and scenic early or late in the day, when the sun is low.
Start on the asphalt outside La Cité’s main entrance, the Narbonne Gate (Porte Narbonnaise). On the pillar by the gate, you’re welcomed by a contemporary-looking bust of Madame Carcas—which is actually modeled after a 16th-century original of the town’s legendary first lady (for her story, see here).
• Cross the bridge toward the...
Narbonne Gate: Pause at the drawbridge and survey this immense fortification. When forces from northern France finally conquered Carcassonne, it was a strategic prize. Not taking any chances, they evicted the residents, whom they allowed to settle in the lower town (Ville Basse)—as long as they stayed across the river. (Though it’s called “new,” this lower town actually dates from the 13th century.) La Cité remained a French military garrison until the 18th century.
The drawbridge was made crooked to slow attackers’ rush to the main gate and has a similar effect on tourists today.
• After crossing the drawbridge, lose the crowds and walk left between the walls. At the first short set of stairs, climb to the outer-wall walkway and linger while facing the inner walls.
Wall View: The Romans built Carcassonne’s first wall, upon which the bigger medieval wall was constructed. Identify the ancient Roman bits by looking about one-third of the way up and finding the smaller rocks mixed with narrow stripes of red bricks (and no arrow slits). The outer wall that you’re on was not built until the 1300s, more than a thousand years after the Roman walls went up. The massive walls you see today—nearly two miles around, with 52 towers—defended an important site near the intersection of north-south and east-west trade routes.
Look over the wall and down at the moat below (now mostly used for parking). Like most medieval moats, it was never filled with water (or even alligators). A ditch like this—which was originally even deeper—effectively stopped attacking forces from rolling up against the wall in their mobile towers and spilling into the city. Another enemy tactic was to “undermine” (tunnel underneath) the wall, causing a section to cave in. Notice the small, square holes at foot level along the ramparts. Wooden extensions of the rampart walkways (which we’ll see later, at the castle) once plugged into these holes so that townsfolk could drop nasty, sticky things on anyone tunneling in. In peacetime this area between the two walls (les lices) was used for medieval tournaments, jousting practice, and markets.
During La Cité’s Golden Age, the 1100s, independent rulers with open minds allowed Jews and Cathars to live and prosper within the walls, while troubadours wrote poems of ideal love. This liberal attitude made for a rich intellectual life but also led to La Cité’s downfall. The Crusades aimed to rid France of the dangerous Cathar movement (and their liberal sympathizers), which led to Carcassonne’s defeat and eventual incorporation into the kingdom of France.
The walls of this majestic fortress were partially reconstructed in 1855 as part of a program to restore France’s important monuments. The tidy crenellations and the pointy tower roofs are generally from the 19th century (to see authentic towers, find the lightly sloped, red-tiled towers on the opposite side of the fortress).
As you continue your wall walk to higher points, the lack of guardrails is striking. This would never fly in the US, but in France, if you fall, it’s your own fault (so be careful). Note the lights embedded in the walls. This fortress, like most important French monuments, is beautifully illuminated every night (for directions to a good nighttime view, see “Night Wall Walk to Pont Vieux” on here).
• You could keep working your way around the walls (though you may be detoured inside the walls for a stretch if special events block your path). If you do the entire walk around the walls, you’ll see five authentic Roman towers just before returning to the Narbonne Gate. Walking the entire circle between the inner and outer gate is a terrific 30-minute stroll (and fantastic after dark).
But for this tour, we’ll stop at the first entrance possible into La Cité, the...
Inner Wall Gate: The wall has the same four gates it had in Roman times. Before entering, notice the squat tower on the outer wall—this was a “barbican” (placed opposite each inner gate for extra protection). Barbicans were always semicircular—open on the inside to expose anyone who breached the outer defenses. Invading today is far easier than in the good old days. Notice the holes in the barbican for supporting a wooden catwalk. Breach the walls and enter the square gate—look up to see a slot for the portcullis (the big iron grate) and the frame for a heavy wooden door.
Once safely inside, look back up at the inner wall tower to view beaucoup de narrow arrow slits facing inside La Cité—even if enemies made it past the walls, they still weren’t home free.
• Opposite the tower, work your way around to the entry of the...
St. Nazaire Church (Basilique St. Nazaire): This was a cathedral until the 18th century, when the bishop moved to the lower town. Today, due to the depopulation of the basically dead-except-for-tourism Cité, it’s not even a functioning parish church. Step inside. Notice the Romanesque arches of the nave and the delicately vaulted Gothic arches over the altar and transepts. After its successful conquest of this region in the 13th-century Albigensian Crusades, France set out to destroy all the Romanesque churches and replace them with Gothic ones—symbolically asserting its northern rule with this more northern style of church. With the start of the Hundred Years’ War in 1337, the expensive demolition was abandoned. Today, the Romanesque remainder survives, and the destroyed section has been rebuilt Gothic, which makes it one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in southern France. When the lights are off, the interior—lit only by candles and 14th-century stained glass—is evocatively medieval. A plaque near the door says that St. Dominique (founder of the Dominican order) preached at this church in 1213 (Mon-Sat 9:00-11:45 & 13:45-18:00, Sun 9:00-10:45 & 14:00-18:00, Sun Mass at 11:00).
• The ivy-covered building 50 steps in front of the church entrance is...
Hôtel de la Cité: This luxury hotel sits where the Bishop’s Palace did 700 years ago. Today, it’s a worthwhile detour to see how the privileged few travel. You’re free to wander, so find the library-cozy bar (€7-8 beer and wine), then find the rear garden and turn right for super wall views that you can’t see from anywhere else.
• From here, take the right fork at the medieval flatiron building, and follow Rue St. Louis for several blocks. Merge right onto Rue Port d’Aude, then look for a small castle-view terrace on your left a block up.
Château Comtal: Originally built in 1125, Carcassonne’s third layer of defense was completely redesigned in later reconstructions. From this impressive viewpoint you can see the wooden rampart extensions that once circled the entire city wall. (Notice the empty peg holes to the left of the bridge.) During sieges, these would be covered with wet animal skins as a fire retardant. When Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner, was filmed here in 1990, the entire city was turned into a film set. Locals enjoyed playing bit parts and seeing their château labeled “Nottingham Castle” in the fanciful film. Château Comtal is a worthwhile visit for those with time and interest (see “Sights in Carcassonne,” later). Or just take a stroll through the tranquil garden moat (free), where you’ll see people enjoying a very scenic picnic.
• Fifty yards away, opposite the entrance to the castle, is...
Place du Château: This busy little square sports a modest statue honoring the man who saved the city from deterioration and neglect in the 19th century. The bronze model circling the base of the statue shows Carcassonne’s walls as they looked before the 1855 reconstruction by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.
• Backtrack a few steps to face the château entry, then turn right and walk one block to...
Place du Grand Puits: This huge well is the oldest of Carcassonne’s 22 wells. In an age of starve-’em-out sieges, it took more than stout walls to keep a town safe—you also needed a steady supply of water and food.
• Our walk is finished. You can return to the Château Comtal entrance gate, if you want to tour the castle. Or, if you turn left at the fountain, you’ll pop out in the charming, restaurant-lined Place St-Jean; a hard left here takes you down into the château’s sweet moat garden.
Save some post-dinner energy for a don’t-miss walk around the same walls you visited today (great dinner picnic sites as well). The effect at night is mesmerizing: The embedded lights become torches and unfamiliar voices become the enemy. End at Pont Vieux for a floodlit fantasy. The best route is a partial circumnavigation clockwise between the walls. Start at the Narbonne Gate, and follow my self-guided walk (described earlier) to the Inner Wall Gate. Don’t enter La Cité through this gate; instead, continue your walk between the walls (this section is occasionally closed; if so, you’ll have to make your way through the village and out the rear along Rue de la Porte d’Aude to meet up with the route described from here).
The path narrows as you walk behind Château Comtal. When you come to a ramp leading down (after about five minutes), make a U-turn to the left, just before the path rises back up. This ramp leads down the hill; make a left when you come to the church (St. Gimer), then a right on Rue de la Barbacane (follow the Centre-Ville sign). Go straight to reach Pont Vieux and exceptional views of floodlit Carcassonne. Return from the bridge the same way you came, and complete your clockwise walk between the walls back to the Narbonne Gate, or take Rue Trivalle to Rue Gustave Nadaud for a quicker return.
Your best look at Carcassonne’s medieval architecture is a walk through this castle-within-the-castle. Grab the basic flier in English, cross the drawbridge over the garden moat, and climb to the top of the stairs. A well-done film with booming sound sets the stage for your visit. Next is a room-size model of La Cité—find the black-and-white images of old Carcassonne on the walkway above. From here, a self-guided tour with posted English explanations leads you around the inner ramparts of Carcassonne’s castle. You’ll see the underpinnings of the towers and of the catwalks that hung from the walls and learn all about medieval defense systems. The views are terrific. Your visit ends with a museum showing bits of St. Nazaire Church and fragments from important homes.
Cost and Hours: €8.50, daily April-Sept 10:00-18:30, shorter hours off-season, last entry 45 minutes before closing, unnecessary audioguide-€4.50 or €6/2 people, tel. 04 68 11 70 70, http://carcassonne.monuments-nationaux.fr.
Two scenic paths running southwest along each side of the Aude River below La Cité offer occasional views to the fortress and a verdant escape for runners and walkers. Both paths can be accessed from below the Pont Vieux.
Completed in 1681, this sleepy 155-mile canal connects France’s Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts and, at about its midpoint, runs directly in front of the train station in Carcassonne. Before railways, Canal du Midi was clogged with commercial traffic; today, it entertains only pleasure craft. Small boats that ferry tourists along the canal leave from in front of the train station. The boats are operated by two competing companies, on opposite sides of the bridge (about €8-9/1.5 hours, €10-12/2.5 hours, 3-5/day, April-Oct, closed Mon, www.carcassonne-navigationcroisiere.com or www.carcassonne-navigation.com). A better way to experience the canal is on a relaxed bike ride along the level towpath (for bike rental, see “Helpful Hints,” earlier).
Duck into this impressive photo gallery before selecting which Cathar castles you want to visit (brilliant shots of many monuments in Languedoc-Roussillon, generally open daily 10:00-19:00, just up from Place Marcou at 27 Rue du Plô).
Several times each day, a hardworking troupe of costumed performers puts on a medieval showcase with live music, dancing, fencing, and archery. It’s corny fun for the entire family, and it’s partly in English (€10, April-Oct daily at 14:30, 16:00, and 17:30, in a medieval courtyard next to Place Marcou, tel. 04 68 47 29 68).
For relief from all the medieval kitsch, savor a drink in four-star, library-meets-bar ambience at the Hôtel de la Cité bar (€7-8 beer and wine, Place de l’Eglise). To taste the liveliest square, with loads of tourists and strolling musicians, sip a drink or nibble a dessert on Place Marcou. To be a medieval poet, share a bottle of wine in your own private niche somewhere remote on the ramparts.
Le Bar à Vins (also recommended later, under “Eating in Carcassonne”) offers lively music, good wines by the glass for €3, and a young crowd enjoying a garden in the moonshadow of the wall...without any tourists (open daily until 2:00 in the morning during high season).
For a fine before- or after-dinner drink and floodlit wall views, stop by the recommended Hotel du Château’s broad terrace, below the Narbonne Gate (2 Rue Camille Saint-Saëns).
Sleep within or near the old walls, in La Cité. I’ve also listed a pair of hotels near the train station. In the summer, when La Cité is jammed with tourists, think of sleeping in quieter Caunes-Minervois (you’ll find my suggestions on here). Top prices listed are for July and August, when the town is packed. At other times of the year, prices drop and there are generally plenty of rooms.
Pricey hotels, good B&Bs, and an excellent youth hostel offer a full range of rooms inside the walls.
$$$ Hôtel de la Cité***** offers 59 rooms with deluxe everything in a beautiful building next to St. Nazaire Church. Peaceful gardens, a swimming pool, royal public spaces, the elegant Barbacane restaurant, and reliable luxury are yours—for a price (classic Db-€280-375, deluxe Db-€330-475, suites-€580-925, extra adult-€80, breakfast-€28, air-con, garage-€21/day, Place Auguste-Pierre Pont, tel. 04 68 71 98 71, www.hoteldelacite.com, reservations@hoteldelacite.com).
$$$ Best Western Hôtel le Donjon****, big and impersonal, has 61 well-appointed rooms, a polished lobby with a full bar, and a great location inside the walls. Rooms are split between three buildings in La Cité (the main building, a look-alike annex across the street, and the cheaper Maison des Remparts a few blocks away). The main building is most appealing, and the rooms with terraces on the garden are delightful (main building and annex: Db-€150-190, Db suite-€180-400, extra person-€25; Maison des Remparts: Db-€125-170; check website for deals, air-con, elevator, private parking-€17/day, 2 Rue Comte Roger, tel. 04 68 11 23 00, www.hotel-donjon.fr, info@bestwestern-donjon.com).
$$$ Chambres l’Echappée Belle, in the center of La Cité, is run by cheery Australian Jackie who has four traditional units with wood floors and jet showers (Db-€85-135, includes breakfast, check-in between 16:00 and 18:00, air-con, no elevator, near St. Nazaire Church, just off Rue du Plô at 5 Rue Raymond Roger Trencavel, tel. 04 68 25 33 40, mobile 06 40 44 63 18, www.lechappeebelle.co.uk, infolechappeebelle@orange.fr).
$$ Auberge des Lices rents two lovely rooms with high ceilings, exposed beams, and stone walls—though the lodgings are an afterthought to the busy restaurant (Db with basilica views-€80-100, larger Db with rampart views-€180-200, air-con, 3 Rue Raymond Roger Trencavel, tel. 04 68 72 34 07, mobile 06 73 69 36 22, www.blasco.fr, leslices@blasco.fr).
$$ Chambres le Grand Puits, across from Maison des Remparts, is a splendid value. It has one cute double room and two cavernous apartment-like rooms that could sleep five, with kitchenette, private terrace, and sweet personal touches. Inquire in the small boutique, and say bonjour to happy-go-lucky Nicole (Db-€55-65, larger apartment-like Db-€65-85, €10-extra person, includes self-serve breakfast, cash only, no elevator, no air-con, no Wi-Fi, 8 Place du Grand Puits, tel. 04 68 25 16 67, mobile 06 20 47 02 31, http://legrandpuits.free.fr, nicole.trucco@club-internet.fr).
$ Hostel Carcassonne is big, clean, and well-run, with an outdoor garden courtyard, a self-service kitchen, a TV room, bar, a washer/dryer, and a welcoming ambience. If you ever wanted to bunk down in a hostel, consider it here—all ages are welcome. Only summer is tight; reserve ahead (bunk in dorm room-€25/bed, 2-bed private room-€52, nonmembers must buy €11/person membership, includes sheets and breakfast, rental towels, open all day, free parking, Rue du Vicomte Trencavel, tel. 04 68 25 23 16, www.hifrance.org or www.hihostels.com, carcassonne@hifrance.org).
Sleeping just outside La Cité offers the best of both worlds: quick access to the ramparts, less claustrophobic surroundings, and easy parking.
$$$ Hôtel du Château**** and $$$ Hôtel le Montmorency*** are adjacent hotels that lie barely below La Cité’s main gate and are run by the same family. They offer travelers a full range of price options, an easy walk to La Cité, €15 breakfasts, and €10/day parking. They also share a snazzy pool (heated from Easter to November), a Jacuzzi (heated all year), view terraces to the walls of Carcassonne, two lazy hounds, and a sweet cat. Check-in, parking, and breakfast for both hotels is at Hôtel du Château. Both hotels offer frequent discounts online. Rick Steves readers receive a 5 percent discount off the best available price through 2016 (use code RICKSTEVES). Hôtel du Château gives four-star comfort with 17 sumptuous rooms (Db-€145-245, extra person-€30, 2 Rue Camille Saint-Saëns, tel. 04 68 11 38 38, www.hotelduchateau.net, contact@hotelduchateau.net). Hôtel Montmorency, a short walk behind Hôtel du Château, has a split personality. Half the rooms are neon-colored-mod (Db-€102-170, extra person-€25), and half are purely Provençal and a bit smaller (Db-€78-130, extra person-€25). Several rooms have views to the ramparts, and many come with private decks or terraces (2 Rue Camille Saint-Saëns, tel. 04 68 11 96 70, www.hotelmontmorency.com, contact@hotelmontmorency.com).
$$$ Hôtel Mercure*** hides a block behind the Hôtel le Montmorency, a five-minute walk to La Cité. It rents 80 snug-but-comfy, air-conditioned rooms and has a refreshing garden, a good-sized pool, big elevators, and a warm bar-lounge. A few rooms have views of La Cité (small Db-€117-180, bigger Db-€149-225, breakfast-€15, free parking, 18 Rue Camille Saint-Saëns, tel. 04 68 11 92 82, www.mercure.com, h1622@accor.com).
These places are 10 minutes below La Cité and 20 minutes from the train station on foot.
$$$ Hôtel de l’Octroi*** delivers colorful, contemporary comfort, efficient service, and a young vibe from its full-service bar to its small, stylish pool to its 21 rooms (Db-€95-145, extra person-€15, several family suites for up to 6-€240, frequent online deals, 5 percent discount off best available price in 2016—use code RICKSTEVES, breakfast-€15, air-con, parking-€10/day, 143 Rue Trivalle, tel. 04 68 25 29 08, www.hoteloctroi.com).
$$ Hôtel Espace Cité**, two blocks downhill from Hôtel le Montmorency (described earlier), is a good value, with 48 small but sharp rooms (Db-€75-95, Tb-€90-118, Qb-€100-139, breakfast-€9, air-con, limited free parking—otherwise €7/day in garage, 132 Rue Trivalle, tel. 04 68 25 24 24, www.hotelespacecite.fr, hotel-espace-cite@wanadoo.fr).
$$ Chambres les Florentines is a good-value bed-and-breakfast run by charming Madame Mistler. The five rooms are spacious and homey; one room comes with a big deck and million-dollar views of La Cité (Db-€75-90, view Db-€110, Tb-€110, Qb-€130, includes breakfast, no air-con, no elevator, parking-€4/day, 71 Rue Trivalle, tel. 04 68 71 51 07, mobile 06 88 89 33 42, www.lesflorentines.net, lesflorentines11@gmail.com).
These hotels are close to Pont Vieux, a 15-minute walk below La Cité, and 15 minutes on foot from the train station.
$$$ Hôtel les Trois Couronnes***, a modern hotel in a concrete shell, offers 44 rooms with terrific views up to La Cité—and 26 nonview rooms that you don’t want (Db with view-€137-157, €20 less for no view, air-con, elevator, indoor pool with views, garage-€9/day, 2 Rue des Trois Couronnes, tel. 04 68 25 36 10, www.hotel-destroiscouronnes.com, hotel3couronnes@wanadoo.fr). Their reasonably priced restaurant also has a good view (see “Eating in Carcassonne,” later).
$$ Hôtel Ibis**, on Square Gambetta, delivers reliable two-star comfort at fair prices in its 48 rooms (Db-€77-96, request a room off the square, air-con, elevator, 5 Square Gambetta, tel. 04 68 72 37 37, www.ibishotel.com, h1371@accor.com).
$$$ Hôtel du Soleil le Terminus***, across from the train station, is turn-of-the-century faded-grand. The lobby reminds me of a train-station waiting hall. The 108 rooms are big and comfortable, with high ceilings and prices (Db-€125-150, pricier rooms have better views, check website for deals, breakfast-€15, air-con, elevator, basement pool, secure parking-€10/day, lots of groups, 2 Avenue Maréchal Joffre, tel. 04 68 25 25 00, www.soleilvacances.com, reservation@soleilvacances.com).
$$ Hôtel Astoria**, run by delightful Marc and Sevrine, offers some of the cheapest hotel beds that I list in town, divided between a main hotel and an annex across the street. The 23 colorful rooms are modern, clean, and (mostly) air-conditioned. Book ahead—it’s popular (D-€35-49, D with shower in room but toilet down hall-€47-62, Db-€57-72, Tb/Qb-€67-96, 5-person room-€88-115, bike rentals, parking-€5/day; from the train station, walk across the canal, turn left, and go two blocks to 18 Rue Tourtel; tel. 04 68 25 31 38, www.astoriacarcassonne.com, hotel-astoria@wanadoo.fr).
To experience unspoiled, tranquil Languedoc-Roussillon, sleep surrounded by vineyards in the characteristic village of Caunes-Minervois. Comfortably nestled in the foothills of the Montagne Noire, Caunes-Minervois is a 25-minute drive from Carcassonne. Take route D-118 or follow signs toward Mazamet to a big roundabout and find D-620. The town offers an eighth-century abbey, two cafés, two good restaurants, a pizzeria, a handful of wineries, and no other tourists. The friendly staff at the town’s TI (in the abbey) is eager to help you explore the region. Caunes-Minervois makes an ideal base for exploring area wine roads.
$$$ Hôtel d’Alibert**, in a 15th-century home with ambience galore, sits in the heart of the village. It has a mix of nicely renovated, Old World traditional rooms. It’s managed with a relaxed je ne sais quoi by Frédéric “call me Fredo” Dalibert and his daughter Mathilde (standard Db-€90, huge Db-€100, extra person-€10, includes breakfast and bottle of local wine on arrival, Place de la Mairie, tel. 04 68 78 00 54, www.hotel-dalibert.com, frederic.dalibert@wanadoo.fr). Eat lunch or dinner in his cozy restaurant with great courtyard tables and let Fredo plan your wine-tasting excursion (closed Sun dinner and Mon).
$$ L’Ancienne Boulangerie is a cozy B&B option a few doors down from Hôtel d’Alibert (Db-€75-100, cash only, tel. 04 68 76 27 17, www.ancienneboulangerie.com, ancienne.boulangerie@orange.fr).
Nearby, in Le Somail: Drivers who want to experience the Canal du Midi boating scene sleep in Le Somail, a picturesque hamlet that has changed little since the construction of the canal in the 1600s. The town has an impressive bookshop, three art galleries, and two restaurants. Sleep at $$ La Maison des Escalliers, where Tina and Ruud have created a beautiful B&B with a variety of stylish and comfortable rooms in their restored 19th-century house. Breakfast is served by the pool with views of the vineyards (bed in dorm room-€28, D-€70, Db-€85-100, family room-€170, whole house-€2,000-2,600, 6 Rue Paul Riquet, tel. 04 68 48 44 23, mobile 06 79 55 33 37, www.patiasses.com, mail@patiasses.com).
For a social outing in La Cité, take your pick from a food circus of basic eateries on a leafy courtyard—often with strolling musicians in the summer—on lively Place Marcou. If rubbing elbows with too many tourists gives you hives, go local and dine below in La Ville Basse (the new city). Cassoulet (described on here) is the traditional must (tip: a dash of vinegar helps the digestion); big salads provide a lighter alternative. For a local before-dinner drink, try a glass of Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois.
(See “Carcassonne’s La Cité” map, here.)
On Place St. Jean: My favorite area for dinner in La Cité is on Place St. Jean, where eateries compete for your business, with view tables from their outside terraces to the floodlit Château Comtal. Restaurant Adelaide is the best, with a lively, loyal following and well-presented bistro fare at reasonable prices; they serve a good €16, three-course menu with cassoulet, as well as good €14-18 plats and big €15-16 salads in an orange-walled, beamed interior or at great outside tables (daily June-Aug, closed Mon Sept-May, tel. 04 68 47 66 61). Le St. Jean, next door, is a less-reliable runner-up, with similar prices and choices (€12-26 menus, €8 kid menu, daily, tel. 04 68 47 42 43).
The recommended Hôtel de la Cité’s Barbacane Restaurant owns La Cité’s only Michelin star (€85-145 menus), but even better is their summer-only (June-Aug) restaurant Le Jardin de L’Evêque, where you can linger at a lovely garden table for much less (€16 starters, €25-30 main courses).
Au Comte Roger’s quiet elegance seems out of place in this touristy town. For half the price of the Barbacane, you can celebrate a special occasion with Chef Pierre’s fresh Mediterranean cuisine. Ask for a table on the vine-covered patio, or eat inside in their stylish dining room. Book ahead in high season (€23-30 lunch menus, €41 dinner menus, massive cassoulet-€22, closed Sun-Mon, 14 Rue St. Louis, tel. 04 68 11 93 40, www.comteroger.com).
Auberge des Lices, a good-value restaurant hidden down a quiet lane, has a courtyard with cathedral views. It manages a delicate balance of price and quality for traditional cuisine with some modern flourishes (€20-42 menus, daily July-Aug, closed Tue-Wed Sept-June, 3 Rue Raymond Roger Trencavel, tel. 04 68 72 34 07).
Le Jardin de la Tour, run with panache by Elodie for more than 20 years, has cool, windproof seating in the rear parklike garden and cozy indoor tables (€22 menu, excellent cassoulet-€17, closed Sun-Mon, 11 Rue Porte-d’Aude, tel. 04 68 25 71 24).
Le Bar à Vins, popular with the twenty- and thirtysomething set at night, is tucked away in a big garden just inside the wall but away from the crowds. It serves an enticing selection of open wines (€3 a glass), €10-14 appetizers and tapas, and €6 sandwiches (daily 10:00 until late, closes earlier off-season, closed Nov-Jan, 6 Rue du Plô, tel. 04 68 47 38 38).
Picnics: Basic supplies can be gathered at the shops along the main drag (generally open until at least 19:30, better to buy outside La Cité). For your beggar’s banquet, picnic on the city walls.
(See “Carcassonne Overview” map, here.)
Restaurant les Trois Couronnes, just across the Pont Vieux in the recommended Hôtel les Trois Couronnes, gives you a panorama of Carcassonne from the top floor of a concrete hotel (€28 menus, open daily for dinner only, closed Jan, call ahead, 2 Rue des Trois Couronnes, tel. 04 68 25 36 10).
On Place Carnot: Chez Felix has good seats on the main square, is family-run, and serves traditional cuisine (closed Sun, 11 Place Carnot, tel. 04 68 25 17 01). Nearby, snazzy L’Artichaut Wine Bar-Bistro serves good-value cuisine and wines (Mon-Wed lunch only, Thu-Sat lunch and dinner, closed Sun, 14 Place Carnot, tel. 09 52 15 65 14).
From Carcassonne by Train to: Albi (12/day, 3 hours, change in Toulouse), Collioure (8/day, 2 hours, most require change in Narbonne), Sarlat-la-Canéda (5/day, 5.5-7 hours, 1-3 changes, some require bus from Souillac to Sarlat), Arles (4/day direct, 2.5 hours, more with transfer in Narbonne), Nice (3/day, 6.5 hours with change in Marseille), Paris (Gare de Lyon: 8/day, 5.5 hours, 1 change; Gare d’Austerlitz: 1/day direct, 7.5 hours; 1 night train, 8.5 hours), Toulouse (nearly hourly, 1 hour), Barcelona (1/day direct, 2.5 hours, 4/day with change in Narbonne, 2-3 hours).
The land around Carcassonne is carpeted with vineyards and littered with romantically ruined castles, ancient abbeys, and photogenic villages. The castle remains of Peyrepertuse and Quéribus make terrific stops between Carcassonne and Collioure (allow 2 hours from Carcassonne on narrow, winding roads; from the castles it’s another 1.5 hours to Collioure). You can also link them on a fine loop trip from Carcassonne. The gorge-sculpted village of Minerve, 45 minutes northeast of Carcassonne, works well for Provence-bound travelers.
Getting There: Public transportation is hopeless; taxis for up to six people cost €300 for a daylong excursion (taxi tel. 04 68 71 50 50). See here for excursion bus and minivan tours to these places.
About two hours south of Carcassonne, in the scenic foothills of the Pyrenees, you’ll find a series of surreal, mountain-capping castle ruins. Like a Maginot Line of the 13th century, these cloud-piercing castles were strategically located between France and the Spanish kingdom of Roussillon. As you can see by flipping through the picture books in Carcassonne’s tourist shops, these castles’ crumbled ruins are an impressive contrast to the restored walls of La Cité. If you go, bring a hat (there’s no shade) and sturdy walking shoes—and prepare for a vigorous climb.
Connect these castles (ultimately with Collioure if you want) along this incredibly scenic, two-hour drive: From Carcassonne drive to Limoux, then Couiza. At Couiza follow little D-14 to Bugarach (passing through Languedoc’s only spa town, Rennes-le-Château). Near Bugarach, views open to rocky ridgelines hovering above dense forests. You’ll soon see signs leading the way to Peyrepertuse. At Cubières, canyon lovers can detour to the Gorges de Galamus, driving partway into the teeth of white-rock slabs that seem to get closer the farther in you go (those looping back to Carcassonne can do the whole canyon on their way back). Peyrepertuse is a short hop from Cubières; you’ll pass snack stands and view cafés on the twisty drive up. After visiting this Cathar castle, your next destination—Quéribus—is a well-signed, 15-minute drive away. From Quéribus it’s a 1.5-hour drive to the seaside village of Collioure (follow signs in direction: Maury, then direction: Perpignan). If returning to Carcassonne, follow signs for Maury, then St-Paul-de-Fenouillet, then drive through the Gorges de Galamus and track D-14 to Bugarach, Couiza, Limoux, and Carcassonne.
The most spectacular Cathar castle is Peyrepertuse (pay-ruh-pair-twos), where the ruins rise from a splinter of cliff: Try to spot it on your drive up from the village. From the parking lot, you’ll first hike downhill, curling around the back of the rock wall, then hike steeply up 15 minutes through a scrubby forest to the fortress. The views are sensational in all directions (including to Quéribus, sticking up from an adjacent ridge—imagine how these two worked in concert). But what’s most amazing is that they could build this place at all. This was a lookout in the Middle Ages, staffed with 25 very lonely men. Today, it’s a scamperer’s paradise with weed-infested structures in varying states of ruin. Let your imagination soar, but watch your step as you try to reconstruct this eagle’s nest—the footing is tricky. Don’t miss the St. Louis stairway to the upper castle ruins—another stiff, 10-minute climb straight up.
Cost and Hours: €6.50, €8.50 in July-Aug, daily April-Sept 9:00-19:00, until 20:00 July-Aug, shorter hours off-season, theatrical audioguide-€4 (narrated from the perspective of a French captain posted here), free handout gives plenty of background for most, tel. 04 82 53 24 07, www.chateau-peyrepertuse.com).
While Peyrepertuse rides along a high ridge, this bulky castle caps a mountaintop and delivers even more amazing views (find the snow-covered peaks of the Pyrenees). It owns a similar history to Peyrepertuse but has an easier (but still uphill) footpath to access the site and gentler climbing within the ruins. It’s famous as the last Cathar castle to fall, and was abandoned after 1659, when the border between France and Spain was moved farther south into the high Pyrenees.
Cost and Hours: €6.50, daily May-Sept 9:30-19:00, until 24:00 July-Aug, shorter hours off-season, same audioguide concept as at Peyrepertuse-€4, good handout, tel. 04 68 45 03 69, www.cucugnan.fr).
Sleeping near Peyrepertuse and Quéribus: To really get away (and I mean really), sleep in the lovely little village of Cucugnan, located between the castles. $$ L’Ecurie de Cucugnan is a friendly bed-and-breakfast with five comfortable rooms at great rates, a view pool, and a shady garden, but the staff doesn’t speak English (Sb-€58, Db-€68, includes breakfast, 2-room house-€550/week, 18 Rue Achille Mir, tel. 04 68 33 37 42, mobile 06 76 86 38 52, ecurie.cucugnan@orange.fr).
$$ Bergerie Ferrairolles, about 16 miles northeast of the castle ruins, is a four-room ecological guesthouse run by a Franco-Dutch couple, Rolinka and Antoine. Located in remote Villeneuve-les-Corbières, it’s 30 minutes from the Mediterranean and surrounded by Cathar castles, olive trees, and vineyards (Db-€80, includes breakfast, cash or PayPal only, ask about home-cooked dinners with wine-€25, tel. 09 88 99 34 33, www.ferrairolles.fr, contact@ferrairolles.fr).
The next two Cathar sights tie in well with a visit to Caunes-Minervois (where I recommend accommodations—see here) and provide an easy excursion from Carcassonne, offering you a taste of this area’s appealing countryside.
Ten miles north of Carcassonne, these four ruined castles cap a barren hilltop and give drivers a handy (if less dramatic) look at the region’s Cathar castles. From Carcassonne, follow signs to Mazamet, then Conques-sur-Orbiel, then Lastours. In Lastours you can hike to the castle or drive to a viewpoint.
Hikers park at the lot as they enter the village, walk five minutes upriver to the glass entry, then walk 20 minutes uphill to the castles (allow at least an hour for a reasonable tour and wear sturdy walking shoes). The castles, which once surrounded a fortified village, date from the 11th century. The village welcomed Cathars (becoming a bishop’s seat at one point) but paid for this tolerance with destruction by French troops in 1227. Everyone should make the short drive to the belvedere for a smashing panorama over the castles—in town, start following belvedere signs, which will lead you a few minutes up to the cliff where you can park and pay for a great view.
Cost and Hours: €6 for castles and belvedere viewpoint, €2 for viewpoint only; daily July-Aug 9:00-20:00, April-June and Sept 10:00-18:00, Oct 10:00-17:00; off-season generally Sat only 10:00-17:00, closed Jan-Feb; tel. 04 68 77 56 02.
Eating: An idyllic lunch awaits near the lower entry at Le Moulin de Lastours, where a small bakery has arranged a few tables serenely overlooking the river (good quiche, sandwiches, drinks, closed Tue off-season, tel. 04 68 25 23 14).
A onetime Cathar hideout with Celtic origins, the spectacular village of Minerve is sculpted out of a swirling canyon that provided a natural defense. Strong as it was, it couldn’t keep out the pope’s armies, and the village was razed during the vicious Albigensian Crusades of the early 1200s.
Getting There: Located between Carcassonne and Béziers, Minerve is seven miles north of Olonzac and 45 minutes by car from Carcassonne. It makes for a good stop between Provence and Carcassonne.
Visiting Minerve: As you arrive, follow the P signs to the parking lot above the village (€3). Take in the views from the cliff at the parking lot, then enter the village and find the TI on the same street (Rue des Martyrs, tel. 04 68 91 81 43, www.minerve-tourisme.fr). Pick up the brochure with a simple self-guided tour of the village describing Minerve’s history, and ask about hiking into the canyon below (not difficult).
Minerve has cool cafés (Café de la Place is my favorite), one hotel, a nifty little bookshop, a few wine shops, and a smattering of art galleries. You’ll also find two small museums: a prehistory museum and the compact Hurepel de Minerve, with models from the Cathar era that effectively describe this terrible time (€3, free for children under 14, excellent English explanations, interesting for kids, daily April-Oct 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed Nov-March, Rue des Martyrs, tel. 04 68 91 12 26).
After your village stroll, explore the canyon below by walking down to the riverbed: Look for a path by the ruined tower near the parking lot, or follow Access Remparts signs from below Café de la Place. A path across the riverbed leads to a catapult and views back to Minerve.
Sleeping and Eating in Minerve: Stay here and melt into southern France (almost literally, if it’s summer). $ Relais Chantovent’s unpretentious and spotless rooms are designed for those who come to get away from it all, with no phones or TV...and ample quiet. All rooms have queen-size beds (Sb-€46, Db-€55, breakfast-€8, tel. 04 68 91 14 18, www.relaischantovent-minerve.fr, relaischantovent@orange.fr). Its sharp restaurant has a marvelous view from its deck and deserves your business; it’s popular, so reserve ahead (menus €23-55, closed Wed year-round, closed Sun and Tue for dinner except July-Aug).
Surrounded by less-appealing resorts, lovely Collioure is blessed with a privileged climate and a romantic setting. By Mediterranean standards, this seaside village should be slammed with tourists—it has everything. Like an ice-cream shop, Collioure offers 31 flavors of pastel houses and six petite, scooped-out, pebbled beaches sprinkled with visitors. The town itself is washed in subtle earth tones, with a few pops of Crayola color on its sun-dappled, tree-shaded squares. This sweet scene, capped by a winking lighthouse, sits under a once-mighty castle in the shade of the Pyrenees.
Just 15 miles from the Spanish border, Collioure (Cotlliure in Catalan) shares a common history and independent attitude with its Catalan siblings across the border. Undeniably French yet proudly Catalan, it flies the yellow-and-red flag of Catalunya, displays street names in French and Catalan, and sports a few business names with el and els, rather than le and les. Sixty years ago, most villagers spoke Catalan; today that language is enjoying a resurgence as Collioure rediscovers its roots.
Come here to unwind and regroup. Even with its crowds of vacationers in peak season (July and August are busy), Collioure is what many look for when they head to the Riviera—a sunny, relaxing splash in the Mediterranean.
Check your ambition at the station. Enjoy a slow coffee on le Med, lose yourself in the old town’s streets, compare the gelati shops on Rue Vauban, sample the fine local wines, and relax on a pebble-sand beach (waterproof shoes are helpful). And if you have a car, don’t miss a drive into the hills above Collioure.
Most of Collioure’s shopping, sights, and hotels are in the old town, near the Château Royal. There are good views of the old town from across the bay near the recommended Hôtel Boramar and brilliant views from the hills above. You can walk from one end of Collioure to the other in 20 minutes.
The TI hides behind the main beachfront cafés at 5 Place du 18 Juin (July-Aug Mon-Sat 9:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-18:00; April-June and Sept Mon-Sat 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-12:30 & 14:30-18:00; Oct-March Mon-Sat 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed Sun; tel. 04 68 82 15 47, www.collioure.com).
By Train: Walk out of the station (no baggage storage), turn right, and follow Rue Aristide Maillol downhill for about 10 minutes until you see Hôtel Fregate (directions to hotels are listed from this reference point—see “Sleeping in Collioure,” later). Before leaving the station, pick up a schedule for Spanish side-trips or for your next destination (station staffed 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:30).
By Car: Collioure is 16 miles south of Perpignan. Take the Perpignan-Sud Sortie exit from the autoroute and follow signs to Argelès-sur-Mer (also called Argelès), then Collioure par la Corniche. Parking is a challenge and almost impossible in summer—arrive early or late. To reach the center, follow Collioure Centre-Ville signs, turn left onto Rue de la République, and look for any available spots. There’s a big pay lot (Parking Glacis) accessed from the intersection of Rue de la République and Avenue du Général de Gaulle; you can also reach it from the bottom of Rue de la République (see map; €12.30/24 hours). I often find a space at Parking Haut Douy, as you drop downhill toward the city center (5-minute walk to the center, but a 4-hour limit—€5/4 hours). The best deal is Parking du Stade, a 15-minute walk from the center past Fort Miradou (on Route du Pla de las Fourques, €4/6 hours, €8/12 hours). In high season, it’s easiest to park at the remote Parking Cap Dourats on the Route de Madeloc (€10.20/24 hours) and take the free shuttle bus into town (3/hour, 10:00-24:00). Once parked, make sure to take everything of value out of the car.
Market Days: Markets are held on Wednesday and Sunday mornings on Place Général Leclerc, across from Hôtel Fregate.
Internet Access: The lighthearted Café Sola, next to the recommended Hôtel Casa Pairal, offers free Wi-Fi if you buy a drink (daily, about 7:00-21:00 or later, 2 Rue de la République, tel. 04 68 82 55 02).
Laundry: A self-serve launderette is at 8 Avenue du Général de Gaulle (daily 7:00-20:00, mobile 06 74 57 17 39).
Taxi: Call 04 68 82 27 80 or mobile 07 62 12 68 68.
Tourist Train: Collioure’s petit train leaves from next to the bridge at the bottom of Rue de la République and toots you to Port Vendres and up to Fort St. Elme for brilliant views, sans sweat (€8 round-trip, 45 minutes).
Notre-Dame des Anges (Our Lady of the Angels Church)
Path of Fauvism (Chemin du Fauvisme)
▲Views Below the Stone Windmill
▲▲Drive/Hike Through Vineyards to Madeloc Tower (Tour de Madeloc)
There’s no important sight here except what lies on the beach and the views over Collioure. Indulge in a long seaside lunch, inspect the colorful art galleries, catch up on your postcards, and maybe take a hike. Don’t be surprised to see French Marines playing commando in their rafts; Collioure’s bay caters to more than just sun-loving tourists. Sightseeing here is best in the evening, when the sky darkens, and yellow lamps reflect warm pastels and deep blues.
Walk out to the jetty’s end, past the church and the little chapel, and find a spot along the rail. Collioure has been popular since well before your visit. For more than 2,500 years, people have battled to control its enviable position on the Mediterranean at the foot of the Pyrenees. The mountains rising behind Collioure provide a natural defense, and its port gives it a commercial edge, making Collioure an irresistible target. A string of forts defended Collioure’s landlocked side. Panning from left to right, you’ll see the low-slung remains of a 17th-century fort, the still-standing Fort St. Elme (built by powerful Spanish king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V—the same guy who built El Escorial near Madrid) at the top of a hill, and then the 2,100-foot-high observation tower of Madeloc, capping the mountain peak. Topping the village to the far right is the 18th-century citadelle, Fort Mirador, now home to a French Marine base. Scattered ruins crown several other hilltops.
Back to the left, that ancient windmill (1344) was originally used for grain; today it grinds out olive oil. The stony soil and dry weather conditions in the hills above Collioure are ideal for growing grapes. Those beautiful terraced vineyards, averaging 250 days of sunshine a year, grow primarily grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre grapes, which make terrific reds and rosés.
Collioure’s medieval town hunkers down between its church and royal château, sandwiched defensively and spiritually between the two. The town was batted back and forth between the French and Spanish for centuries. Locals just wanted to be left alone—as Catalans (most still do today—notice the yellow-and-red Catalan flag flying above the château). The town was Spanish for nearly 400 years before becoming definitively French in 1659 (merci Louis XIV). After years of neglect, Collioure was rediscovered by artists drawn to its pastel houses and lovely setting. Henri Matisse, André Derain, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Raoul Dufy, and Marc Chagall all dipped their brushes here at one time or another. You’re likely to recognize Collioure in paintings in many museums across Europe.
The 800-year-old castle, built over Roman ruins, served as home over the years to Majorcan kings, Crusaders, Dominican monks, and Louis XIV (who had the final say on the appearance we see now). Today it serves tourists, offering great rampart walks, views, and mildly interesting local history exhibits.
Cost and Hours: €4, daily June-Sept 10:00-18:00, July-Aug until 19:00, Oct-May 9:00-17:00, tel. 04 68 82 06 43.
This waterfront church is worth a gander (daily 8:30-18:00). Find a pew and listen to the waves while searching your soul. Supporting a guiding light (in more than one way), the church’s foundations are built into the sea, and its one-of-a-kind lighthouse-bell tower helped sailors return home safely. The highlight is its over-the-top golden altar, unusual in France but typical of Catalan churches across the border. Drop €1 in the box to the left of the altar: lights, cameras, reaction—ooh la la!
As you stroll Collioure’s lanes, you’ll occasionally see faded prints hanging on the walls. You’re on the “Chemin du Fauvisme,” where you’ll find 20 copies of Derain’s and Matisse’s works, inspired by their stays in Collioure in 1905. The Espace Fauve office (behind the TI at 10 Rue de la Prud’homie) has French-only fliers for sale that identify where the copies are mounted in Collioure. No original paintings by Derain or Matisse are here for the public to enjoy. However, the museum in Céret has a good collection (see here), as does the recommended Hôtel les Templiers.
You’ll usually find the best sand-to-stone ratio at Plage de Port d’Avall or Plage St. Vincent (chaise lounge rental-€10/day, paddleboat/kayak rentals-€14-20/hour, summer only). The tiny Plage de la Balette is quietest but rocky, with brilliant views of Collioure.
Collioure and the surrounding area produce well-respected wines, and many shops offer informal tastings of the sweet Banyuls and Collioure reds and rosés. Try Vins d’Auteurs, with a good selection from many wineries and fair prices (next to Hôtel Fregate at 6 Place Maréchal Leclerc, tel. 04 68 55 45 22).
The four views described here offer different perspectives of this splendid area.
For a 15-minute postcard stroll, walk all the way around Collioure’s bay. Crossing the bridge from the main beach, find the promenade that runs around the base of the château and follow the coastline to the Port d’Avall and La Balette beaches—each with a unique personality. At the end of the line (La Balette), you can go back the way you came, or climb up the stairs to the road, and from there make your way up to the windmill (described next).
Stone steps lead five minutes up behind Collioure’s modern art museum to fine views that are positively peachy at sunset. Find the museum’s gateway behind Hôtel Triton, and walk through its stony backyard. Red le moulin signs recommend a clockwise loop up to the windmill and back: Bear left (hugging the museum’s back) and climb up the steps to a small, square structure with fine views. From here, you can huff up another five minutes to the windmill itself (interesting to see, though the views are less obstructed from lower down). The windmill is also the starting point for the next hike.
This vertical hike is best done early or late (there’s no shade) and is worth the sweat, even if you don’t make it to the top (trail starts from windmill described above, allow 30 minutes from there each way). You can’t miss the square castle lurking high above Collioure. The privately owned castle has a rich history (built in 1552 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) and medieval exhibits—pick up the English booklet that explains them (€6, daily April-Sept 10:30-19:00, shorter hours off-season, closed mid-Nov-mid-Feb, mobile 06 64 61 82 42, www.fortsaintelme.com).
Cheaters can drive there via Port Vendres or take Collioure’s petit train up (see “Helpful Hints,” earlier).
Check your vertigo at the hotel, fasten your seatbelt, and take this drive-and-hike combination high above Collioure. The narrow road, hairpin turns, and absence of guardrails only add to the experience, as Collioure shrinks to Lego-size and the clouds become your neighbors. Drive as far as you like on this route—the views get exceptional fast and turnouts allow for panorama appreciation and easy turnarounds.
Leave Collioure, heading toward Perpignan, and look for signs reading Tour de Madeloc at the roundabout just above the train station. Climb through steep and rocky terraced vineyards, following Tour signs and negotiating countless hairpin turns. About six kilometers past the roundabout, you’ll pass a rocky trail leading to Tour de Madeloc. In 10 kilometers (about 20 minutes), you’ll come to a fork in the road with a paved path (marked by a “no entry” symbol that applies to cars) and a road leading downhill. Park at the fork, and walk up the paved path. The views everywhere are magnificent—the Pyrenees on one side, and the beach towns of Port Vendres and Collioure on the other. Allow 40 minutes at a slow-yet-steady pace along the splintered ridgetop to reach the eagle’s-nest setting of the ancient tower (La Tour), now fitted with communication devices. Here you can commune with the gods, but beware—there’s no shade, so do this hike early or late in the day.
The 15-mile, 40-minute coastal drive via the Col de Banyuls into Spain is beautiful and well worth the countless curves, even if you don’t venture past the border.
To visit the wild Salvador Dalí Theater-Museum, take the autoroute to Figueres, which takes about an hour each way (museum: €12; July-Sept daily 9:00-20:00; March-June and Oct Tue-Sun 9:30-18:00, closed Mon; Nov-Feb Tue-Sun 10:30-18:00, closed Mon; last entry 45 minutes before closing, Spanish tel. 972-677-500, www.salvador-dali.org).
Train travelers can also day-trip to Spain, either to Barcelona (9/day, 2-4 hours, transfer in Perpignan or Portbou) or to the closer Figueres (6/day, 2 hours, transfer in Portbou). Get train schedules at the station.
To see the art that Collioure inspired, you’ll have to drive 25 windy miles inland to this pleasing town, featuring fountains and mountains at its doorstep. Céret’s claim to fame is its modern-art museum, with works by some of Collioure’s more famous visitors, including Picasso, Joan Miró, Chagall, and Matisse (€8, daily July-mid-Sept 10:00-19:00, mid-Sept-June 10:00-18:00, closed Tue Oct-March, tel. 04 68 87 27 76, www.musee-ceret.com). Allow 40 minutes to Céret by car, or ride the bus—ask at Collioure’s TI.
Collioure has a fair range of hotels at favorable rates. You have two good choices for your hotel’s location: central, in the old town (closer to train station); or across the bay, with views of the old town (10-minute walk from the central zone, with easier parking).
Directions to the following places are given from the big Hôtel Fregate, at the edge of the old town, a 10-minute walk down from the train station. Price ranges reflect low versus high season.
$$$ Hôtel Casa Pairal***, opposite Hôtel Fregate and hiding down a short alley (behind Café Sola), is a Mediterranean-elegant oasis. Enter to the sounds of a fountain gurgling in the flowery courtyard. Reclining lounges await in the garden and by the pool. The rooms are quiet and tastefully designed. “Privilege” rooms, on the first floor, have high ceilings and small balconies over a courtyard (standard Db-€100-130, “privilege” Db-€145-195, big Db suite with terrace-€195-295, breakfast-€16, air-con, parking-€17/day, Impasse des Palmiers, tel. 04 68 82 05 81, www.hotel-casa-pairal.com, contact@hotel-casa-pairal.com, reserve ahead for room and parking).
$$ Hôtel les Templiers**, in the heart of the old town, has wall-to-wall paintings squeezed in every available space in its main building, a perennially popular café-bar, low-key management, and good-value rooms. The paintings are payments in kind and thank-yous from artists who have stayed here—find the black-and-white photo in the bar of the hotel’s owner with Picasso. They have several types of rooms, in three buildings. In the main building—where you’ll check in for any of these—choose between a view to the castle (Db-€82-98) or facing the quieter back lane (Db-€76-93); many rooms here have traditional Catalan furniture. Their second location, a five-minute walk away on Rue de la République, is a notch lower in quality (and €10 less per room). And they also have a few cheaper, last-resort rooms in another annex across the street from the main building (basic breakfast-€6.50, air-con, elevator, a block toward beach from Hôtel Fregate along drainage canal at 12 Quai de l’Amirauté, tel. 04 68 98 31 10, www.hotel-templiers.com, info@hotel-templiers.com).
$$ Hôtel Princes de Catalogne*** offers 30 comfortable, spacious, contemporary rooms. Get a room on the mountain side, or côté montagne (koh-tay mon-tan-yah), for maximum quiet (Db without mountain view-€70-80, superior Db with view-€80-90, air-con, elevator, limited free parking, next to Casa Pairal, Rue des Palmiers, tel. 04 68 98 30 00, www.hotel-princescatalogne.com, contact@hotel-princescatalogne.com).
$ Numéro 20 Chambres, with eager-to-help hosts Véronique and Noel, is a good budget value. The rooms are simple, clean, spacious, and suitable for families, with small fridges, coffeemakers, and microwaves (Db-€60, Tb-€80, Qb-€100, cash only, no air-con, no elevator, on pedestrian street two blocks past Hôtel Fregate at 20 Rue Pasteur, tel. 04 68 82 15 31, mobile 06 17 50 16 89, www.collioure-chambre-peroneille.fr, numero20ruepasteur@gmail.com).
$$$ Hôtel Relais des Trois Mas**** clings to the hill above La Balette Beach and delivers 23 comfortable, colorfully tiled rooms, many with killer views. They have the best view pool and Jacuzzi in Collioure (standard Db-€150-170, bigger deluxe Db with view-€205-275, suites-€230-455, breakfast-€20, air-con, free valet parking, Michelin-star restaurant with dinner menus from €48 and lunch menus from €30, Route de Port Vendres, tel. 04 68 82 05 07, www.relaisdestroismas.com, contact@relaisdes3mas.com).
$$ Hôtel Boramar**, across the bay from Collioure’s center, is understated and modest (like its owner Thierry), but well-maintained (also like Thierry) and a terrific value. Ten of the 14 rooms face the water, many with balconies, and a fine breakfast terrace faces the beach (Db without view-€65, Db with view-€80, Tb with view-€85, breakfast-€7, no air-con, no elevator, no Wi-Fi, Rue Jean Bart, tel. 04 68 82 07 06, www.hotel-boramar.fr, hotelboramar.collioure@orange.fr).
(See “Collioure” map, here.)
Test the local wine and eat anything Catalan, including the fish and anchovies (hand-filleted, as no machine has ever been able to accomplish this precise task). Consistency is elusive with restaurants in Collioure, but those listed below have been reliable. All of my recommended restaurants have indoor and outdoor tables, and most are in the old town. Your task is to decide whether you want to eat well or with a view. Several delicious gelati shops and a Grand Marnier crêpe stand next to the Café Copacabana fuel after-dinner strollers with the perfect last course. If you’re traveling off-season, call ahead—many restaurants here are closed December through February.
Café Copacabana, on the main beach (Boramar), offers big salads and a few seafood dishes in its sandy café. Skip their sidewalk-bound restaurant (which has a bigger selection but smaller view) and find a chair beachside. The quality is good enough, considering the view, and it’s family-friendly—kids can play on the beach while you dine (€15 plats, daily mid-March-mid-Dec, Plage Boramar, tel. 04 68 82 06 74, best at sunset).
Le Tremail is good for contemporary seafood and Catalan specialties served outside or in. With its colorful tile decor, it feels Spanish. It’s a small and cozy place one block from the bay, where Rue Arago and Rue Mailly meet (€17, €27, and €37 menus, open daily year-round, 16 bis Rue Mailly, tel. 04 68 82 16 10).
The restaurant at the recommended Hôtel les Templiers is popular with locals and dishes up reliable value (daily, 12 Quai de l’Amirauté, tel. 04 68 98 31 10).
Chez-Simone, a lighthearted and très popular budget place, serves €3-6 tapas, cheap tartines, and €13-14 plats with sea views and smiles. Their tapas sampler plates are a fun way to enjoy some variety (daily for lunch and dinner June-Aug, open in good weather only in spring and fall, Boulevard Boramar, tel. 04 68 81 32 47).
Around the Bay: La Plage aux Mouettes, facing Port d’Avall Beach, is a “brasserie on the sea” with reliable seafood-focused cuisine and terrific views (€17-25 plats, daily, next to the recommended Hôtel Boramar at 17 Rue Jean Bart, tel. 04 68 82 31 85).
Brasserie au Casot owns the best setting away from the crowds, past the church on Plage St. Vincent, and serves salads and plats with views for a fair price. Matisse would dig the decor. Ask owner Alix about his homemade sangria (€14-16 plats, generally May-Oct daily 11:00-20:00 weather permitting, Plage St. Vincent, tel. 04 68 22 42 46).
Eating Cheaply: Small places sell a variety of meals to go (à emporter; ah em-pohr-tay) for budget-minded romantics wanting to dine on the bay.
Collioure’s tiny station is staffed from 9:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:30. If you need to buy tickets, do so during those hours (tel. 04 68 82 05 89).
From Collioure by Train to: Carcassonne (8/day, 2 hours, most require change in Narbonne), Paris (8/day, 6-7 hours, 1-2 changes, one direct night train to Gare d’Austerlitz in 12 hours), Barcelona, Spain (8/day, 2-4 hours, most change in Perpignan or Port Bou), Figueres, Spain (6/day, 1-2 hours, most change in Perpignan), Avignon/Arles (8/day, 3.5-4.5 hours, several transfer points possible).