Tour of Carcassonne

Carcassonne is the largest surviving medieval walled city in Europe, now a UNESCO world heritage site, incorporating: a Medieval Cité, the Château Comtal, and the spectacular Basilica of Saint Saint Nazaire and Saint Celse.

Tour Options
Tour Access Difficulty Rating
Scheduled Tour Dates
What You'll See
What You'll Learn About
Tour Start Point
Your Tour Leader

 

 

Tour Options

  • One-day scheduled tours
  • One day of one-Week scheduled tours
  • One day of Private tours

This tour is usually a full day.

 

We now offer a short self-guided tour, using the VoiceMap App, just click on this link

 

 

 

Difficulty Rating

Very easy walk on the flat, but with steps

 

 

Scheduled Tour Dates & Times

Available as scheduled and private tours

Times for the day tour: 9.45am - 5 pm.

 

 

 

What You'll See and Do

The largest surviving medieval walled city in Europe, now a UNESCO world heritage site, incorporating:

Medieval Cité: The vestiges of the medieval walled city, reflecting Roman, Visigothic, Moorish, Frankish, Occitan and French phases of building. The double curtain walls and lists in between.

Château Comtal (Count's Castle) : exterior and interior of the medieval castle constructed by the Viscounts of Carcassonne within the Cité walls.

Basilica of Saint Saint Nazaire and Saint Celse: Exterior and interior, including the tomb-stone of Simon de Montfort.

 

 

 

What You'll Learn About

  • Oppida, Castra and Bourgs.
  • The Counts and Viscounts of Carcassonne - The Trencavel family.
  • Crusading.
  • Carcassonne and Catharism
  • Cathar v Catholic Theology
  • Carcassonne and the Albigensian Crusade
  • Medieval siege warfare and siege engines: siege techniques and counter techniques.
  • The Siege of 1209, including lead-up and consequences
  • The cathedral, now a basilica + Simon de Montfort and Saint Dominic
  • The siege of 1240, including lead-up and consequences
  • The Inquisition at Carcassonne
  • 19th century restoration of the Medieval Cité, Château Comtal (Count's Castle), and Basilica of Saint Saint Nazaire and Saint Celse

 

 

 

Tour Start Point

Statue of Dame Carcas outside the
Narbonne Gate,
Cité Médiévale,
11000 Carcassonne -
Aude,
Languedoc-Roussillon
France

Lat. N 43.206652
Long. E 2.365955

 

 

 

 

Tour Leader

The tour is lead by the author and historian James McDonald >>>

 

 

Carcassonne from a Distance

 

Carcassonne from the Air

 

Cathars being Expelled from Carcassonne in 1209

 
 

Castle of Carcassonne - City Well

 
 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 
 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 

 

 

at the Castle of Carcassonne - Dame Carca

 
 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 
 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 
 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 
 

Walls of the Cité of Carcassonne

 
 

Carcassonne - Aude Gate

 
 
 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 

Walls of the Cité of Carcassonne

 

Carcassonne - Basilica

 

Carcassonne - Basilica

 

Carcassonne - Basilica - Representation of "heresy"

 

Carcassonne - Hourdes

 

Carcassonne - Basilica

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal - Roof

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal - Museum - Trebuchet Bullets

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 

Walls of the Cité of Carcassonne - Inside the Lists

 

Carcassonne - The House of the Dominican Inquisition

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 

Walls of the Cité of Carcassonne

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 

Carcassonne - Basilica

 

Carcassonne - Château Comtal

 
 
 

Walls of the Cité of Carcassonne

 




Our Tours

A selection of our tours and other services. Click on one of the boxes for more information

Scheduled One-Week Tours

Join one of our scheduled week-long tours which take place in May/June and September each year, including iconic sites such as Montsegur.

Private Tours for Individuals

Customised Tours for 1 person to 5 people: you get to chose how long the tour is, where you visit, and what topics you want to learn about.

Private Group Tours

Customised Tours for groups of 6 or more: you get to chose how long the tour is, where you visit, what topics you want to learn about, and where you stay.