Hotels in Carcassonne, France

A little about Carcassonne...

Carcassonne (Carcassona in Occitan) is a fortified French town, in the Aude département of which it is the préfecture, in the former province of Languedoc. It is separated into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. The folk etymology – involving a châtelaine named Carcas, a ruse ending a siege and the joyous ringing of bells ("Carcas sona") – though memorialized in a neo-Gothic sculpture of Mme Carcas on a column near the Narbonne Gate—is of modern invention. The fortress, which was thoroughly restored from 1853 by the theorist and architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997.

The town is located 90 km (56 miles) south-east of Toulouse. It stands in the gap between the Pyrenees and the Massif Central of France. Carcassonne is at the crossing of two major traffic routes in use since Antiquity: the route leading from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and that from the Massif Central to Spain, skirting the Pyrenees.

Main Sights:
The Fortified City

Pont Marengo - The Pont Marengo (Marengo bridge) crosses the Canal du Midi and links Carcassonne to the local railway station. The lock is very busy and a favourite tourist attraction as the canal boats work their way along the canal. The plaque on the bridge dates the work to 1800 or as it also says year 8, measuring time in the new republic. The bridge is named after the Battle of Marengo at which Napoleon defeated the Austrians in 1800. A little way down from the bridge the railway line crosses the canal and here there is a small plaque and garden commemorating the maquisards who were executed here by the Nazis.

Lac de la Cavayère is an artificial lake in the Languedoc-Roussillon région of France, close to the mediaeval town of Carcassonne. It is a short distance from the town of Carcassonne and has been made into a popular recreation area. The lake has good beaches and quiet inlets. Ducks and wildfowl are common and the 400,000 m² surrounding area is notable for a diversity of habitats, flora and fauna.

The beaches slope gently and there are well supervised bathing areas. Boats are available for rent and there are picnic areas and a crazy golf course as well as a nearby chateau.