# Carcassonne

A town in the Aude with a medieval double-walled citadel and 52 towers, restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century and a World Heritage Site since 1997.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/france/occitanie/carcassonne · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## What are the Cité and the Bastide?

Carcassonne is two cities. On the hill is the Cité, the medieval citadel: two circuits of walls, 52 towers, the count's castle and the basilica of Saint-Nazaire. Viollet-le-Duc restored it in the 19th century, with pointed slate roofs that don't belong here, and it has been a World Heritage Site since 1997. On the other side of the River Aude, on the plain, is the Bastide Saint-Louis, the 13th-century lower town, with streets in a grid, place Carnot and the shops and bars where people live. They are joined by the Pont Vieux, a stone bridge that can only be crossed on foot.

You can see both in a day. So that the Cité is not just a stage set with souvenir shops, sleep a night: first thing and at dusk, when the groups leave, the streets are empty.

## Do you have to pay to enter?

No. The Cité is a neighbourhood with residents, and its streets, the lists between the two walls and the basilica of Saint-Nazaire can be toured free. You enter on foot through the Porte Narbonnaise, to the east, or through the Porte d'Aude, up a cobbled slope that climbs from the river.

What you pay for is the count's castle and the walk along the top of the walls, run by the Centre des monuments nationaux. Admission costs €19 from April to September and €13 from October to March. It is free for under-18s and for EU citizens aged 18 to 25, with a document. Allow about two hours. It is open from 10:00 to 18:30 in season and from 9:30 to 17:00 in winter, with last admission 45 minutes before closing. It is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. On the first Sunday of January, February and March admission is free.

## What can you see on foot?

A route that works: enter through the Porte Narbonnaise, go round the Cité along the lists, which is the corridor between the two circuits, and go up to the castle. Then pass the basilica of Saint-Nazaire, with its stained glass from the 13th and 14th centuries, and leave by the Porte d'Aude. Go down to the Pont Vieux, cross the river and carry straight on to the Bastide. In place Carnot, with its Neptune fountain, you have your coffee. From there, in ten minutes you reach the port of the Canal du Midi, next to the railway station.

## Is the Canal du Midi worth it?

Yes, for an hour and a half. The canal that links Toulouse with the Mediterranean, from the 17th century, is also a World Heritage Site. From the port of Carcassonne sail panoramic boats, the Lou Gabaret and the Hélios, with commentated trips of 1 h 30 to almost 3 h that pass locks such as Ladouce. According to the Aude tourist office, the adult ticket costs from €10.50 and the child's from €8. There are three departures a day in spring and autumn and eight in July and August. Along the towpath, on foot or by bike, it is flat and in the shade of plane trees.

## And the Cathar castles?

If you have a car and one more day, go south, to the Corbières. Peyrepertuse is an elongated fortress on a rocky ridge. The adult ticket costs from €8 in 2026, and from the car park you climb on foot along a path of about twenty minutes: wear shoes with grip and don't try it in strong wind. Nearby is Quéribus, at the top of a crag. Closer to Carcassonne, to the north, the four castles of Lastours and the abbey of Lagrasse, in a village with a medieval bridge.

## How do you get there from Spain?

By car, from La Jonquera on the A9 motorway to Narbonne and then the A61 towards Toulouse. Both are toll roads. By train, from Barcelona there is a TGV to Narbonne and there you change to an Intercités or a regional train to Carcassonne: the whole journey takes about three hours. The station is in the Bastide, about twenty minutes' walk from the Cité.

## Where do you park?

At the foot of the Cité are the car parks P0, P1 and P2, next to the Narbonnaise and Aude gates: they cost €1 per 15 minutes for the first two hours and then €0.50 per 45 minutes. P1 and P2 are free at night. In the Bastide, the underground car parks give 30 minutes free and then cost €1 an hour. Motorhomes can spend the night in P1, from €20 for 24 hours, or at the Camping de la Cité, with 38 pitches, water and emptying, from €15.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Grandvalira (a 90.0 km · Andorra), Cerdanya (a 93.5 km · Spain), Ordino (a 98.9 km · Andorra), La Massana (a 100.8 km · Andorra)

## Qué hacer
- **Château Comtal and a walk on the ramparts of the Cité** (2 h · All ages; with a pushchair, a baby carrier is better · 19): The only part of the Cité you pay for: the Château Comtal and the walk along the top of the ramparts, with views of the towers and the Bastide. €19 from April to September and €13 from October to March; free for under-18s and for EU citizens aged 18 to 25. Open 10:00 to 18:30 in season and 9:30 to 17:00 in winter, with last entry 45 minutes earlier. Go when it opens.
- **Walking the lists and streets of the Cité** (1 h 30 · 3 km · All ages): The Cité is a neighbourhood with residents and walking round it costs nothing. Enter by the Porte Narbonnaise and circle the citadel along the lists, the passage between the two enclosures, with the 52 towers on one side and the countryside on the other. Between eleven and five on a summer day the main street fills up: walk the lists then and the streets earlier.
- **Canal du Midi cruise from the port of Carcassonne** (1 h 30 · All ages; children aged 3 to 12, €8 · Desde 10.5 € adult): The 17th-century canal that links Toulouse with the Mediterranean, a World Heritage Site, starts at the port of Carcassonne next to the station. The Croisière Cité goes through the Carcassonne lock and the Saint-Jean lock, with a view over the Cité, and returns along the plane-tree-lined towpath. There are longer trips, up to 2 h 45, and in July and August a picnic cruise.
- **Basilica of Saint-Nazaire and its stained glass** (30 min · All ages): The nave is Romanesque and the choir Gothic, with rose windows and 13th- and 14th-century stained glass that are best seen in morning sun. Entry is free. It stands at the southern end of the Cité, two minutes from the castle: pass by on your way to the Porte d'Aude.
- **From the Pont Vieux to the Bastide Saint-Louis** (1 h 30 · 2.5 km · All ages): Leave the Cité by the cobbled slope of the Porte d'Aude, cross the pedestrian Pont Vieux and carry straight on to Place Carnot, with its Neptune fountain, in the 13th-century lower town. It is the best view of the Cité, and at night, when it is lit up, it is worth coming back.
- **The four castles of Lastours** (2 h · From age 7 or 8 with good footwear): Four castles lined up on a ridge between two rivers, north of Carcassonne. You walk up from the village on a stony path and come back the same way; on the opposite side of the valley there is a viewpoint to see them all together. Entry is paid; check times and prices with the tourist office before you go, because in winter it opens fewer days.
- **Château de Peyrepertuse, in the Corbières** (2 h · From age 7 with shoes that grip · Desde 8 € adult): The fortress occupies an entire rocky ridge in the Corbières, south of Carcassonne. From the car park it is about a twenty-minute walk up, and at the top you walk through the two enclosures and up the Saint Louis staircase to the highest point. An adult ticket costs from €8 in 2026. In strong wind it is closed or dangerous. Combine it with Quéribus on the same day.

## Dónde comer
- **Le Saint Jean** (Restaurant, Carcassonne, €€). Qué pedir: The cassoulet, if you come for a meal; for a snack, the tapas on the terrace.
- **Chez Fred** (Restaurant, Carcassonne, €€€). Qué pedir: The cassoulet, with its Académie Universelle du Cassoulet label, and the house foie gras.
- **Brasserie à 4 Temps** (Restaurant, Carcassonne, €€). Qué pedir: The Carcassonne cassoulet; for dessert, the omelette norvégienne.
- **La Table de Franck Putelat** (Restaurant, Carcassonne, €€€€). Qué pedir: The lunch menu is the most affordable way to try the house.

## By car: From Girona, on the A9, in two and a half hours
Carcassonne is very easy by car from Catalonia: the A9 motorway to Narbonne and the A61 towards Toulouse, both toll roads. The car stays in the car park and the Cité, the Pont Vieux and the Bastide are done on foot; pick it up again for Lastours or Peyrepertuse.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–160 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hôtel Le Parc** (Small hotel): A small hotel beside a two-star table
Le Parc opened in 2013 next to La Table de Franck Putelat, Carcassonne's two-Michelin-star restaurant, about 800 metres from the Cité. It has five stars and only seven rooms and suites, of sober design, some with a private jacuzzi. The idea is to sleep after dining at La Table without taking the car, and to walk up to the Cité in the morning.
The rooms
There are seven, between rooms and suites, with or without a private jacuzzi, with refined decor. The hotel is open all year. The chef sells gift boxes for a hotel night and for a night with dinner for two, at La Table or at his Brasserie à 4 Temps: his website publishes them with prices.
Getting there and what is nearby
It is on the Chemin des Anglais, at the foot of the Cité hill, to the south. From the A61 motorway, leave at Carcassonne Est and follow signs to the Cité. On foot, you reach the Porte Narbonnaise in about fifteen minutes; to the Bastide and the station it is about twenty more.
- **Camping de la Cité** (Campsite): A short walk from the ramparts
Camping de la Cité is on the Chemin Bernard Délicieux, south of the citadel, about a 15-minute walk from the ramparts. It is the way to sleep next to the Cité without paying for a hotel inside, and to see the citadel empty early in the morning or lit up at night without taking the car. The Canal du Midi is 3 km away, and there are spaces designed for cyclists and walkers who follow it.
It opens from 16 March to 31 October. Arrivals are from 13:00 to 19:00, and reception has a small shop of souvenirs and products from the Aude.
Pitches and accommodation
The pitches are marked out, are at least 80 m² and take up to six people and two small vehicles, for a tent, caravan or motorhome. To sleep without your own gear there are mini-woods for one or two people, with two beds, USB sockets and a kettle, designed for cyclists; wood-lodges made in Occitania, in a car-free area; and mobile homes for four to eight, one of them adapted. There is a swimming pool and a play area.
In low season the minimum booking is two nights and in high season four; for fewer nights, turn up at reception and they will find you a spot if there is one.
Motorhomes and dogs
Next to the campsite there is a motorhome area open all year, with no booking, no toilets or electricity, with waste emptying and ten minutes of water per 24 hours included. The campsite accepts dogs: two per pitch and one per mobile home, with a park for them to run in.
- **Hôtel Le Donjon** (Hotel): Sleeping inside the walls
Le Donjon is a four-star hotel inside the Cité, in old stone houses that look onto interior gardens with aromatic herbs and centuries-old lime trees. Sleeping inside is what changes the visit: early in the morning and at night, when the groups leave, the streets belong to those staying here. The hotel carries the European Ecolabel.
Rooms, bar and brasserie
There are 43 rooms and some suites, each different, in stone and wood. The hotel has a bar and its own brasserie, Chez Christine, seating 150, where you can eat at any time of day, and lounges used for meetings and garden weddings.
Getting there and parking
Cars do not drive through the Cité. Park in the car parks at the Porte Narbonnaise (P1, P2), which are free at night, and go in on foot with your luggage: the cobbles and slopes matter if you have big suitcases. From the railway station it is about twenty minutes on foot or a short taxi ride.
### Servicios
- **Carcassonne Tourist Office**: Information on the Cité, the Bastide, the Canal du Midi and the Cathar castles; car parks and motorhome areas
- **Car parks P1 and P2 at the Cité**: Next to the Porte Narbonnaise · €1 per 15 min for the first two hours · free at night · motorhomes from €20 per 24 h in P1
- **Carcassonne railway station**: In the Bastide, next to the Canal du Midi port · trains from Narbonne, with a connection from Barcelona · 20 min on foot from the Cité

## Luxury: A night inside the Cité and a two-star table
Luxury in Carcassonne means sleeping where the groups go home from: inside the Cité or at the foot of the hill, next to Franck Putelat's two-star restaurant.
Presupuesto orientativo: From €350 por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Hôtel Le Parc** (Small hotel): A small hotel beside a two-star table
Le Parc opened in 2013 next to La Table de Franck Putelat, Carcassonne's two-Michelin-star restaurant, about 800 metres from the Cité. It has five stars and only seven rooms and suites, of sober design, some with a private jacuzzi. The idea is to sleep after dining at La Table without taking the car, and to walk up to the Cité in the morning.
The rooms
There are seven, between rooms and suites, with or without a private jacuzzi, with refined decor. The hotel is open all year. The chef sells gift boxes for a hotel night and for a night with dinner for two, at La Table or at his Brasserie à 4 Temps: his website publishes them with prices.
Getting there and what is nearby
It is on the Chemin des Anglais, at the foot of the Cité hill, to the south. From the A61 motorway, leave at Carcassonne Est and follow signs to the Cité. On foot, you reach the Porte Narbonnaise in about fifteen minutes; to the Bastide and the station it is about twenty more.
- **Hôtel Le Donjon** (Hotel): Sleeping inside the walls
Le Donjon is a four-star hotel inside the Cité, in old stone houses that look onto interior gardens with aromatic herbs and centuries-old lime trees. Sleeping inside is what changes the visit: early in the morning and at night, when the groups leave, the streets belong to those staying here. The hotel carries the European Ecolabel.
Rooms, bar and brasserie
There are 43 rooms and some suites, each different, in stone and wood. The hotel has a bar and its own brasserie, Chez Christine, seating 150, where you can eat at any time of day, and lounges used for meetings and garden weddings.
Getting there and parking
Cars do not drive through the Cité. Park in the car parks at the Porte Narbonnaise (P1, P2), which are free at night, and go in on foot with your luggage: the cobbles and slopes matter if you have big suitcases. From the railway station it is about twenty minutes on foot or a short taxi ride.

## By plane: Fly to Toulouse and take a train or car to Carcassonne
Toulouse-Blagnac is the airport with the most useful direct flights from Spain for Carcassonne: from Madrid all year round and, depending on the season, from other cities. From there, a good hour on the A61 motorway. From Barcelona the train or car is better than flying.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hôtel Le Parc** (Small hotel): A small hotel beside a two-star table
Le Parc opened in 2013 next to La Table de Franck Putelat, Carcassonne's two-Michelin-star restaurant, about 800 metres from the Cité. It has five stars and only seven rooms and suites, of sober design, some with a private jacuzzi. The idea is to sleep after dining at La Table without taking the car, and to walk up to the Cité in the morning.
The rooms
There are seven, between rooms and suites, with or without a private jacuzzi, with refined decor. The hotel is open all year. The chef sells gift boxes for a hotel night and for a night with dinner for two, at La Table or at his Brasserie à 4 Temps: his website publishes them with prices.
Getting there and what is nearby
It is on the Chemin des Anglais, at the foot of the Cité hill, to the south. From the A61 motorway, leave at Carcassonne Est and follow signs to the Cité. On foot, you reach the Porte Narbonnaise in about fifteen minutes; to the Bastide and the station it is about twenty more.
- **Hôtel Le Donjon** (Hotel): Sleeping inside the walls
Le Donjon is a four-star hotel inside the Cité, in old stone houses that look onto interior gardens with aromatic herbs and centuries-old lime trees. Sleeping inside is what changes the visit: early in the morning and at night, when the groups leave, the streets belong to those staying here. The hotel carries the European Ecolabel.
Rooms, bar and brasserie
There are 43 rooms and some suites, each different, in stone and wood. The hotel has a bar and its own brasserie, Chez Christine, seating 150, where you can eat at any time of day, and lounges used for meetings and garden weddings.
Getting there and parking
Cars do not drive through the Cité. Park in the car parks at the Porte Narbonnaise (P1, P2), which are free at night, and go in on foot with your luggage: the cobbles and slopes matter if you have big suitcases. From the railway station it is about twenty minutes on foot or a short taxi ride.
### Servicios
- **Carcassonne Tourist Office**: Information on the Cité, the Bastide, the Canal du Midi and the Cathar castles; car parks and motorhome areas
- **Carcassonne railway station**: In the Bastide, next to the Canal du Midi port · trains from Narbonne, with a connection from Barcelona · 20 min on foot from the Cité

## As a family: Free ramparts for under-18s and a short boat trip

Carcassonne is a fairy-tale castle town and works with children of almost any age: under-18s don't pay for the castle and ramparts, and the lists can be walked for free.

### What works best
The Château Comtal and the walk on the ramparts, free up to 18

The lists, between the two walls, for running about without cars

The Canal du Midi boat, 1 h 30, children aged 3 to 12 at €8

Peyrepertuse or Lastours, with children who already walk well

### Where to stay
Camping de la Cité, with a swimming pool, play areas and mobile homes for families

Hôtel Le Donjon, inside the Cité

### Where to eat
Le Saint Jean, children's menu at €12

Brasserie à 4 Temps, open all day

### Bear in mind
Cobbles and stairs: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair

In summer, the castle first thing and the pool in the afternoon

### Qué hacer as a family
- Château Comtal and a walk on the ramparts of the Cité
- Walking the lists and streets of the Cité
- Canal du Midi cruise from the port of Carcassonne
- Basilica of Saint-Nazaire and its stained glass
- From the Pont Vieux to the Bastide Saint-Louis
- The four castles of Lastours
- Château de Peyrepertuse, in the Corbières

## With young children: Towers, a boat and a swimming pool

With small children, the Cité is better enjoyed in short spells: a walk along the lists, the canal boat and an afternoon at the campsite pool.

### What works best
The lists and streets of the Cité, free and car-free

The Canal du Midi boat, with two locks that pass slowly

A stroll over the pedestrian Pont Vieux

### Where to stay
Camping de la Cité, with a swimming pool and play area

### Where to eat
Children's menu at Le Saint Jean

Brasserie à 4 Temps, with no strict hours

### Bear in mind
The stairs on the ramparts are not for pushchairs

In August, avoid the main street at midday

### Qué hacer with young children
- Walking the lists and streets of the Cité
- Canal du Midi cruise from the port of Carcassonne
- Basilica of Saint-Nazaire and its stained glass
- From the Pont Vieux to the Bastide Saint-Louis

## With teenagers: Cathar castles high on the rock

To teenagers the Cité can feel like a film set. What hooks them is climbing: the wall-walk along the ramparts and, outside, the Cathar castles perched on the ridges.

### What works best
The walk on the ramparts of the Château Comtal, free up to 18

Peyrepertuse, with the climb and the Saint Louis staircase

The four castles of Lastours

### Where to stay
Camping de la Cité, at the foot of the ramparts

### Where to eat
Cassoulet at the Brasserie à 4 Temps

### Bear in mind
In strong wind, Peyrepertuse is dangerous

Wear shoes that grip for the castles

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Château Comtal and a walk on the ramparts of the Cité
- The four castles of Lastours
- Château de Peyrepertuse, in the Corbières

## Consejos

### Enter early or at the end of the afternoon
From eleven to five, in summer, the groups fill the main street of the Cité. First thing you have it almost to yourself.

### Do the castle at opening time
The first hour of the castle and the wall walk is the quietest, and in summer the one when the stone is least hot.

### Go down by the Porte d'Aude
It is the exit that leads to the Pont Vieux and the best view of the Cité from the river.

### Order cassoulet in the Bastide
It is the dish of the Aude: white beans with duck confit and sausage, baked in an earthenware pot. It is hearty: order it for lunch, not dinner.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much time do I need to see Carcassonne?
A full day for the Cité, the castle, the Pont Vieux and the Bastide. With two days you add the Canal du Midi and a Cathar castle.

### How much does it cost to enter the castle and walls?
€19 from April to September and €13 from October to March. Under-18s and EU citizens aged 18 to 25 enter free.

### Can I drive into the Cité?
No. You park in the paid car parks next to the Porte Narbonnaise or the Porte d'Aude and go in on foot.

### Can I go by train from Barcelona?
Yes, with a change at Narbonne. The journey takes about three hours, and from Carcassonne station you reach the Cité on foot in about twenty minutes.

### Is it worth sleeping in the Cité?
Yes, if you can. At night and at dawn the streets empty and it is another city. The Bastide is cheaper and next to the station.

### Can I go with children?
Yes. They like the walk along the walls, under-18s don't pay and the canal boat is short. With a pushchair, the cobbles and the steps on the walls are hard going: a carrier is better.