High above is an ancient walled citadel, below is the bustling lower town. Frank Dillondiscovers a wealth of history and modern culture in Carcassonne
WALLED CITADELS don't get much better than Carcassonne, but this fairy-tale medieval stronghold in the Languedoc region of southern France is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success.
In high season you'll struggle against crowds as you climb the cobbled streets that lead to the 12th-century castle and beautiful Basilica of St Nazaire, perched high above the modern city. It is far better experienced in low season, from January to May, when you can enjoy its attractions in comfort.
La Cité, as this walled town is known locally, is a Unesco World Heritage site that gets three million visitors a year. It has been used as the backdrop for films such as Robin Hood, Prince of Thievesand inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and it is the setting for Kate Mosse's historical novel Labyrinth.
You can get escorted tours of its castle, Chateau Comtal, or, for a lighter or more ghoulish take on its history, visit its haunted house - not for the fainthearted. La Cité has three kilometres of ramparts to walk, from where you get a view of local vineyards and the lower town.
I prefer it at night, when the crowds ease and the souvenir shops close. The entire citadel is floodlit, and you get a sense of its history as you stroll up its narrow winding streets. At its summit, terrace restaurants buzz in the enclosed square of Place Marcou. You can eat outdoors for most of the year: Languedoc claims to have 300 days of sunshine annually.
According to one fable, Carcassonne's name derives from one of its medieval inhabitants, Dame Carcas, who gambled the city's fortunes by fattening its last pig and throwing it over the walls to invaders during a siege. Disheartened that food was seemingly so plentiful within the walls, the invaders gave up and left.
The truth is more prosaic. Carcassonne dates back to Roman times, as a colony of Julia Carcaso from 100 BC, later becoming a stronghold of the Cathars, but its walls have indeed resisted many sieges.
Today the invasion is by tourists on budget flights to its tiny airport. Ryanair has transformed the city's fortunes over the past decade, leading to a burgeoning of good hotels and restaurants and a boom in renovation projects.
Carcassonne is a tale of two cities. The Bastide St Louis, or lower town, provides a good foil to the medieval citadel. Laid out in a chequerboard style in 1260, the Bastide is a small working city with a nucleus of narrow streets leading to elegant sun-drenched boulevards. It's the real deal: fewer tourist traps, beautiful bakeries and cafes and a more relaxed pace.
At its centre is a square, Place Carnot, that comes to life with a bustling food market every Saturday. The square is covered in a blanket of colour as local farmers and craft producers sell fruit, vegetables, spices, cheese and charcuterie. You can graze your way for free around Place Carnot; local wine producers are also happy to let you sample their wares.
Brass bands add to the carnival atmosphere in the sunshine.
By lunchtime the market has been cleared with military precision by council cleaners, and cafés and bars spill on to the square once more.
Spend the afternoon sipping rosé and sampling local dishes such as cassoulet, the local stew of duck, sausage and haricot beans. But be warned: it's filling, and you'll want neither a starter nor a dessert.
Last month Place Carnot was turned into an ice rink and Christmas market. At the height of summer, in August, it becomes a venue for free concerts in the annual Bastide Festival.
The Bastide has a good selection of small shops leading away from the square; lingerie and shoe shops, especially, are in abundance around the main shopping street, Rue Georges Clemenceau. If you're self-catering, do what the locals do and buy your meat and fish at the fine indoor market, Les Halles, on Rue Albert Tomey; it's open from dawn until lunchtime.
A five-minute stroll leads to the port of the famous Canal du Midi, which connects the Atlantic at Bordeaux to the Mediterranean at Narbonne. For those for whom a beach is an essential part of any holiday, Carcassonne has its solution, despite being 60km from the Med. The artificial lake beach at Lac de la Cavayère lies at the centre of a nature park, a 15-minute bus ride from the city. If you want the real thing, you can get to the Med in an hour by hiring a car or taking a train to Narbonne.
Evenings are all about dining, and the food is good if not spectacular. You won't find any lager louts or, indeed, too many bars open in the evening, although Café Habana, on Place Carnot, is a handy spot for a nightcap.
In the summer Carcassonne also hosts a number of cultural festivals, with fans of jazz, opera and pop all catered for. Bastille Day, on July 14th, sees a spectacular fireworks display above La Cité.
Locals are friendly and well used to tourists, so a working knowledge of French isn't strictly necessary.
Indeed, you might be disappointed at how little French you learn here. Waiting staff have a habit of cutting you off mid- sentence when you try to speak en français, spoiling your fun by addressing you in English. But that's a small gripe about an otherwise magical city.
Go there
Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies to Carcassonne from Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go on a trip to the city
5 places to stay
Hôtel de la Cité. Place Auguste Pont, 00-33-4- 68719871, www.hoteldelacite. com. Five-star hotel next to Basilica St Nazaire. Baronial halls, Gothic arches, manicured gardens and the best views in Carcassonne. Packages from €175 in low season.
Le Terminus. Avenue Maréchal Joffre, 00-33-4- 68252500, www.hoteldusoleil- terminus. abcsalles.com. Olde-worlde railway-hotel grandeur. Enormous bathrooms. Negotiate for a corner suite overlooking the Bastide or the canal.
Hôtel Donjon. Rue du Comte Roger, 00-33-4-68112300, www.hotel-donjon.fr. Part of the Best Western group, this hotel in the heart of La Cité has a good range of modern facilities. Private garden and good adjoining restaurant. Singles from about €100 a night low season.
Tricolour Apartments. Boulevard Commt Roumens, 00-33-6-78514079, www.thetricolour.com. Elegant self-contained apartments in a period town house restored and run by Irish owners. On the edge of the Bastide.
Hôtel des Trois Couronnes, Rue des Trois Couronnes, 00-33-4-68253610, www.hotel-destroiscouronnes.com. Modern three-star hotel with a rooftop restaurant offering magnificent views of the medieval city and a good wine list. One of 1800hotels.com's top picks. Call 1800-468357 for deals.
5 places to eat
Le Saint Jean. Place Saint Jean, 00-33-4-68474243, www.le-saint-jean.fr. In the heart of La Cité, this elegant restaurant serves excellent foie gras with figs and magret and confit de canard, and has a good wine list.
Auberge de Dame Carcas. Place du Chateau, 00-33-4-68712323, www.damecarcas.com. Just off the square in La Cité, this excellent mid-range restaurant specialises in pork dishes. Try the suckling pork with honey sauce. Closely arranged tables make for an intimate experience.
La Rotonde. Boulevard Omer Srault, 00-33-4- 68250237. Buzzy atmosphere, great value and unpretentious classic French fare in the Bastide. Serves one of the best cassoulets in town.
Le Bistro d'Augustin. Avenue Maréchal Joffre, 00-33-4- 68251424. High ceilings and comfortable booths in this elegant vintage restaurant next door to the Terminus hotel. Specialities include a medley of shellfish (moules, oysters, linguistines and crab) on a bed of ice served with crusty aioli-infused bread.
Le Longchamps. Place Carnot, 00-33-4-68251522. The best venue for a terrace lunch in the main square. Simple food for families with low-cost set menus. The more adventurous can sample pavé de cheval (horse steak).
5 places to go
La Cité. See Château Compal, Basilica St Nazaire and Maison Haunté, the museum of inquisition and torture. There's also a combat museum where you can learn swordfighting from experts - and if you're lucky you could come across a falconry display.
Museum of Fine Arts. Rue de Verdun, 00-33-4-68777370. Selection of paintings by European artists from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, ceramics and objets d'art. Guided tours by request. Open Tuesday to Saturday.
Canal du Midi. Take a boat trip to Trebes, where you can get off and have a meal. Tickets available at the harbour.
Lac de la Cavayère. Catch a bus for €1 at Place Gambetta and head to Carcassonne beach. There's a small snack bar, and you can hire paddle boats or explore its large nature reserve.
Place Carnot. Take in the colour, sounds and smells of the market on Saturday, then relax and enjoy a café crème or glass of wine outside La Cité des Arômes cafe.
Check out
At night, Carcassonne itself is the star: the floodlit medieval city is a magical setting for romantic walks (but wear comfortable shoes, for the cobblestones). If you still want to party, there's an Irish pub with live music, O'Sheridan's (13 Rue Victor Hugo, 00-33-4-68720658).
Shopping
This isn't a town for value shopping, and the narrow, labyrinthine streets are a challenge if you're looking for something specific, but you will stumble across some charming little shops, such as DiMeo (Rue de la Liberté, 00-33-4- 68711996), which has designer costume jewellery, as well as Murano glassware and sculpture.
For more
See www.carcassonne.org, the city's visitor website.