Carcassonne: Carcassonne, the XXL medieval city

The secret of a successful holiday lies in its preparation.

For an overview and useful advice, there's no better place than the town's Tourist Office. 28 rue de Verdun or Impasse Agnès de Montpellier, 11000 Carcassonne. Or call 04 68 10 24 30.

We advise you to get organised and prioritise your activities, especially if you have children whom you are taking on this adventure. Frankly, there's something for everyone, and you don't want to miss out on any of them. To find out more, take a look at the Tourist Office website below, which is very well done and full of information.

As children love to let off steam at the same time as playing in the water, a trip to Lac de la Cavayère is a must. It's a great opportunity to relax in a family atmosphere while enjoying the coolness of the place. There are plenty of activities on offer, including an accrobranche (tree climbing), a welcome change from long visits to the town. But above and beyond the lake itself, it's the floating park, with its course of floating structures and slides, right up to the water jumps (giant slides), that will be the highlight of your trip here (just 20 minutes by car from Carcassonne intra muros!).

You should also be aware that, while there are many events organised here each year, the Festival de la Cité Médiévale takes place every year in July and the Festival de Carcassonne in August.

Access to the Cité Médiévale is free and open all the time.

The Carca'Pass
The city has come up with a pass that offers many advantages and discounts. It gives you access to promotional rates and benefits from the many tourist partners in Carcassonne and the surrounding area: visits to sites, activities, tastings, restaurants, shows, transport, local produce, etc. It is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase. If you are travelling from other Occitan towns, you will be entitled to a 50% discount and a free Carca'Pass with the purchase of your SNCF évasiO' ticket.

Preparing your visit to the medieval town There are a number of guided tours available, on foot, in a horse-drawn carriage or even on a miniature train. First of all, you should know that the Tourist Office offers guided tours all year round, both during the day and in the evening.

Basically, there are 3 types of guided tour available: the standard tour (which goes from the ramparts to the outside of the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire via the Château Comtal), the guided tour for children (aged 6 to 12 accompanied by a guide in period costume) and the night-time guided tour with lanterns (which does not take place all year round).

Not all the sites within the medieval city are open to the public, and you will need to book to visit the Château Comtal and the ramparts.

Admission:
- €9.50
- Free for under-26s for the self-guided tour.

The château and ramparts are open daily from 9.30am to 5pm and from 10am to 6.30pm between April and September. Closed on 1st January, 1st May, 1st and 25th December.

Pushchairs are not allowed on the monument; no storage space is available. It is advisable to use a baby carrier. Pets are not allowed inside the château. There is no luggage storage on the premises. It is forbidden to eat or smoke in the monument.

If you are coming by car
According to a municipal by-law, it is forbidden to drive in the medieval town from 10am to 7pm. If you are coming by car, you can leave your vehicle at the moat in the "Hotel customer car park", which is free but not supervised between 01:00 and 08:00. Please note that the Hôtel de la Cité has a shuttle bus service between this car park and the hotel entrance. Of course, you'll need your car to go to Lac de la Cavayère, the Limousis cave, the Cabrespine chasm or to visit the Cathar castles and the Montagne Noire.

Carcassonne: what to eat and drink
Excellent restaurants nestle in the protective cocoon of the historic city, including 2 Michelin-starred restaurants: La Table de Franck Putelat (Hotel Le Parc) and La Barbacane, by chef Jérôme Ryon, winner of the Prix Culinaire International Pierre Taittinger in 2005. Without reaching that level of perfection, one of the best restaurants is undoubtedly the local one, as the Languedoc cook loves his land and its produce and knows how to show them off to best advantage. Having said that, unless you have friends on the spot, you'll go to the restaurant, where there's no shortage of choice. Take your time to choose, though, and skip the fast-food, pizzeria or sushi bar and concentrate on the many quality restaurants serving local cuisine.

As for wine, you're on the edge of the Minervois region. So don't leave without trying a good bottle from Domaine Ancely, classified as a Minervois-la-Livinière, a blend of Syrah and Grenache that produces aromas of cherry and red fruit. All around you, a host of vins de pays d'Oc are waiting to be tasted. Rich, powerful wines, with an almost infinite range of tastes, at some of the most affordable prices in France. Find out for yourself.

Carcassonne: what to bring back
The choice is yours! First of all, as you're bound to be a gourmand, you'll be able to return home with preserved local produce for the festive season: cassoulet and foie gras are musts, but so are Toulouse sausages with lentils or Tarbais beans, and duck confits! You'll find delicatessens in town (such as La Ferme), but you can also buy from local farmers who make their own local produce and preserves. Some are even organic!

In the Cité Médiévale, a whole host of shops sell medieval-inspired souvenirs, including the must-have knight or princess costumes. But you'll also find a selection of board games and escape games set in the past, role-playing games, and figurines from medieval-inspired worlds, such as the heroic fantasy TV series Game of Thrones.

Finally, if you want to come back with a good bottle of wine, head to Vins & Vinos, a stone's throw from Place Carnot, where you'll find all the advice you need.