Carcassonne

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Carcassonne is divided between a hilltop citadel enclosed by extensive walls and a later town laid out below beside the river. The fortress contains towers, gates, narrow lanes and a castle restored in the nineteenth century, while the lower centre has markets, cafés and broad squares.

The citadel is visually extraordinary but heavily visited, especially during summer days. Walking the outer paths and walls gives the clearest sense of its scale, while the lower town provides a more ordinary urban atmosphere. Evening light and quieter streets after excursion groups leave make an overnight stay noticeably different from a brief daytime visit.