Lifestyle
SIMPLY LIVING FRANCE
PAGE 6
Spotlight on Carcassonne By Simon Kellow-Bingham
F
amous for its citadel and rich history, Carcassonne is a must-see for the medieval history enthusiast. It sits on the main road from Toulouse to Beziers on the Mediterranean, flanked by mountains and the famous Canal du Midi and is a fabulous base for exploring the region. South of the city are the Pyrenees mountains, littered with Cathar castles, and to the North, there are deep caverns. The jewel in the crown is undoubtedly the citadel with its 53 towers dotted around the walls, some of which date back to the Roman founders of the town. Amongst his other crimes, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered that Carcassonne be demolished in 1849 because the fortress had fallen into terrible disrepair. The citadel was saved by a public campaign led by the mayor and the writer Prosper Mérimée.
The narrow streets now host nougat shops and souvenir stalls as soon as you get through the main gate, the Porte Narbonnaise, but there are better prospects further in. Take a left turn into the Place Marcou and you will be spoilt for choice with the range of restaurants. The local dish, cassoulet, is a firm favourite, and particularly good at the Place du Grand Puits close to the Chateau. Your meal may be disrupted however by the slamming doors and occasional screams emanating from the nearby haunted house attraction. While it is true that Carcassonne derives a lot of its income from tourism, it has not been taken to extremes and there are parts untouched
