Cité de Carcassonne

1 Rue Viollet le Duc, 11000 Carcassonne, France

Founded by Celts almost 5,000 years ago, Carcassonne and its medieval hilltop citadel have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Today the old cité, France’s second-most-visited attraction, ranks only behind the Eiffel Tower in popularity—thanks in part to restorations by the famous 19th-century architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc within the ramparts. Leave time for some shopping in the Bastide “new town” and a walk along the River Aude.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com.

Sign up for our newsletter
Join more than a million of the world’s best travelers. Subscribe to the Daily Wander newsletter.
More From AFAR