The Cité de Carcassonne is visible from a distance towering over the town and the surrounding landscape. With its massive walls and the numerous towers it is an exceptional example of a fortified medieval city. The fortifications were restored in the 19th century under the direction of Viollet-le-Duc. However his "visually optimized" restoration, e.g. the modification of the tower roofs, has been heavily criticized, and is still controversial. The Advisory Body Evaluation refers to this debate and the restoration by Viollet-Le-Duc is an essential element of the nomination. But today's visitors do not care about this debate. Anyway, when walking through the narrow streets you feel like on a trip back into the Middle Ages, even though the many tourists impair the pleasure. I was reminded of my childhood when I played jousting tournament or siege of a castle or liberation of the princess. Carcassonne would have provided the perfect setting.

The main sight in Carcassonne is the double ring of walls which surrounds the entire city. There is not much to see within the walls: the Église Saint-Nazaire and the Château Comtal, both not outstanding. I was much more impressed by the massive gates, in particular the Porte Narbonnaise and the Porte d'Aude. The highlights in Carcassonne were our walk between the inner and outer wall, the views from the town (photo) and the Pont Vieux, and the illumination of the fortifications at night.

We had diner in one of the restaurants in the old town and of course we have chosen the Cassoulet. It was good, but I think it was not the original recipe but adapted to the tourist taste. Anyway, we had a better one the next day in Toulouse.