Carcassonne is the classic medieval city in France, and probably even in Western Europe, and the immense crowds of visitors (as well as the popular board game of the same name) certainly attest to this. The city was apparently almost in ruins by the 19th century, and then restored to today's appearance by famous architect Viollet-le-Duc (to what people in the 19th century thought was a medieval style, so it's a bit on the tacky side). The main attractions include the fortified walls and city gates, the basilica (formerly the cathedral, with beautiful stained-glass windows), and the castle (which looked interesting, but I still decided to skip it as the reviews were not so glowing). Despite the masses of visitors and the July heat, it was a nice experience to walk through the narrow streets and admire the medieval architecture. There are impressive views of the fortified city, which sits on an easily defensible hill, from several parts of the modern city, and from the fortified city, there are views over a large territory, on a clear day reaching as far as the Pyrenees. The train station (on the Toulouse-Narbonne line), which by the way sits right on the Canal du Midi, is about a 25-minute walk from the fortified city, but it's a pleasant stroll through the modern town.