DESTINATIONS EUROPE | FRANCE
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Domaine du Grès Vaillant wine; Hôtel de la Cité Carcassonne MGallery; some Limoux vineyards use horses to turn the soil; Camp
Médiéval PICTURES: Abacapress/Philippe Louzon;
www.vincentphotographie.com; Tamara Hinson
experts experts ASK THE Alexis Lingham, The
Personal Travel Agents “I always tell my clients that nothing in the UK compares with Carcassonne – it’s like
stepping into a fairytale. Walking inside the medieval walls is unforgettable, and one of the
real joys is stopping at a quaint cafe to admire the views and soak up the atmosphere.”
MEDIEVAL MAGIC While there’s no shortage of stores selling medieval merchandise inside the walled city (a Carcassonne version of Monopoly seems to be the must-have item), it’s also a living, breathing town. One reminder of that comes with the traffic lights at either end of its cobbled streets; despite being barely 20m long, they’re so narrow that traffic lights are needed to prevent cars from getting stuck. At Carcassonne’s heart is the Basilique Saint
Mike Fleetwood, head of product for short-haul, Newmarket Holidays
“The Unesco-listed medieval city is well known but agents should also consider highlighting the lower town of Bastide Saint-Louis, as it provides an
experience that is wonderfully local and intimate.”
40 28 MAY 2026
Nazaire, a Romanesque beauty with the most colourful stained glass I’ve ever seen. It dates back to the 11th century, when its popularity wasn’t just down to locals’ God-fearing natures. A guide points out that in the Middle Ages, the fortified city was crowded and dirty, and 90% of its population was made up of peasants who toiled all day, returning to sleep in cramped quarters, often alongside pigs and sheep. The basilica was one of the few places they could enjoy a sense of space. Another reminder of Carcassonne’s history is the
riverside facade of a building that became the royal manufactory (a workshop with a special royal charter) in the late 1600s. Dozens of looms once rattled away here and the former French king’s coat of arms, carved into the stone centuries ago and still visible today, is testimony to the structure’s one-time importance. In the Middle Ages, Carcassonne and the wider Languedoc region was famous for its woollen cloth, which was shipped globally. At Carcassonne’s family-friendly Camp Médiéval,
There’s no shortage of stores selling medieval merchandise – a Carcassonne version of Monopoly is the must-have item
clients and their kids can learn about medieval life. Thankfully, this doesn’t involve sleeping next to a pig, but rather chatting to people re-enacting the lives of peasants, knights and soldiers to learn about sword-making, leatherwork and weaving in one of the camp’s large tents. It’s wonderfully interactive – there’s a throne to sit on and I even do my best impersonation of a troubadour (the musicians and poets once employed to entertain the royal family) by getting to grips with various medieval instruments.
CREMANT OF THE CROP Carcassonne is also a paradise for foodies. At a boutique called Autrefois, I find a spectacular, rainbow-hued collection of tapenades. There are endless varieties, including ones made with goats’ cheese, aioli and almonds. And at the 46-room Hôtel de la Cité Carcassonne MGallery, deep inside the walled city and tucked into a building that was once a bishop’s palace, I feast on Michelin-starred Mediterranean ²
travelweekly.co.uk
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