Come along on this tour and learn all about the history of this fascinating city.  Enter through the main entrance, known as Porte Narbonnaise, to the medieval city. Learn about the fortifications built by the Romans. Cross the main street, Rue Cross Mayrevieille to the castle. Discover the museum inside the castle and develop a better understanding of the Trencavel family that defended the Cathars during the Albigensian Crusade.  Walk along the top of the wall, crossing both medieval and Roman towers as you head towards the church. Hear an explanation (in English, French or Italian) about the architecture of the Gothic church and see the beautiful stained glass windows, built between the 13th and 16th centuries. Walk through the streets of the ancient religious quarter and learn about the inquisition in Carcassonne and Toulouse.

The walled city of Carcassonne in Languedoc is world renowned as a spectacular fortified medieval city. But this rocky spur has been occupied since the 6th-Century BC, first as a Gallic settlement and later as a fortified Roman city. The Visigoths seized the city in the 5th-Century, and were followed by the Saracens, who remained in control for a mere 30 years before the Francs expelled them. Restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th-Century, the city fortress was consecrated in 1997 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while the former military enclosure of the lower town’s "La Bastide Saint-Louis" is listed as a conservation area. Take a 2-hour private walking tour, personalized to your own schedule and rhythm, visiting the sights you would like to visit. Explore medieval architecture and discover the rich culture that has inspired poets and writers, including William Faulkner. The city is divided into 2 parts; the town and the famous Cité de Carcassonne. Typically we pay more attention to the Cité, but if you would like to visit the town the tour can be customized to suit. Discover the castle and ramparts at the heart of the medieval city; explore the Cathedral and the Basilica of Saint Nazaire; and visit la porte Narbonnaise, which was the principal entrance to the Cité. A dream like destination with a romantic ambience, the tour is tailor-made to enchant you.

Carcassonne is the largest medieval city in Europe with its walls still intact. It’s also one of the most recognisable and most visited tourist destinations in France, having been featured in many well-known movies. Despite all this, most tourists barely scratch the surface when they visit Cité de Carcassonne. On this walking tour around the UNESCO World Heritage site, I’ll point out some of its most interesting architectural features, and bring its history to life. Starting outside the medieval city walls, I’ll show you the Buste de Dame Carcas (a sculpture of Lady Carcas) and tell you the story of how she saved the city from Charlemagne. As you enter the city through Porte Narbonnaise (Narbonne Gate, you’ll begin following the wall, which encircles the old city. Along the way, you’ll also learn about the Cathars who flourished here in the twelfth century, the crusade launched against them, and some of the sieges that took place here. You’ll hear about the many different peoples who have occupied this place, and its military role over more than a millennium. You’ll also: • Find out about the brief Muslim period, in between the Visigoths and the Franks • Hear the tragic story of the Cathars that culminated here • Spot the flying pig in a stone sculpture • Learn why the Papal Inquisition was implemented here long before the Spanish Inquisition existed • Discover the role played by Saint Dominic and his Dominican friars in establishing Inquisition practices to eliminate what they regarded as “heresy” • Take in the impressive and almost century-old Château et Remparts de la Cité de Carcassonne, also known as the Château Comtal, where the castle meets the wall and its surrounding defenses • See the Church of Saints Nazaire and Celse, the city’s two patron saints • Gaze upon the monument de la Jean Pierre Cros Mayrevieille, a doctor of law, a historian and an Inspector of Historic Monuments who saved the city from ruin • Locate the various “kill zones” that enemies risked finding themselves trapped in when attempting to siege the city On this two-hour tour, you won’t just trace the walls of Carcassonne, you’ll also venture into its centre through various gates including the Aude, Nazaire, and Toulouse Gates. Join me, James McDonald, an English historian of the medieval period specialising in the Languedoc, as I bring these old stones to life.