Chateau et Remparts de la Cite de Carcassonne
Chateau et Remparts de la Cite de Carcassonne
Chateau et Remparts de la Cite de Carcassonne
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Carcassonne was settled as early as the 6th century BC and later became an important Roman town. It was fortified in the 4th century and was a strategic site in the Middle Ages. It took on its definitive shape in the 13th century with the king’s decision to construct the distinctive double-walled ramparts and extend the castle. The city was restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century and is a testimony to 1,000 years of military architecture and 2,600 years of history. See a 12-minute film combining 3-D images and close-up footage; walk along the galleries, the fortified walls and the north ramparts; discover the museum of masonry and many other attractions. Designated world heritage site by UNESCO. Open: > April to September: from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. > October to March: from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last admission 45 minutes before closing time. Closed: > 1st January, 1st May, 1st November, 11th November and 25th December. Admission fees: Adults : 8,50 €; Concessions (18 to 25) = 5,50 €; Free admission: minors under 18*; Free admission: 18-25 years old* (citizens of one of the 27 countries of the EU or are non-European permanent residents of France) * excluding school groups
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KiwiRoadrunner
Havelock North, New Zealand220 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
As the largest fortified medieval city in Europe, this is well worth a trip. I found it very hard to get decent info from the web site so here are my top tips:
1. There are free tours available but not always in your language of choice. In December, when we went, it's low tourist season so they only offer tours in spanish and french.
2. I thought I bought both the tickets and the audio guides online but turns out that was a different audio guide. When we went to enter the chateau area, they suggested we go across the way and get the audio guides (just an additional 3E each). They are totally worth it!
3. How the tour works. You enter into a courtyard where you meet your tour guide (if you are doing that) and there are toilets here as well. When we went, the toilets were very clean, door locks worked, there was TP. Not sure what the comments below are referring to. From the courtyard, there are signs pointing to the start of the chateau (which also houses the museum and gift shop). Start with that. When you're done, you end up back at the courtyard. You can then choose to do the rampart walk which is broken into 3 sections so you can choose to quit if you don't want to do the full loop. We choose to do the full loop, but we went slow and took tons of photos so it probably took us close to an hour. All up, I'd say we spent 3 to 4 hours there (but we listened to everything and took heaps of photos).
4. Timing. In December, we were practically the only people in there which was fabulous. If you go in the height of summer, be prepared for hordes of people, which would make it less enjoyable.
5. Entrance. We stayed at a little BnB across the river and our host recommended we walk up and go through the old entrance for the best views. It was a great recommendation and I'd highly recommend that. Otherwise, you drive and park (don't forget to pay) at the "main" entrance on the other side of the cite.
6. Most of the shops inside the wall are full of tourist junk so you really don't need to plan to spend any time wandering the streets.
Bottom line, if you are at all interested in castles, medieval cities, etc. you will absolutely love this tour.
1. There are free tours available but not always in your language of choice. In December, when we went, it's low tourist season so they only offer tours in spanish and french.
2. I thought I bought both the tickets and the audio guides online but turns out that was a different audio guide. When we went to enter the chateau area, they suggested we go across the way and get the audio guides (just an additional 3E each). They are totally worth it!
3. How the tour works. You enter into a courtyard where you meet your tour guide (if you are doing that) and there are toilets here as well. When we went, the toilets were very clean, door locks worked, there was TP. Not sure what the comments below are referring to. From the courtyard, there are signs pointing to the start of the chateau (which also houses the museum and gift shop). Start with that. When you're done, you end up back at the courtyard. You can then choose to do the rampart walk which is broken into 3 sections so you can choose to quit if you don't want to do the full loop. We choose to do the full loop, but we went slow and took tons of photos so it probably took us close to an hour. All up, I'd say we spent 3 to 4 hours there (but we listened to everything and took heaps of photos).
4. Timing. In December, we were practically the only people in there which was fabulous. If you go in the height of summer, be prepared for hordes of people, which would make it less enjoyable.
5. Entrance. We stayed at a little BnB across the river and our host recommended we walk up and go through the old entrance for the best views. It was a great recommendation and I'd highly recommend that. Otherwise, you drive and park (don't forget to pay) at the "main" entrance on the other side of the cite.
6. Most of the shops inside the wall are full of tourist junk so you really don't need to plan to spend any time wandering the streets.
Bottom line, if you are at all interested in castles, medieval cities, etc. you will absolutely love this tour.
Written 18 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Massimiliano P
Novara, Italy48,490 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
The Comital Castle is one of the main visits you can make arriving at the medieval village of Carcassone. Surrounded by mighty fortified walls, it was built during the twelfth century although it then underwent profound transformations in later times. Entrance to the castle is charged and the visit starts from its inner courtyard and then goes inside its halls and continues in the walkways, from where there are beautiful views of the village. During the visit you will see some beautiful frescoed rooms, many of which also house a discreet museum display of ancient artifacts. Interesting visit, during which you keep in mind that there are many stairs to do.
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Written 10 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna_Maria39_11
Winnipeg, Canada649 contributions
Sept 2024 • Solo
This was a trip highlight. Walking up from the train station and seeing the castle rise up from the river bank was quite thrilling. I walked the entire exterior perimeter to get a sense of size before heading in. Public restrooms are outside the main gate. I had no idea that there was a complete little town behind the walls with fantastic window shopping and restaurants. The visit to the fort was completely worth the cost of admission and the audio guide offered lots of history and learning. There is an extensive gift shop in the Centre.
Even though this was my main activity for my day trip to Carcassonne I hadn’t budgeted enough time to really appreciate all the browsing and dining opportunities before I had to walk back to the train station.
Even though this was my main activity for my day trip to Carcassonne I hadn’t budgeted enough time to really appreciate all the browsing and dining opportunities before I had to walk back to the train station.
Written 5 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris_KO
Koblenz, Germany3,750 contributions
Oct 2024 • Solo
The Château forms the centre of the medieval Cité of Carcassonne. For the more than reasonable price of €13 you can visit the castle, the ticket price also includes a tour of the interior of the two fortress walls. You can get an audio guide for an additional fee of three euros. This is also available in German and highly recommended, as the labels are rather scarce. The castle is interesting, but the highlight of the visit are the great views over the entire medieval city from the towers and the wall. You should allow at least 2 hours for the visit. From the station you walk to the Cité in about 30 minutes. Paid parking is also available outside the Cité.
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Written 15 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reiselust112
Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany2,622 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, Carcassonne invites you to experience its 1,000-year-old military architecture every day.
From a distance, Carcassonne appears like a dream over the Aude plain. With its 52 towers, its double enclosure and its castle built in the 12th century by the Trencavel family, it represents a perfection of ramparts and towers, set in a crown on a hill in the middle of vineyards. This vision, straight out of a fairy tale, takes shape as you approach the city.
You park in a large car park and enter the city through the "Porte de la Narbonnaise", the city's imposing main gate reserved exclusively for pedestrians. Then you first stroll through the narrow streets full of shops, cafes and restaurants. You feel a little like you are walking through the alleys of Hogwarts with beautiful houses.
Then you get to the World Heritage Site, where you pay €11 entrance fee per person. We also had an audio guide for €3.50 extra. During our Whitsun holidays it wasn't that busy yet, so we were able to buy tickets on site without any problems. In high season you have to reserve online in advance here as it is very crowded.
The Comtal Castle and City Walls, also known as Château Comtal, is a medieval fortress within the city walls. This was an extremely important defensive structure in the Middle Ages.
The fortress walls are double and have a large lawn in between, the so-called Lize, which was once used in knights' tournaments and which you can now walk on. You walk through towers, battlements, castles and watchtowers.
The inner enclosure is the result of a reconstruction of the original Gallo-Roman wall around 1280. The outer enclosure was added around 1320, with a total length of more than 3 km.
In the heart of the city, the castle of the county bears the living memory of its founders, the Viscounts of Trencavel, Lords of Carcassonne.
You can see and walk through the castle's two courtyards, the lapidary, the animation film and exhibition rooms, as well as the ramparts with a breathtaking view of the Aude plain and the lower town of Carcassonne.
You can also see the Saint-Nazaire Basilica, located near the Porte d'Aude. It was built between the 9th and 14th centuries. The building was classified as a historic monument in 1840. It was the cathedral of Carcassonne until 1801, but was then replaced by the Saint-Michel Cathedral. The ensemble of stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the apostles is considered the most beautiful in the south of France...
From a distance, Carcassonne appears like a dream over the Aude plain. With its 52 towers, its double enclosure and its castle built in the 12th century by the Trencavel family, it represents a perfection of ramparts and towers, set in a crown on a hill in the middle of vineyards. This vision, straight out of a fairy tale, takes shape as you approach the city.
You park in a large car park and enter the city through the "Porte de la Narbonnaise", the city's imposing main gate reserved exclusively for pedestrians. Then you first stroll through the narrow streets full of shops, cafes and restaurants. You feel a little like you are walking through the alleys of Hogwarts with beautiful houses.
Then you get to the World Heritage Site, where you pay €11 entrance fee per person. We also had an audio guide for €3.50 extra. During our Whitsun holidays it wasn't that busy yet, so we were able to buy tickets on site without any problems. In high season you have to reserve online in advance here as it is very crowded.
The Comtal Castle and City Walls, also known as Château Comtal, is a medieval fortress within the city walls. This was an extremely important defensive structure in the Middle Ages.
The fortress walls are double and have a large lawn in between, the so-called Lize, which was once used in knights' tournaments and which you can now walk on. You walk through towers, battlements, castles and watchtowers.
The inner enclosure is the result of a reconstruction of the original Gallo-Roman wall around 1280. The outer enclosure was added around 1320, with a total length of more than 3 km.
In the heart of the city, the castle of the county bears the living memory of its founders, the Viscounts of Trencavel, Lords of Carcassonne.
You can see and walk through the castle's two courtyards, the lapidary, the animation film and exhibition rooms, as well as the ramparts with a breathtaking view of the Aude plain and the lower town of Carcassonne.
You can also see the Saint-Nazaire Basilica, located near the Porte d'Aude. It was built between the 9th and 14th centuries. The building was classified as a historic monument in 1840. It was the cathedral of Carcassonne until 1801, but was then replaced by the Saint-Michel Cathedral. The ensemble of stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Christ and the apostles is considered the most beautiful in the south of France...
Written 12 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Labo65
Province of Milan, Italy2,344 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
The Cité Médiévale, a real fortified citadel. A city wall with 4 gates. The castle dates back to the 22nd century but the renovation in 1800 returned it to its ancient splendor. It is a nice visit to go around, in addition to the internal museum, also the walls, the double wall is particular. Tickets can be purchased online at a cost of €11.00. UNESCO has included it among the World Heritage Sites. Wonderful in the evening, illuminated, it is a dream, the inhabited city is always open and has restaurants and shops inside.
Written 29 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
beatrice c
12 contributions
Nov 2024 • Family
Already, I think it's great that it's free for under-25s. This makes it possible to make a family visit not too expensive and discover the heritage at a reasonable price. The tour of the ramparts is really nice to do. What we preferred was the guided tour (free) which lasts about 45 minutes. Our guide (roger) is a passionate person of local history and has captivated our attention. Exciting tour! I think we should offer this visit more regularly during the day (only 2 visits in the afternoon, the day we came)
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Written 2 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kljandjhj
158 contributions
Feb 2025 • Family
If you have ever wanted to stay in an authentic castle, try this hotel. It’s definitely an experience! We stayed a few nights on a road trip back from Portugal.
We appreciated the mix of historic detailing with modern influences in the bathroom and bedroom. Comfortable beds.
Dining is in an atmospheric inner courtyard. Drinks on the terrace with good views. Plentiful parking.
We appreciated the mix of historic detailing with modern influences in the bathroom and bedroom. Comfortable beds.
Dining is in an atmospheric inner courtyard. Drinks on the terrace with good views. Plentiful parking.
Written 24 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura
Frankfurt, Germany88 contributions
Oct 2024 • Solo
10/10! Anyone travelling to Carcassonne MUST NOT miss this, absolutely must. It was a real highlight to stroll over the city walls and have the great views of the medieval city inside as well as the great scenery all around. You could stop every few feet to take pictures. This tour definitely includes the audio guide, which is super interesting and informative and available in different languages. You miss out without so many facts, because the pure information boards are a little bit small and also not available in so many languages. Inside the castle there is a beautiful projection of the city. However, you should be able to climb stairs well.
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Written 16 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica L
Province of Biella, Italy522 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
We chose Carcassonne as a stop between Provence and Arcachon. Free parking about 10 minutes walk from the fortified center. Entrance to the castle for a fee 11€ adult with the possibility of Audio Guide for 3€, quite useful. The visit to the castle takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Shops, bars and restaurants around the fortified area. Tourist office at the village entrance to get map and explanations on how to get around the country.
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Written 21 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nous sommes le 27/06/2024, 7 ans plus tard toujours aucune nouvelle de la direction ! Sois-disant notre dossier était examiné ! Keudal !! J'attends toujours un retour de la direction pour un geste commercial par exemple ! Mascarade !
Written 27 June 2024
Combien de temps conseillé pour bien visiter et prendre des photos ? 🙂 merci
Written 3 August 2023
Hola me gustaría saber dos cosas.
Vamos el día 8 enero a Carcasona y me gustaría saber si aún está la pista de patinaje.
Y también aparte del Castillo que más hay para visitar
Written 18 November 2021
La entrada a la fortaleza es gratis, el paseo de ronda si tiene6cosye, creo q tienen pack family, todo el lugar es miy curioso.
Por la puerta trasera se llega a la antigua ciudad, es curiosa...también esta el puente que cruza el rio y todo recto llegss a la rue principal que es peatonal, y a su derecha llegais al Canal Du Midi, una obra de ingieneris naval, podeis tomar una barca, es chulo.
La ciudad es pequeña, pero curiosa y correcta. Yo no vi nada sucio.
Mas lejos esta Tours, también es una opción
Written 19 November 2021
Hola, estaba interesada en ir mañana, está todo abierto entresemana? Tiendas y restaurantes?
Written 9 March 2020
Día a día tienen que informarse. En cualquier momento pueden cerrar todo también
Written 10 March 2020
Los niños hasta 12 años creo que pagan menos, sobre 7 euros. La entrada normal vale unos 9 euros. Creo que hay algún día y hora gratis para todo el público.
Written 25 December 2019
Escape00521397438
Segur de Calafell, Spain
buenos días, tengo previsto hacer una visita a Carcassone y tengo un perro Golden de 10 meses. Desearia saber si hay algún impedimento para el perro dentro de la ciudadela, olas visitas al castillo i museos. Gracias
Written 21 October 2019
Por el recinto e la ciudadela sin problemas , al castillo y la iglesia no esta permitido.
Written 22 October 2019
Can you tell me where you get the Audio Guide from?
Does it cost more to take one (on top of the entry ticket?)
and finally, did you buy a 'skip the line' ticket to the castle and ramparts? (We'll be there next June, so pretty busy.)...and if I do that, will I be able to get an Audio guide.
By all accounts, the audio guide is great!
Thankyou,
Jenny
Written 7 October 2019
Hi, We did take the audio, but really can't remember if it was extra on top of ticket. It was good to have and brought things alive, with the history. We were there in June but did not buy the skip the line, we really did not have to wait to long. Really lovely the city, the entrance fee is for only part of the whole walled town as you can walk around the rest freely, visit the cathedral which is beautiful restaurants shops etc. The city is lovely lite up at night, all the walls and entrance.
Written 9 February 2020
hola, atraca mi barco en Sete y queremos ir a Carcassonne, es muy complicado?
Written 19 July 2019
Hola,
Carcasona está a unos 140km de Séte. Tendrías que alquilar un coche para moverte con tranquilidad o bien coger un TGV. Es tu decisión.
Saludos.
Written 20 July 2019
Can you walk around the ramparts and see in the Chateau Comtal in just 2 hours?
Written 4 May 2019
It is like all things you go to visit everyone has things they enjoy more than other people. You can walk round within that time, it just depends on how long you linger in each part. If you want to spend time in the old town itself and take in a lunch and visit the cathedral, pushing it somewhat. If that is only the time you have then enjoy as much as you can. It really is a amazing and still standing and a used city after all this time, obviously rebuilt in places over time
Written 9 February 2020
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