Tickets for the Château Comtal in the fortified city of Carcassonne

Discover the château of the Counts of Carcassonne and the ramparts, a UNESCO World Heritage site located at the heart of the fortified city.

Carcassone was the seat of power of the Counts of Carcassonne, and then of the famous Trencavel family in the 12th century. Following the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229), when the Royal forces seized Carcassonne, accusing it of complicity with the Cathars, it became a Royal fortress governed by a seneschal.

Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. In its present form it is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defences encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets and its fine Gothic cathedral. In the 19th century, the city was on the verge of demolition and was used as a stone quarry before Viollet-le-Duc and his successor Paul Boeswillwald started a great restoration work gaving it back its medieval appearance.