48 hours in Carcassonne

Say "Carcassonne", and aromas of cassoulet immediately tickle the nostrils. Say "Carcassonne", and images of the medieval fortress rush into your head... Sacré Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879)! Although this architect is credited with saving the site, some still criticize him for taking too many liberties during the renovation. "Restoring a building does not mean maintaining, repairing or redoing it, it means restoring it to a complete state that may never have existed at any given time", he declared. Enough to make historians sit up and take notice. Yet his "interpretation" never put off tourists. Quite the contrary, in fact. In fine weather, they invade the castle and the labyrinthine streets of the medieval town. You'll have to get up at the crack of dawn - or simply come out of season - to step back in time and marvel at the double walls, 52 watchtowers and 1.7-kilometre outer ramparts. on the inside, the remaining ramparts can now be explored in their entirety - 1.3 kilometers and 600 steps. It's a great way to discover the city, a pocketful of 7 to 8 hectares, while scanning the wind-swept horizon - which blows nearly 300 days a year. In the evening, the flight of the swallows poetically accompanies the passage of time. The Hôtel de la Cité MGallery then beckons for a drink or a meal. The luxury establishment has the good taste to have a "collector's" collection of Gault&Millau guides, including a 1977 edition. The pages can be leafed through in the Bar Bibliothèque, which in summer takes up residence in the delightful garden in the shade of the ramparts. You might prefer the Boulangerie de la Cité, also a tea room, with a phenomenal view of the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire just opposite.

Time flies. Time flies. Along the way (the slope is steep), the recently opened Maison de la laine et du drap catches the eye. It briefly recounts the history of the cloth industry, which made the town's fame and fortune in the 17th and 18th centuries. Merino wool was no stranger to this industry. Further on, the Musée des Beaux-Arts whets the appetite with its still lifes, including Chardin's Les Apprêts d'un déjeuner. The main course? It can be found in the pages of the book Le musée dresse la table, published at the time of the eponymous exhibition in 2024. Alongside hunting scenes, galanteries and still lifes from the Carcassonne Beaux-Arts collection, local chefs and craftsmen have shared their recipes. For example, La Table d'office by Chardin (him again!), accompanied by pâté en croûte from Boucherie-Charcuterie Izard.

Now we come to the bastide Saint-Louis, or lower town. Designed on a checkerboard layout, it's easy to find the right addresses. The amusing Carca'outchouc hardware and drugstore, taken over in 2023 by former restaurateur Richard Pichéric, doubles up as a friendly brocante. There's also Épicerie 105, offering products from the Mediterranean, and the must-visit La Ferme, where the cheeses in the window are frozen in earth or plaster.the "real" ones, the soft ones, are inside.

If you're looking for fashion or home decor, Mètre Carré, a fun concept store, is just across the street. Finally, it's a quick trip around downtown. Our footsteps often return to Place Carnot, teeming with cafés. Chez Félix has retained its original 1950s decor (don't change a thing!). You can feel the lively atmosphere of rugby match nights. A beer at the bar and you're off again on the Art Nouveau and Art Deco trail. The colorful mosaics, plant ornaments and geometric lines of the façades are a delight to explore. Among them, the former Bains-Douches (now a crèche) and the delightful 1930s Jean-Alary Theatre. Its interiors are well worth a visit to see a show.

Culture, precisely. Summer is full of festivals and concerts. In winter, the town hosts the International Political Film Festival, which goes far beyond the ballot box. It covers a wide range of social, environmental and human rights issues... Carcassonne? Yes, the name rings a bell. Say it again and you might hear the echo of water in the Canal du Midi.