I do prefer my flight to be a short hop from Manchester or Liverpool airports to a different country and culture. The brevity of the switch from Lancashire to wherever adds to the allure. At a mere two hours’ flying time, Carcassonne is an obvious candidate for a short break. For one thing, it’s far enough south to make a likely improvement in the weather. It has a fabulous medieval walled town, great restaurants, and oodles of French charm to delight my wife, myself, and our friends Andrea and Mick.
Ryanair flights from Manchester are inexpensive, and for a change, the times are convenient. You fly out mid-morning and get there early afternoon. Carcassonne is a tiny airport, only three flights in and out per day. The bus into town turns up for the flights and the driver happily gives everyone directions to their accommodation. It’s a brilliant service for a mere €6 per person.
We stayed in a charming villa, Les Pimprenelles, located just outside the old walled town. Five minutes walking and you were in! Being so close to the main attraction is a bonus but, equally, it was only a fifteen-minute stroll over the river into modern Carcassonne, which itself is worth a mooch around. The villa has all the features you would expect, with a nice patio area and a garden to the rear. I guess it would get pretty hot out there in the summer. The house was nice and cool. However, the most splendid aspect for me… out back, there was a nightingale! My word, the beauty and range of its song, simply blew me away.
There’s plenty to do in and around Carcassonne. Narbonne and its beaches are about one hour’s drive away, which tells you how near it is to the southern coast of France. Lower (new) Carcassonne is often called Bastide Saint-Louis. It is bordered by the River Aude and the Canal du Midi, which is a popular route for cyclists. There is a large cathedral in the town. With restaurants aplenty and a splendid large central square with loads of bars and eateries, it shouldn’t really live in the shadow of its ancient sibling.
Inevitably, the medieval citadel is the main attraction and the obvious starting point with walks around the walls (about 40 minutes), a museum, and a large Church to explore. It’s hard to describe the old town. If you have read the Gormenghast novels, you’ll have the right image in your head. Great stone walls and towers, complete with crenelated battlements, archery slits and trapdoors for pouring boiling oil on visiting ne’er-do-wells. With portcullises, gatehouses, and moats galore surrounding a cosy warren of cobbled streets, what’s not to love? It’s a challenge to describe it. You are going to have to check the video below. Words can’t do it justice.
Carcassonne has about 2500 years of history and the old Roman walls and towers are still partially visible in the medieval sections. It is big! It had been a ruin for centuries, but restoration work was begun in 1853. They did a fine job, and it is a credit to the vision of Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, who got the ball rolling. We could do this in the UK, of course. We’ve got plenty of half ruined castles, but none of Eugène’s vision. Anyway, before I get angry…
Alongside the architecture and history, the citadel today is a maze of restaurants and bars. Naturally, it attracts many tourists but, like Venice, the crowds thin out about 4.00pm and it is a more tranquil place in the evenings.
It’s not a place for boozing. The beer is a tad pricey, and it some establishments serve it in comically small glasses. So, if you want to quench a proper thirst, avoid them. There is a nice little square with a few bars that do serve large beers, though they aren’t cheap. But, hey. Carcassonne is a classy joint and these prices keep the riff raff away. Except, obviously, for the weekend when we were there. Onto the food.
The region is famous for cassoulet, and every restaurant has its own take on the classic dish. Essentially, whilst there are many, many variations, cassoulet is a leg of duck with Toulouse sausage, pork and white beans. That’s the core of it, but every restaurant seemed to have its own individual version. It is lovely, rich, filling and when you get home, you’ll be scouring the internet for recipes. We all tried it at least once and I had mine at Comte Roger.
On our first night we started out flash n posh at Comte Roger, listed in the Michelin guide, apparently. It was outstanding. We started off with the charcuterie board for four, and it was spot on. For hydration, we had the house white wine, which was a Viognier. Never had it before, and it was superb. The meal cost about €175 for four people, starter, main course and wine. Given the quality of the food, we thought it was pretty fair. And we got pretty well-oiled.
On another evening we ate at Restaurant Au Four Saint Louis. You would be wise to book, as it is very popular. They do nice pizza, although the ‘chorizo’ is actually pepperoni – it looked great and I wish I’d had it. It has a poor website but, be of good cheer, the food is splendid.
La Taverne Moderne is in the ‘new’ town (it’s not new like Milton Keynes), but not far from our gaff. The staff seemed to be Brazilian. There was certainly a Brazilian flavour to the place. Maybe it was the décor. Anyway, the menu was French. It has mid-range prices, great food, and is located just outside the citadel walls.
On the last day, we had lunch at Le Plô. We had a great time. I usually say more about the food we ate. Regular readers may have noted that my comments above are a bit light on what we actually ate. A bit spare on the details. Sorry about that, I’m sure you can guess the reason. But, wow, we had a grand old time!
Should you go?
Oui! …that’s French for ‘yes’!
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Should I Go 2 