Tourist Information

In short

• The city of Carcassonne is a gorgeous and very famous medieval town. Its most renowned monuments are the town walls, the Comtal castle and Saint-Nazaire basilica. The Canal du Midi, which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, crosses the city.
• Summer is a very dynamic and touristic season in Carcassonne. From May to August, the organs festival "Les Vents d'Anges" makes the city alive ("the Angels' Winds" in English, a pun with "les vendanges", "the harvest"), followed by the Festival de Carcassonne, which lasts all summer. In July and in August, the Estivales d’Orgues de la Cité ("City's Summer Organs Festival") turns this already vibrant town into a musical one; the chivalry festival takes place during the same period. Lastly, in October, the International Festival of Magic ("le Festival International de la Magie") and the Wine Festival ("la Fête du Vin") mark the end of summer events.

Climate

Our best tips

• You might want to go there during summer; this is when the town is at its highest, in spite of the flocks of tourists.
• Carcassonne is a highly medieval city: if you like the Middle Ages, this is the dream destination for your holidays!

Average prices for hotels

• Low budget: 27€ per night in low season, and 34€ in high season.
• Mid-range: 65€ per night in low season, and 100€ in high season.
• Luxury: 209€ per night in low season, and 329€ in high season.

Recommended areas for your hotel

• In the medieval town, to be at the heart of the Middle-Ages buildings.
• In the fortified bastide of Saint-Louis (the lower part of the city), so that you'll have the opportunity to enjoy the center of town.
• On the banks of the Aude river, if you like rivers and their quietness.

Need more information about this place?

We wrote un mini guide for our readers that we hope is coming as handy as possible (also available in PDF format to download, useful while traveling without an internet connexion) :

Carcassonne : Handy Mini Travel Guide