To actually walk on the ramparts of Cité Médiévale, you have to pay to enter the Château et Remparts, a keep built for the viscounts of Carcassonne during the 12th century. Admission includes access to the keep’s rooms and a section of the battlements, with fabulous views over the surrounding countryside and the distant Pyrenees. Tours in several languages are available in summer; check with the tourist office for schedules.
Château et Remparts
Carcassonne
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Nearby Carcassonne attractions
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The castle’s second gate, Porte d'Aude, was partly destroyed in 1816 and no longer has its drawbridge.
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The main gateway to the Cité Médiévale, Porte Narbonnaise leads into the citadel’s interior.
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Carcassonne's basilica is worth a peek for its soaring Gothic transept and vivid rose windows. Often, traditional plain chant can be heard inside.
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