We impulsively decided to visit Carcassonne only three weeks before the flight. It involved very little planning because my thinking was to go somewhere relatively small but warmer than Belgium. So I picked a small city in the south of France famous for its medieval citadel, which I still recall learning about in college. And it was a place that Grégory visited when in middle school so we thought it might be nice to explore it together. The second we landed at the airport, we were greeted with Mediterranean evergreens and the sun. Considering the fact that we left Belgium in the rain, you can imagine our delight. Our first lunch in Carcassonne was on a sunny terrace!

Carcassonne Trip

Carcassonne Trip

Our visit spread out over three days, with us arriving around noon on Thursday and leaving at noon on Saturday. Carcassonne consists of the old town, which is the medieval citadel, and of the new town. Our charming Airbnb was situated right in between the two which made for the perfect starting point! The new town dates back to the Middle Ages and is full of parallel streets lined with tall buildings. Think pastels or vibrant summer colors matched or juxtaposed with the window shutters. I think I could do a whole blog post about these charming shutters!

Carcassonne Trip

Carcassonne Trip


The old town, which is the impressive citadel is in fact on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. And rightfully so because it is absolutely stunning. You get the best view of it from the bridge Pont Vieux which connects it to the old town and we saw the citadel in every weather possible. During the sunset, in cloudy weather with a few droplets of rain, and at night enveloped in fog. It looked equally mesmerizing every single moment! I’m always a big nerd when visiting places that I would see in my college books so I loved every second of exploring the castle and its ramparts.

Carcassonne Trip

Carcassonne Trip

The beginnings of the citadel date back to the Roman Empire but the town flourished in the 12th century when it expanded to its present size. We spent our first evening in the citadel which seemed to be completely empty. We watched the sunset and had dinner alone in a restaurant. Half of the restaurants close before the season starts so it wasn’t easy to find a place to eat in, especially one that serves vegetarian dishes. As we left the old town behind us, we couldn’t help but marvel at its beauty and the silence around us. It felt like we had the whole of old town just to ourselves.

Carcassonne Trip

Carcassonne Trip

I would definitely recommend visiting outside of the season because I don’t even want to imagine how crowded this place gets. Over those three days, we spent a total of 50 hours in the city and that was enough time to explore both parts of the town. In fact, on our second day, we had enough time to see The Shape of Water at a local cinema. We were planning on it for months now so we figured why not? The movie was great but I was in for a surprise after it finished. Grégory selflessly took me to a local tapas restaurant just so I could enjoy seafood. I always make him a priority when choosing places to eat since he’s a vegetarian. So this unselfish surprise endeared me even more

Carcassonne Trip

Carcassonne Trip

Overall, it was a relaxing trip that helped us escape the rainy Belgian weather. We love exploring anything with a long history and re-learning things so this was the perfect destination. We took it slow and didn’t rush and walk an average of 18km per day, as we often do. For once, I liked the fact that there was “nothing” to do but walk around and enjoy the scenery. In fact, this trip made us feel like locals, rather than tourists. You were picturesque and lovely, Carcassonne!

Carcassonne Trip

Carcassonne Trip

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Brigita Soldo

Travel Photographer · Creative Content Creator · Vintage & Sustainable Fashion Advocate

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