When I first visited the medieval fortress my jaw nearly dropped to the floor. The approach up to the walled city gives you plenty of time to admire it’s size and beauty. I had never before seen such a large fortified city so well preserved. It truly was like walking back in time to a different world. Inside the city the feeling was heightened even more as I explored the medieval streets, climbed around the miles of preserved walls, and stopped into the authentic shops featuring time period goods and artifacts.

Although both the Romans and Visigoths were here, Carcassonne started to really flourish under the wealthy Trencavel family of the late 12th century. Throughout its history, there have been campaigns to demolish and renovate it and in the mid-1800s, renovations began to preserve it as a historical monument. What appears today is a medieval castle complete with a drawbridge, a grassy moat, and fortified guard towers.

Carcassonne played a key role in cross border trade with Spain as well keeping the feared Moors at bay from overrunning the rest of Europe. However, the city’s wealth and prestige dried up with the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, when Roussillon was restored to France. As trade dwindled, the city walls, no longer needed for protection, fell into disrepair and it wasn’t until restoration began in the 1800s that things started to improve. It was this restoration which helped save Carcassonne and ensure that the rich history and beauty would be maintained for generations.