Discover carcassonne, its monuments and its region

In the middle of the toulouse-montpellier-barcelona triangle, with crossed large axes of circulation going up with antiquity, of the atlantic in the mediterranean, the cevennes to the chains of the pyrenees source of the aude, carcassonne is revealed with

The medieval town  The City of Carcassonne east above all known like a strengthened medieval city. On the western face of this primitive fortification support the castle built in XIIème century by the Viscounts takes. At the beginning of XIIIème century, Carcassonne is taken by Simon de Montfort at the time of the Albigensian crusade, then annexed to the royal field. Work of fortification continues throughout XIIIème century with the construction of the enclosure external and modernization of the interior rampart, making this place an impregnable fortress

Saint-louis country house  Jewel of the current City, the country house is delimited by the boulevards arranged with XVIIIème and XIXème century on the old ditches of the formerly strengthened city. The military area and the doors defend the low city: the enclosure of this one was built of 1355 to 1359, under the orders of the count d' Armagnac, the bastions were built subsequently to 1359 one was restricted, at that time, to raise with the angles of the round towers, a dimension more considerable than those of the other parts of the enclosure.

Limousis cave  With ten eight kilometers of Carcassonne, the Cave of Limousis is located. Superb concretions of which the exceptional Gloss: together of arborescent white crystals of aragonite. Such: 04.68.77.50 .26

Canal du midi  Exceptional work of Pierre-Paul Riquet realized at the XVIIe century, diverted by Carcassonne in 1777-1798, the Channel of the South is registered with the world inheritance of the U.N.E.S.C.O since 1996. It is necessary to have seen the whole of work (Cammazes, stopping of Saint-Ironwood, the lock of Fonsérannes, etc.) to be capable to measure the extent of the task carried out there is more than 300 years. Concentrated of a state of the art hydrographic, topographic, geometrical and architectural of its time, the Channel continues today still to astonish.

The cavayere lake  Born from ashes of the fire of 1985 which devastated the sector, the lake of Cavayère is a splendid reserve D surroundings 1,5 million m3 D water covering a surface of 18 ha. The construction of the stopping asked for six months of work from May November 1988. Near the sensitive perimeter of the Medieval City, in natural environment, the lake shelters a generous vegetation of Mediterranean type on 40 hectares and occupies the small valleys of three rivers what gives him an original configuration. By making the turn of the lake one discovers a diversity of landscapes and niches ecological, while passing from freshness to the aridity, wood to the waste lands, the shade to the full light. One retains the three dominant colors of the country: blue, green and ochre. For the center, an island with the birds is intended for the nidation of ducks and other watery species. Place of walk, the lake of Cavayère is also a surface of leisures and health, a space of happiness for the small ones and the large ones, a place of relaxation privileged with the doors of Carcassonne. Arranged surfaces of picnic, plays for children, practical of water sports, beaches of sand and grass, go fishermen, tallies ideal of the walkers, it is a true harbour of rest, freshness and pleasures.

The lastour castle  4 Castles, Cabaret, Régine Turn, Sudespine and Querthineux, built on the same rock base, constituted the XI century to the Revolution, the bolt of Cabardès and opposed during the crusade against the Albigensians an exemplary resistance. Its and light in summer. Information with the reception of the village - Such: 04.68.77.56 .02

Cabrespine giant pit  This giant pit offers the most extraordinary crystal collection to you of aragonite and eccentrics. L entered of the cave is located in a dry ravine it is probable that the brook which this dug ravine S engulfed formerly by the porch of the cave. The conduit undergrounds were thus dug by L water, the underground river energy to join the brooks of the carneliere which runs in the north of the cave. The first room of the cave, with important dimensions, comprises in particular a ceiling dug by L water. The gloss is a splendid solid mass D aragonite, very rare because of the conditions necessary to crystallizations of this type D eccentricities. Imposing by its size, this whole of concretions makes the cave of limousis single in the world