Carcassonne in a weekend: our best itinerary!

If you've followed our advice, you'll have spent at least one night in a hotel in the medieval city, so you'll be in the swing of things as soon as you arrive, or even as soon as you wake up if you were too tired the night before.

We highly recommend the Hôtel De La Cité & Spa MGallery, which will plunge you right into the heart of the medieval city and offer you a unique view of Carcassonne extra muros, the Aude river running through it, the Bastide Saint-Louis and the ramparts of the castle. You'll be amazed!

From midnight onwards, take a stroll around the old walled town of the medieval Cité, in the shelter of its walls, before it gets too lively.

It's a great opportunity to spot the old stone houses, take some quiet photographs and stroll around, while waiting for the Château Comtal to open, which will also give you access to the ramparts (otherwise you won't be able to visit them).

That's when it's time for breakfast, which you can grab at your hotel. Just a few steps and you're there.

The château Comtal is defended by a deep moat, often decorated with flowers, and six towers pierced by loopholes with stirrups, covered with slate roofs inherited from the remarkable improvements by Viollet-Le-Duc; corbelled roof timbers (hourds) seem to enhance them. It's a thing of beauty. The west facade of the palace leans against the ramparts, which you can walk along like archers in the service of the King. If you can't shoot arrows, you can admire the Tour Pinte and the landscape below.

Don't miss out on all the fun, take advantage of this access to the ramparts. You'll have an uninterrupted view of the lower town and the labyrinth of streets in the medieval walled city. As you emerge from the château comtal, you'll come face to face with its semi-circular barbican, the very place where you'd most likely have bought your ticket if you didn't have a pass.

It's time to start looking for a restaurant, and you'll be spoilt for choice in the fortified enclosure of the medieval city, with around thirty addresses to choose from. If you've been promising yourself a cassoulet, you've come to the right place.

It's hard to pick one restaurant over another. In the area you'll be visiting, La Maison du Cassoulet, Comte Roger and l'Auberge des Lices are all good places to go, serving authentic cassoulet in traditional Castelnaudary terracotta casseroles. But the most important thing is the wine you drink with it. A red with character, of course.

After your meal, you'll feel like you've been taken by the hand by the imposing citadel, so you may feel like you've already seen a lot. Then head north for a refreshing dip in Lac de la Cavayère, where you can relax on the grass, sip a coffee in the refreshment room, watch your children run wild in the Aquaviva park with its giant slides (if you're there in summer) or go tree climbing.

In the evening, back at your hotel, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that once again a top-quality restaurant awaits you, the Barbacane at the Hôtel de la Cité. Star-rated seasonal cuisine will be served in an exceptional neo-Gothic setting.

Early in the morning, after an invigorating breakfast, we suggest you take a closer look at the site to find out more about its secrets. Before going through one of the gates, head first for the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire, just a stone's throw from your hotel. Take in the sights, listen to the silence and take time to reflect. Admire the iridescent glass rose window overhanging the altar and the stained glass windows of the Tree of Life, displaying translucent paintings of the life of Jesus. You couldn't come to Carcassonne without making this visit.

Now plan a horse-drawn carriage ride outside the ramparts... well, not quite. Remember, Carcassonne stands out from other fortified towns because of its double walls, built by Louis IX following the Albigensian revolt. Between the two ramparts runs a wide cobbled road that starts behind the château Comtal, runs north and then runs along the entire eastern part to the south. These are the lices. Here, Les Calèches de la Cité organises horse-drawn carriage rides with commentary.