An absolute highlight. The castle town is like in every childrenbook. Wouldn't be surprised, if a dragon arrives🙂. It is really like in a tale. All the towers with the roofs and the big large walls. A walk along the wall is more than 3km and take about 1 hour. Its included in the castle entrance. The cite can be freely visited all time. The castle is separate and has normal ooening hours. Entrance is 19€. But its worth it. You get a lot infos on boards with drawings about defense systems and reconstruction of the site. The cite is full of shops, bars and restaurants.An cathedral can also be visited. I recommand 2 visits. One fir castle and wall. Other in the evening for diner.

This is an amazing place to visit, lots to see. I would encourage anyone going to visit the castle and get the audio guide. So much information to listen to, both in the castle and and as you walk the walls. It really explains the history and development of the place. There's far less info on the few signs dotted about. Lots of places to eat and buy souveineers in the city and so many things to photograph.

A really cool place to visit in the fall when the tourists are gone. I walked around at my leisure then took the Privilege tour which takes us in basements and other restricted areas to learn more about the history of the place. It was worth it. The only mild disappointment was the restaurants. I nearly cried when I realized that I can make a better cassoulet than what I had been served. I love cassoulet and was hoping to have an out of body experience in the birthplace of this dish. It was ok but not mind-blowing... If you like jogging, there's a nice trail around the walls where I enjoyed gorgeous views. In shoer, great place to visit but eat in town if you want to experience gastronomy.

Wonderful"village" inside the walls, free to enter, not too busy and very historic, full of food outlets, and seemed to be reasonably priced. Beware if cycling up and leaving bikes outside, we parked and there was a cut lock on the cycle stand, when we came back another couple returned and they had had their bikes stolen, seemingly a few minutes before we arrived, so ensure you have a very secure lock.

A lovely medieval town surrounded by well preserved ramparts with a wonderful view of the city and countryside.a magnificent amphitheatre and beautiful manicured gardensz The castle is so interesting and the tour is well worth doing. Lots of restaurants, souvenir shops and cafes within the walls.

The best medieval city ever. It's a must place to visit. You'll not be disappointed. Worth the entrance fee into the castle. There's plenty of parking too

Absolutely stunning. Loved our visit here. Paying the extra €13 to walk the remparts/walls is absolutely worthwhile. One of the best places that I've ever been to.

We spent a couple of days here and found it absolutely amazing. Lots to do and see. Shops and restaurants in abundance. The evening walk on the ramparts along with the light show was amazing

Very good tour through the castle with a great walk on the walls of Carcassonne. We spent here about 2 hours. The price was 19€ per person without an audio guide. But there were plenty of explanations written in English so for us no guide was totally fine.

Legendary & Epic Castle This is by far my favourite castle in France. I visited a lot but this one is special. What I like is the fact it is Medieval and so well preserved. It is very grand too. One of the largest around the world. You can feel the middle ages here and really appreciate what it must have been like to live in those days. Highly recommended to visit.

Carcassonne and its castle are must-see sites if you're visiting Occitania in southern France. The day we were there, the place was swarming with tourists from all over the place, and with good reason, because there's so much rich history there. I heard French, Spanish, Catalan, German, English — visitors from many places. Touring the castle is synonymous with touring the city, since you can enter the city through the castle gates and walk around the winding lanes full of restaurants with outside seating, shops selling souvenirs and tourist items, etc. Every other restaurant signboard advertises cassoulet, a local specialty. If you're touring the castle and Carcassonne, I highly recommend also stepping into the basilica, whose stained-glass windows are a marvel to behold. Rich blues, reds, yellows, a fairyland of vibrant colors….

Not a usual Cheateau it’s way more than that . It’s a vibrant town with full of shops ,restaurants ,bar and hotels . You can lost yourself inside the small streets with tonnes of things to see . Easy access car park next to it for your convenience. Do not miss this place if you Around Carcassonne.

It is a lovely place, it doesn't take very long to see the interior spaces, it took us about an hour. Nice views.

Unique in its kind, the Cité de Carcassonne is a fine example of medieval military architecture. It is not only one of the largest fortified cities in Europe, but also the largest medieval complex on the continent, and arguably one of the best preserved. The stones that make up the Cité tell us the history of the place. A rich and complex history spanning several centuries, from the Gallo-Roman period (from the 3rd century BC) to the 19th century. Strolling through the citadel and standing on its ramparts is like contemplating 2,500 years of history. At the heart of the medieval city of Carcassonne, the Château Comtal was built in the western part of the Cité, the highest and therefore best protected. On this side, the city overlooks the Aude River, making it difficult to access and thus serving as a protective feature. Today, consisting of a stately palace separating two courtyards, the castle dominates the Lower Town, protected by 11 towers, including two keeps. The main entrance is guarded by twin towers forming a gatehouse with elaborate defensive systems. The Watchtower, in the South Courtyard, is the castle's tallest. It is one of the city's few square towers. Constantly modified over time, the count's castle was enlarged in the 12th century by the Trencavels, Viscounts of Carcassonne. A primitive castle already stood on this site. The construction of this new palace, begun around 1130, took place in a very unique context. The establishment of the feudal system led to the division of the territory and the decentralization of power: vast territorial areas were placed under the responsibility of lords, tasked with administering the various regions on behalf of the Carolingian kingdom. While these families owed loyalty to the king, they were increasingly powerful and independent. In Carcassonne, the Trencavel dynasty managed to establish its dominance and ensured the management of the viscounty. This was an important family, composed of fierce warriors and great builders. The city was, however, threatened by the presence of two powerful neighbors, the Counts of Toulouse and Barcelona, ​​who were fighting over the South of France. The Viscounts of Carcassonne, allying themselves with one, sometimes with the other, managed to reconcile these two powers. This was a prosperous period, which allowed for the development of trade and the urban expansion of the city. After the construction of the Saint-Nazaire basilica, the castle, which housed the seigneurial power, was fortified and enlarged. From the 11th century onwards, it was an important living space, including a great hall, kitchens, stables and a keep. It is the only room in the count's castle to have retained its medieval appearance; the walls of the state room are still decorated with the original paintings. Made with semi-precious stones, they represent epic scenes that tell of the power of the Lords during the Crusades. Later, in the 12th century, the castle also housed a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was destroyed during the Revolution (with the exception of its apse, which is still visible). Today, little remains of the castle from this period, which then consisted of two buildings forming an L and dominated by a watchtower. The castle was then separated from the rest of the city by a simple palisade.

Excellent option in Carcassonne if you want to taste the typical causolet. We also tried beef and duck and if was amazing both of them. The service very well.

Excellent cassoulet. The menu with start, dish and desert worth. The drinks are overpriced however. The staff is very friendly. Location is very nice, you have your meal under a tree. Worths a visit.

The food was delicious!! Nice terrace for the sunny days.

Yummy 😊 Awesome place after a long day ride. Lovely food !

Very good food. Service is superb. Go for the full courses menu.

At first look, it looks like a tourist trap, but it was actually very good. Within the medieval city and close to the basilica. The cassoulet was super good and hearty! Not too expensive either.

The cassoulet is great here and the set menu provides a good selection of authentic and good french food a fair price! The terrace is the best place to sit by far, especially when the sun is shinning!

Wasn’t expecting much in the centre of Carcassonne as it’s a very tourist area, but the 3 course set menu was well priced and the food tasted amazing. We got there early for lunch and were the first…but very quickly it filled up with people waiting outside. Would highly recommend!

Our lunch was far better than we anticipated being in such a tourist area. We tried the three course lunch. Spectacular. Auberge de Dame Carcas serves a great cassoulet. Our salads were fresh. The pate was terrific. We had very nice service even during a frenetic lunch rush. Both the patio and dining room are nice. Totally enjoyed it.

This was the highlight of our trip to Carcassonne - it is one of the best restaurants I have been to, and was incredible value. The set menus are €18 and €25, and you get 3 courses with that. I would recommend the duck confit - it was perfectly cooked, and came with amazingly seasoned veg. The service was also incredible - my french isn't great, but the wait staff were understanding and most speak a little bit of English. We were not waiting long, and felt welcomed by the staff. I would definitely come here again.

Great food for a touristic area. Cassoulet and Confit are great. Menus are reasonable.

Tasty french cuisines. Reasonably priced. Generous portions. We were a party of 3, and a set of 2 already filled us.

We went there and found a lovely place with excellent food and great value for the price. Try ot you won't be disappointed.

Great authentic restaurant in the area. Superb price/performance with their full menus including 3-courses at 3 price ranges. We tried the one called "Auberge". Very kind waitresses and deliciously cooked. They take good care about food allergies as well. Must have tried is of course the cassoulet! Will visit again - thanks :)

My husband and I didn't have a dinner reservation so were given a table outdoors which was fine since the weather was nice. However, there were many trees in the outdoor seating area and a very small leaf would occasionally fall onto the table or my glass of water. The menu had 3 vegan options and we ordered all of them: hummus and two vegetable dishes (which looked alike in presentation except one was warm because it was cooked in broth). The portion size seemed small but was actually filling. Food was delicious. Staff was busy but relatively efficient, and spoke English.

We were really looking forward to this restaurant based on reviews and all the awards they carry. Once you get into a terraced restaurant, you come into a well shaded spot. All the reservations start at 730 and restaurant gets filled in very fast. Our first impression was good, owner walking around welcoming guests, his wife at the counter taking payments. You really feel they are invested into it. The problem though comes when you taste the food. We had mi-cuit foie gras which was nicest dish out of the whole dinner. We also shared tart with pan seared foie and that was a disappointment. Foie was way overcooked making it a thin slice of crisp with no flavour or texture. But biggest disappointment came with mains. My husband had a duck break which was well overcooked and we sent it back. It is served with pop corn ( weird combination not sure why you would do that) and some additional sauces. Dish had no balance, it was all ultra sweet, we didn’t finish it. I had a veal tartare, which was another strange creamy dish with lack of flavour. Fried potato churros were over oily. We spend over 180 euro for 2, and even though our dishes weren’t event half finished no one bothered to ask what happened. They were way to busy to provide good attentive service. Unfortunately, very disappointing experience we were really looking forward to. We had lunch in restaurant La marquire same day and it was a million times better from food to service.

Attentive service, great food and wine, and a lovely atmosphere. I wasn’t the only solo diner, which made it feel relaxed and welcoming. The staff were immediately understanding about my gluten intolerance and offered options, even bringing gluten-free bread. The duck was excellent, though I’d have liked a touch more veg to balance it out. And the poached pears were yum. Would recommend booking, especially if you want to sit indoors at this time of year.

After a chilly, rainy morning exploring the ramparts of Carcassonne, we took refuge in the old town for lunch at Comte Roger - Carcassonne, a MICHELIN Guide recommended spot that delivered exactly what we needed. • My partner and I shared some tasty potato churros, a rich, comforting cassoulet paired with a glass of red wine and a little sip of Armagnac, basically a warm hug in food and drink form. • Was it the best cassoulet we have ever had? Not quite, but it was deeply satisfying, and absolutely perfect for the moment. • We ended the meal with a dessert (Le Glacé) that really surprised us. It was composed of muscat grape ice cream with oreillette crisps. Light, fresh with some flowery notes and delightfully local. An ideal finish to such a hearty meal.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner in shaded outdoor area. The vines and lights above create a nice setting. The cassoulet was packed with flavour and full of meats. It was a generous portion and with starters and a side salad I was full! This cassoulet looked like the best one in the old town, highly recommended if you're in Carcassonne old town.

Superb food and wine, very good service (and helpful staff happy to answer questions and explain ingredients.) The sea bream with ravioli and fennel was absolutely delicious! So much so I had it two days running! Recommended!

We were a party of four with 2 dogs; we sat at a large corner table on the shady terrace. Service: knowledgeable, attentive and kind. Water was brought for the dogs without asking. Food: the cassoulet was our universal choice and did not disappoint! If you have a small appetite one between two would be adequate. Aperitifs: kir with cassis very good, kir with pèche was amazing. Red wine: Pinot noir was the perfect match. Desserts: perfect. A memorable afternoon.