La ville basse
The trick to appreciating the ‘La Ville Basse’ as Carcassonne is sometimes called is to see it as a jumping-off point to more interesting sights just outside the city walls. The castle just over the river, La Cité, is the most obvious example. The Canal du Midi is another - Carcassonne is a great launch pad for a day’s pootle along the canal. All around the city you’ll find endless vineyards offering great tasting opportunities. To the north is the pretty village of Caunes-Minervois, and beyond that the Cathar castles of ‘Las Tours’. Further afield from Carcassonne is the rugged Corbières region to the south, peppered with pretty villages and some of France’s most atmospheric Medieval castles and abbeys.
Website: La ville basse
