Château et remparts de la cité de Carcassonne

About the museum

Around 1130, the Trencavel family, viscounts of Carcassonne, had a palace built that later became the comital castle. After the Albigensian Crusade and the fall of the town in 1209, the viscounty was attached to the royal domain in 1226. Under Louis IX, the former Trencavel residence was converted into a fortified castle, the seat of the king’s seneschal.

In the 13th century, a second curtain wall doubled the original Gallo-Roman rampart, giving the Cité its double line of defense. After the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, the site lost its military role; the walls, now useless, were partly quarried for stone by residents.

From 1844, the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was commissioned to restore the monument. After his death, the work continued under Paul Boeswillwald and was completed in 1911. Today, the castle and ramparts can be visited via the walkway along the walls, the Cour du Midi, the hall of the former seneschal’s residence, and the lapidarium housed in the castle.

Highlights

• Comital castle of the Trencavel family, later a royal fortress
• Walk along the walkway of the ramparts (about 1.3 km)
• Cour du Midi and 14th-century Gothic hall
• Lapidarium with medieval sculptures
• Audioguide trail for children aged 6 to 10

Permanent exhibitions

• Le château comtal – Visit the halls of the former residence of the king’s seneschal, the Cour du Midi and the Chapelle Sainte-Marie, with the Pinte Tower.
• Musée lapidaire – Sculptures and stone elements from antiquity to the 17th century, displayed by period inside the castle; these include Romanesque capitals and Merovingian sarcophagi.

Operated by

Centre des monuments nationaux

Admission & discounts

Free admission: European Heritage Days (third weekend of September) and the first Sunday of the month from January to March.

The individual ticket costs €19 from April to September and €13 from October to March. Partner rate of €16.50 or €11.50 with the Carca’City Pass, the CEZAM card, or a TGV Inoui or Intercités train ticket valid for less than 5 days; €15 or €10 with the Grand Voyageur card. Free admission is also granted to job seekers (certificate less than 6 months old), holders of the Pass éducation and the Pass Culture, on presentation of proof. Payment by cash, card, check, chèque Culture, ANCV holiday vouchers and Pass Culture.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

The barbican and the Cour d’Honneur are reachable by wheelchair via a paved street that climbs about 200 m from the Porte Narbonnaise. There is no elevator, and the route includes many narrow, uneven staircases. The walkway along the ramparts is about 1.3 km long, with two intermediate exits. A visitor booklet in Braille and large print with raised-relief plans, a guide in easy-to-read language (FALC), and a comfort kit for autistic visitors are available. A tour in French Sign Language is possible for groups, by reservation. Reserved spaces are located in the Delteil car park (paid).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

An audioguide trail for children aged 6 to 10 is available in French, English, Spanish, Italian and German. A stroller parking area is provided, but the route includes many stairs.

Getting there & parking

Driving directions are signposted from Perpignan, Montpellier and Toulouse via the A9, A61, A6 and N113.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant
• Museum shop

A food service is available in the Cour d’Honneur; picnics are not allowed in the monument. A bookshop-gift shop is located on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit