Carcassonne and Canal du Midi

Carcassonne is one the most famous tourist destinations in France with its Cité, and when I said I was going to the south of France, several persons recommended me to go to Carcassonne. As it was on my route from Arles to the Basque lands, it seemed natural to stop by and tick it off the list.

Carcassonne consists of two parts: Ville Basse on the west bank of the river Aude, which is the modern centre of the town, and Cité, the medieval fortress on the hilltop on the other side of Aude. Ville Basse is also old: it stems from the 13th century, when the people living in the Cité were not permitted to stay there. During the centuries that followed, the Cité decayed more and more, but when the government wanted to raze it to the ground in the middle of the 19th century, this sparked reactions. Instead, the Cité was duefully restored under the leadership of Viollet-le-Duc. It was not only a restoration - he added a few things extra to make it a little too perfect. Nevertheless, it's the Cité that draws people to Carcassonne from near and afar.

Carcassonne is on the Canal du Midi which invites to lazy excursions - and personally I found that a better experience than the Cité.

1. Place Carnot	2. Ville Basse Street Scene	3. Porte des Jacobins	4. Church
5. Square Gambetta	6. Cité across the Aude	7. Old House	8. Right Outside
9. Cité Street Scene	10. Cité Square	11. A Quiet Space	12. Château Comtal
13. View over Ville Basse	14. Dog in the Backyard	15. Yard with Sculptures	16. View over the Cité
17. Castle View	18. Another Cité View	19. Cité House	20. The Fields
21. Cité from a Distance	22. Out on the Country	23. Flowers	24. Porte Narbonnaise
25. Pont Neuf	26. Direct Light	27. Canal du Midi, part 1	28. Canal du Midi II
29. Mirrored Trees	30. Mountain View	31. Funny House	32. Trompe d'œil
33. Aude Rapids	34. Another Funny House	35. Canal du Midi, part 2	36. Canal du Midi V
37. Canal du Midi VI	38. Canal du Midi VII	39. Canal du Midi VIII	40. Canal du Midi IX
41. Lock Gate I	42. Lock Gate II	43. Canal du Midi XII	44. Canal du Midi XIII
45. Canal du Midi XIV	46. House in Orange	47. Cité Slight Return	48. Aude

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