Carcassonne, France

When my grandma Doris found out that we would be driving across southern France she suggested a stop to see the gorgeous medieval walled city of Carcassonne. We took her advice and are so happy we did! Definitely a must-visit!

Carcassonne is a 13th century world of towers, turrets, and cobblestones. 

The fortified old city on the hill is known as La Cité and is surrounded by two layers of walls and fortifications that were first built by the Romans and then expanded over the centuries.

Looking towards the city cemetery through the wall.

In peacetime, this area between the walls was used for medieval tournaments (think A Knight's Tale) and markets.

Today, it's used for our kids to pick flowers. 

We meandered around and entered La Cité through one of the inner wall gates and saw the beautiful St. Nazaire Church which served as the town's cathedral until the 18th century.

The whole old town is so charming, it is like walking through a fairytale.  Goodies!

The Chateau Comtal, the city's third layer of defense, was originally built in 1125 and still shows the wooden rampart extensions that once circled the entire city wall. You might also recognize this castle from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves where it was Nottingham Castle. 

Seeing this amazing place up on the hill was surreal. It is so well preserved that it looks like something transported from a different time and plopped down in the modern world.

At night it is even more magical. 

A little montage of the Evans family in Carcassonne:

Our family in Carcassonne, France on Wednesday April 5th, 2017. The next day was the micro-country this whole trip was planned around: Andorra!