Our Fairytale Journey to Carcassonne, France

Good day, everyone!😊 Who else has wondered how a massive kingdom like Carcassonne was ever created by people just like us in the past?

It’s been almost a year since we visited Carcassonne, France, yet every time I look at the photos on my phone, I can’t help but marvel at the incredible history captured in each one. Sometimes I find myself wondering what it must have felt like to live in those times—imagining the emotions in every step, in every corner of this enchanting place.

Today, I’d love to share with you our one-day journey in Carcassonne—an experience that truly felt like stepping into a timeless fairytale.🏰

First, we drove from our village in Germany to France by car. The journey took two days and one night, with an overnight stay at a hotel near the French border so we could rest after a long day of travel—especially for my husband, who did all the driving.😊

The next day, we continued our trip to Toulouse, where my cousin and her family live. We stayed there for a week, enjoying the beautiful places around the area, including Carcassonne.

Getting to Carcassonne took about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Toulouse. We didn’t experience any traffic, and parking was easy since we decided to leave early in the morning to avoid the usual crowds. Of course, since this place is well-known, it’s always wise to expect many tourists visiting as well.

From here on are photos of the entrance to Carcassonne. Even though we arrived early, we could already see many cars and people around. Thankfully, the parking area is quite large and can easily accommodate visitors for the day.

We also paid for parking, although I can’t recall the exact price since my husband handled it. Still, it felt worth it for a full day of parking, especially in such a popular destination.

Here, you can already enjoy fairytale-like views and enchanting architecture inside Carcassonne. Carcassonne is not just a castle—it is a French fortified city located in the department of Aude, in the Occitanie region.

According to History Hit, Carcassonne is famous for its double-walled ramparts, 52 towers, and its castle. This storybook-like city was extensively restored in the 19th century and now attracts over 2.5 million visitors each year.

But Carcassonne offers more than just ancient history. One of its highlights is La Cité, a living, walkable medieval town filled with narrow cobbled streets, gift shops, and restaurants. Another must-see is the Comtal Castle and Ramparts (also known as Château Comtal), a medieval fortress within the city walls that once served as a crucial defensive structure.

Sadly, we weren’t able to go inside the castle. We were so enchanted exploring the cobbled streets and wandering through every corner that time simply slipped away. The walled city is so vast that we couldn’t even see everything—and before we knew it, we had completely missed visiting the castle! But that just gives us a perfect reason to come back again in the future.

The ramparts are also a special experience, where visitors can walk between the two massive defensive walls and imagine life in medieval times.

This is the path leading to the back of the walled city, it's still magical to see.

From here on are photos of the museum, gift shops, and stores selling sweets, wines, and other local souvenirs. There are actually so many shops inside that your eyes might get tired just looking around—every corner is filled with things you’d want to take home, each one reminding you of the fairytale experience in Carcassonne.

But it’s not just shops—you’ll also find many restaurants offering a wide variety of dishes, from traditional French cuisine to almost anything you can imagine tasting.

My husband and my cousin’s husband were especially curious about a local dish from Toulouse called Cassoulet de Toulouse. It’s a rich, slow-cooked casserole made with white beans (usually Tarbais beans), duck confit, pork, and Toulouse sausage, traditionally prepared in an earthenware pot called a cassole.

So we chose a restaurant, and my husband ordered the cassoulet. According to him, it was absolutely delicious, he enjoyed it so much that he even wants to try cooking it at home someday! I ordered chicken with a vegetable salad, along with potatoes and carrots served with a dip, as you can see in the picture. It was also very tasty, though I couldn’t finish the whole plate—so my husband happily came to the rescue.😸

Meanwhile, my daughter, nephews, and niece kept it simple with fries and chicken with dip.

After our meal, we enjoyed a bottle of cider, which quickly became one of our favorites. It was a delicious apple cider, light, refreshing, and slightly sparkling, that we definitely wouldn’t want to miss on our next visit to France.

Later, my cousin’s husband offered us some espresso, but to be honest, it was a bit too strong for our taste. We still prefer the milder coffee we usually drink at home.😊

This is the view of the whole lower city from where i stand( at the back of the walled city)

After our long walk inside the walled city of Carcassonne, we continued on toward the lower town. There, we were welcomed by beautiful views of the city, a lovely park filled with blooming roses, and fountains where the kids could play while the parents took a moment to rest their tired legs. It’s funny how the children never seem to feel tired at all!😆

Before reaching the lower city, we crossed a bridge that connects it to the walled city. The bridge itself felt just as historic and enchanting. From the middle, we paused and looked back at the breathtaking view of Carcassonne’s massive walls—it was truly magical and impressive.

I would definitely recommend that anyone visiting Carcassonne take the time to walk across this bridge. From there, you’ll witness exactly what I mean—simply amazing.✨

Here are a few tips based on my experience:

Best time to visit: Early mornings are ideal to avoid heavy crowds. Use a map to easily explore inside Carcassonne. Visitors can walk along the ramparts, explore the charming shops in La Cité, and try the local dish cassoulet.😋

And for those who were inspired by my story, I’ll be sharing the location on the map—thank me later! Bye!🌻