Carcassonne, France – A Tour Through the Best-Preserved Medieval City on Earth

Today we are in the best-preserved medieval city in the world, Carcassonne France. This city oozes medieval charm and has a fascinating history. As you walk it’s narrow streets you can’t help but feel like you’re back in time; to an era with knights and kings, peasants and mythology. Join me on an adventure as we learn about and explore one of the most fascinating destinations in France and the world.

The entire medieval city of Carcassonne is a UNESCO world heritage site and for good reason. The city is steeped in millenia of history and offers the visitor the opportunity to really step back in time and be surrounded by a living history museum.

This video will show you the best things to do and see in Carcassonne, France. This travel vlog will show you how to experience this amazing medieval city. We will explore all of the sights that make Carcassonne worth visiting. If you want to know what to do in Carcassonne France see all of the sights in this video.

We Will Visit:
Basilique San Nazaire
Medieval City of Carcassonne
Cite de Carcassonne
Chateau Et Ramparts (Carcassonne Castle)
Place du Chateau
Rue Trivalle
Pont Vieux Bridge
La Bastide
Canal Du Midi

JP has dedicated his life to traveling. He is a digital nomad who creates travel vlogs about interesting places all over the world. His travel videos teach viewers all about amazing destinations in a travel documentary type format. JP is a professional travel guide who seeks to educate and inspire you to check off all the items on your bucket list. He not only provides the viewer with travel essentials, but also educates on off the beaten path locations that you wouldn’t think to visit. Check out his travel vlog and be inspired to explore your world!

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[Music] today we are in the best preserved medieval city in the world carcoon France this city oozes medieval charm and has a fascinating history as you walk its narrow streets you can’t help but feel like you’re back in time to an Era with knights and Kings peasants and mythology join me on an adventure as we learn about an explore one of the most fascinating destinations in France and the world hey everyone JP here and welcome back to another episode of project Gaia today we are in a very special place this is carason France now carcassone a lot of people have not heard of carcassone and it’s really a shame because it is the best preserved medieval city in the world so it’s in southern France kind of South Central Southwestern France uh between tulus and uh narbon so it’s in the South Central Region just north of the pyin not too far from Spain um now anyways this place is amazing it is filled with medieval architecture castles walls I mean just medieval homes everywhere Wells squares and it really is a fascinating place to have on your bucket list in life and a lot of people don’t know about this so what I’m going to do in this video is I’m going to show you the best things to do and see when you’re here in car as well as I’m going to teach you a lot about the city’s history and what makes it so special for this part of France and for medieval historians so let’s head in the entire medieval city of carcassone is a UNESCO world heritage site and for good reason the city is steeped in Millennia of history and offers the visitor the opportunity to really step back in time and be surrounded by a living history museum the city was founded in the 6th Century BC by the Gauls and has witnessed the passage of time under the occupation of several different civilizations the Romans fortified the city laying the foundations of its iconic double walled ramp parts during the Medieval Era the city flourished as a key stronghold for marauding Invaders protected by its 53 watchtowers making it one of the most forbid fortresses in Europe the city played a pivot role in the 13th century during the elenin Crusade this Crusade was commissioned by Pope Innocent III from 129 to 1229 to crush the cathars which were a sect of Christians that flourished in this part of France but of whom rejected certain teachings of the Catholic Church including the idea that God was incarnate in Jesus rather that Jesus was an angel with a Phantom body they belied the physical world was inherently evil and created by the evil spirit or devil and did not believe in military service the power of the Catholic priesthood and did not consume any animal products over the years the city played a key pivotal role in trade as it was located on the main trade route in southern France between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean which was the shortest Overland route between the two bodies of water however by the 17th century the political military and economic importance of the city began to wne until in the 19th century when the architect city planner voet leuk undertook a meticulous restoration of the city Reviving its medieval [Music] Splendor make sure you walk around the outer walls and this is the first level of fortification to the city not only do you get amazing views of the surrounding country side but through these walls are several secret entrance points through the backside of the medieval [Music] Citadel so one thing that you’re going to notice when you’re going along the walls along carcassone is these slits in every basically every like 5 ft and why have slits why not just have an open circle or window so the slits are made perfectly to both watch out and and to shoot a bow and arrow right so this is this is at a time before there are guns right and this served as protective wall so you don’t want a giant window around you you want it just enough to see right and then be able to shoot if me be right so it’s a protective fense measure but also to look out and it’s just amazing because you have this history all around you in every location when you’re here in carosone [Music] [Music] I recommend you have an early start on your big adventure to carcassone if you get into the city early enough meaning before 10 a.m. you can have it almost entirely to yourself this allows you to really emerge yourself in The Amazing beauty of the medieval lanes and quaint shops and cafes the city is amazingly quiet in the morning and you can hear the gentle rings of the church bells and shopkeepers opening their businesses for the day it is a meditative experience it makes you feel connected to the intense and fascinating history of this amazingly intact medieval city [Music] so a musi when you’re here in Carone is the basik son naer right also known as the Cathedral of carcassone now this amazing Cathedral or Basilica was built in 1247 so it’s coming up on its 800th birthday and um the church is open all day from like 9:00 to 5:00 p.m. and you can go in there and see some of the most amazing stained glass windows in France and in Europe and it just has this really medieval feel I mean it’s so for boing and interesting and Powerful so let’s head in Visiting basik San nazer is a mustu in carcassone and is one of the oldest intch churches in France its Grand Gothic and Romanesque architecture are truly awe inspiring and one cannot help but feel connected to a higher power in this amazingly beautiful human Testament to love of God and an afterlife the cathedral brings a sense of Peace Hope and solitude but also senses of Glory amazement and Intrigue so one thing that you have to remember is that these beautiful stained glass windows inside this Basilica serve two purposes now yes they’re beautiful right and it kind of shows Mankind’s Devotion to God right but the second thing is they serve a functional purpose right so if you think about it this church was built almost 800 years ago and the vast majority of the population were illiterate they could not read or write right so when you go into a lot of these U medieval Catholic churches what the stained glass windows also proed to do is to tell the stories of the Bible and of the church’s teachings so when people in Mass you know they can look up and understand more because they couldn’t read the Bible another thing that a lot of people don’t remember is that Catholic masses before about the 1960s 1970s were in Latin so a lot of people didn’t know what the priest were was saying so these windows kind of serve that purpose to tell the story of the Bible [Music] [Music] carcassone is a small City and could be traversed fully on foot in less than an hour but the city is jam-packed with interesting sites and story book-like architecture that is sure to keep you walking back and forth all day peer into the windows check out the shops and walk in the footsteps of medieval knights peasants and clergy this historic city is inspiring the whole thing looks like like some sort of madeup fairy tale land and exploring this amazing UNESCO world heritage site is truly a pleasure that will touch the heart of the inner kid in you who love pretending to be a knight or princess living in a [Music] castle okay now here we are at the main attraction here in carcassone this is Chateau at ramp par which basically means castle and walls so this is the big giant castle that you when you approach the city right so we’re going to go in there we’re going to learn all about its history and why it’s so special to this area of France um and you got to understand in medieval times it it wasn’t a centralized government right so it was a bunch of little kingdoms and they had to defend themselves right so there’s tons of walls and it’s really built for defense and to defend this interior City this beautiful interior City that we are inside now so let’s head in carcassone Castle was the seat and symbol of feudal and royal power during the Medieval Era and dominates the city the castle has its Beginnings in as early as the mid 1100s and has been expanded over an approximately 300 year period until in the early 1400s you have what you see here today this formidable castle with its extensive ramp parts and iconic watchtowers brings you back to an amazingly preserved medieval setting and is one of the most intact beautiful and interesting castles in the entirety of [Music] Europe walk in the footsteps of knights as you climb your way through the narrow Stone staircases to the for boing ramp Parts these medieval walls were one of many fortifications protecting the castle and city as a whole and as you look out here you will notice a circular Tower where the ticket office is now these locations served as a gathering point for soldiers and knights in the event that there was a Siege next you will make your way into the watchtowers these were designed to watch out over the surrounding Countryside and provid in multiple levels and trap doors to hoist up weapons [Music] you will then make your way across the wooden bridges it was from these strategic locations that Knights and soldiers would shoot arrows and crossbows and even throw scolding hot oils and fire onto marauding Invaders below they serve to provide shelter and protection from the enemy [Music] as you soak in the history and fascinating militaristic paast of this for boing Castle don’t forget to take in the beautiful views of the city below these castle walls are one of the most extensive and best preserved in Europe and circumnavigate the city below also check out the fascinating archaeological Museum housed within the castle all of these items were found in and around carcassone and provide archaeologists and historians with important clues for how people lived during the Medieval Era but also how the castle was utilized over its almost 900e history [Music] what I love about carcassone castle is the story book like feel of the whole place if you have kids that are into Knights kings queens princes and princesses they’re going to absolutely love this place I am always amazed walking in the footsteps of sites that are several centuries years old because I like to imagine the stories of the people that utilize these amazing spaces when they were fully functional rather than a tourist site what was the guard experiencing when he saw an Army in the distance what was it like working in the castle what was it like being imprisoned in the castle all these stories echo through the walls of this place and give it a legendary heart that is as reflective as it is [Music] beautiful so one place that you must check out when you’re here in carcassone is rro mayave so this is kind of the main uh thorough when you enter through the city now what’s great about this is if you love medieval stuff which I’m assuming you do if you watch this movie and you’re going to carcassone um this is a place where there are tons of medieval merchandise and souvenirs um it kind of resembles uh the shambles in York if you’ve seen my York video check that out that’s also a very uh medieval city as well um it kind of has that Vibe so definitely check this out when you’re here medieval heads are going to love Ru Crow mayor VI walking through the winding centuries old lanes and popping your head into all the fun and interesting medieval themed stores it is a little kitchy but what tourist center isn’t if you want to bring home a piece of the fairy tale fantasy world of carcassone this is a good place to find something [Music] as you Meander through this commercial Corridor don’t forget to look up the stores are cool yes but look up at the authentic medieval structures above you the street is truly beautiful and transports you to a place in time that challenges your [Music] Norm next check out plastu Chateau this is one of the oldest plazas in the city and serves as an attractive Gathering point for tourists and locals alike it is quaint and nostalgic filled with cafes a fountain and more quirky and interesting [Music] boutiques now if you’re looking for a break between your big touring of all the medieval sites in the city um you’re probably going to want to get lunch or some drinks and a good place to do that is here this is called plar H so it’s like a plaza and there are tons of restaurants around it’s good for lunch or dinner now if you’re not familiar with France you got to remember things are pretty quiet before about noon right so at no to 2: all the restaurants open for lunch then there’s kind of another little break and then things open kind of from 7: to about 11:00 p.m. it’s a little bit later than in the United States uh how they eat and drink um but this is an excellent place to grab lunch in between or dinner later when you’re done um another thing to note uh is there are little cafes restaurants all over as you probably have seen don’t discount those uh but this is just kind of a main Gathering Place so it kind of has a really good vibe so definitely check plus Marco out when you’re here so a good thing to get to eat when you’re in France in general is the pro monua so basically what it is it’s a sandwich with cheese on the top and the bottom and then they have like a ham in the middle it’s really good um and you’re going to like it okay so some tips and tricks uh when you’re here in car own one take it slow there’s not a ton of sights a lot of it is just to explore the amazing beauty of the medieval city right so you don’t feel like you have to like get to every Museum and everything really fast because um it’s there’s there’s only a couple sites but the real draw of carcassone is the the amazing architecture and the medieval Vibe of it all right so definitely do that um number two everywhere takes credit cards so you don’t really need to have cash um it does help um number three if you are an American um you are used to paying about a 20% tip whenever you go to a restaurant right uh in France and in Europe in general uh they don’t expect a tip only for exceptional service so you know if I usually leave like one or two EUR um but you don’t have to leave a tip so it makes going out to eat extremely affordable right it really adds to it and think about this too things are cheaper here right so you can go out and have a beautiful big lunch for like €20 right it would probably be like double uh the same value in the United States the next one make sure you bring your walking shoes uh these streets are very you know craggly Stone um you know they are not uh easy streets to navigate in you know maybe like high heels or whatever if you’re woman in France and in Europe in general um the smoking culture is kind of how I imagine it was in the ‘ 80s or like it was when I remember in the ’90s as a little kid um so smoking is everywhere uh you know when you go to a restaurant they’re going to be smoking so if you don’t want that go inside I mean I don’t know how much smoking bothers you but um smoking is everywhere if you eat outside I mean people don’t think anything to just smoke and light up next to you um it’s a big part of the culture here um so you know just just keep that in mind most people know a little English but I would rush up on my French um just to get an idea and to kind of uh navigate better it’s very important in France to start the conversation in French um I mean if you think about it if somebody was travel to the United States and they just started speaking in their native language you would be like what almost like a little rude right so if you start a conversation in French or you know you order in French um they’re going to be really happy about that and usually they’ll just default English when they see that you’re struggling cuz it’s not an easy language um and then from there you just go through it but I would brush up on my French and know a little bit of French before you get here because this isn’t Paris right so not everybody speaks English so it’s kind of like you got to um you know know how to navigate a little bit in [Music] French so when you’re in carcassone you’re going to notice tons of these old Wells so these Wells are almost a thousand years old so uh it’s hard to imagine but think of a life where there’s no indoor plumbing right where do you get your water from well either go to the river if you live in a rural place or uh a well is provided in like a center and so people would go to the well get their water for the day for cooking for bathing for drinking and bring it back to one of these Medieval houses so it’s pretty cool to see they’re all over the place they’re covered obviously so you can’t like fall in them um but some of them you could actually see down you can see all the way down to where they used to get the water [Music] so we’re here on a beautiful afternoon right I mean we’re seeing people having lunch exploring the city going to these cool little shops and souvenir stores and having a good time with kids and dogs and smiles and drinking and everything however we have to remember we are in a medieval city and since this is the best preserved medieval city in the world right they need to show the darkness of The Middle ages right because it isn’t just all happy and good and you know I have music playing behind me right it has a dark past right so one thing that the city does very well is it has two museums that are devoted to the story of this dark time right so the first one we’re going to go to is the Museum of torture so that teaches you how they tortured people and did all these things and why they did these things and then the second one is the U Museum of the Inquisition so this is about the Inquisition and you know how people if they deviated from the Catholic Church what we wouldn’t think would be a big issue nowadays uh was a big issue and could be punishable by death so it could be anything as simple as not going to mass enough um homosexuality um you know practicing sorts of magic or non-church things so it’s very interesting and we’re going to go in both of those so let’s head there the Museum of torture and the Museum of the Inquisition invite you into the underbelly and darker world of carcassone and the Medieval World in general it shows artifacts depicting the devices that were used to torture people and explains the reasons for this torture countless Souls lost their lives or went through great Agony usually because they challenged the status quo of the time these museums are a bit gruesome but really help you understand the danger and dare I say excitement of the Medieval [Music] World if you’re really into medieval merchandise check out some of the higher end stores on the r Crome mayor VA you can get extremely intricate fantasy items and even high-end swords and suits of armor but I don’t know how you’d carry it in your suitcase now when you’re here in carason and you want to check out an area that’s a little less touristy um you actually have to exit the walled City and then you come down to this area called rout tral which is where I am now um so this is a little bit more affordable food a little bit more local and um a lot more quiet right so if you want like kind of a quieter Vibe have lunch down here or dinner down here um this is a cool place to go and it’s about a 5 5 to 10 minute walk from the wal [Music] City at the end of rout tral is the PM view bridge this pedestrian and bike only Bridge dates back to the 13th century and offers the visitor one of the most beautiful and dramatic views of the medieval Hilltop City walls and Castle [Music] above also check out laast or the new city I wouldn’t really call it a new city it still has a large amount of medieval architecture just less winding and narrow streets this part of town is much more local and is beautiful in and of itself it has a fantastic Central Plaza that’s perfect for your morning coffee and cant plus several boutiques restaurants and cafes that are worth a look you also walk through this area on the way to the carcassone train station which can connect you to too narbone Mont peler and eventually Bordeaux Paris provance and the French Riviera also check out the famous canal dumi which is a water route between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic that passes through southern France [Music] okay guys this was carcassone France now I had an amazing time showing you guys this fantastically maintained medieval city um it is just filled with history and it really is something that you should have on your bucket list in life uh leave me your comments below let me know if there’s anything I missed or anything you’d like to see next time and guys um if you like this kind of content please make sure you subscribe if you haven’t already uh like this video share this video and until next time guys take care bye