Prefecture of Aude
Stage town for the 13th time
Population: 46,500 (Carcassonnais, Carcassonnaises), 115,000 in Carcassonne Agglo (83 communes)
Specialities: cassoulet (a universal cassoulet academy), petit carcassonnais (madeleine), Micheline, Or Kina (herbal liqueur). Aude wines: Minervois, Cabardes, Corbières, Malepère, Limoux...
Personalities: Fabre d'Eglantine (1750-1794, poet and revolutionary), André Chénier (1762-1794, poet and revolutionary), Paul Lacombe (1837-1927, composer), Jöe Bousquet (poet), Prosper Montagné (1865-1948, French chef), Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (rehabilitated the Cité), René Nelli (poet), Jean Camberoque (painter), Jean-Michel Signoles (industrialist), Claude Marti (Occitan singer, writer and poet), Olivia Ruiz (singer), Stephan Eicher (Swiss singer, recorded an album called Carcassonne in 1993), Automne Pavia (judo, European champion and Olympic and world medallist)
Sport: Union Sportive Carcassonne (XV rugby for 117 years), Carcassonne XIII (Super XIII), ATAC, Association Terre d'Aragon en Cabardès (cycling school with mountain bike option).
Competitions: Aude petanque championships (March), horse races at the Fajeolle racecourse, Spartam Race Carcassonne (obstacle course, May), Carcassonne Triathlon (May), Meeting International de natation (June), Carcassonne Marathon and Half-Marathon (June), Ronde des vendanges (walking race, September), Carcassonne Swimrun (September), Grand Raid des Cathares (October), Frappadingue Occitane X'Trem (obstacle race, October), Cross de la Cité (December). Cycling club: Avenir Cycliste Carcassonnais (ASC Cyclisme, founded in 1920)
Economy: tourism since the 19th century, following the restoration of the Cité (2,450,000 visitors a year). Business tourism with the new Convention Centre in the town centre. Sud de France Carcassonne airport. University (2,000 students). ENAC (National Civil Aviation School). Nine vineyards in the Carcassonne area.
Festivals: Festival de Carcassonne / Festival international du film politique / Embrasement de la Cité (fireworks display on 14 July)
Labels: Tour de France Bike City (1 bike) / 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Canal du Midi since 1996 and the Medieval City since 1997) / City of Art and History / Blue Flag / Active and Sporting City / Vignobles & Découvertes Grands Vins en Grand Carcassonne / Tourist Office classified category 1 / Quality Tourism / Tourist resort
Websites and social networks: www.carcassonne.org / www.tourisme-carcassonne.fr / www.carcassonne-agglo.fr / www.grand-carcassonne-tourisme.fr / www.aude.fr / www.audetourisme.com / www.laregion.fr / www.tourisme-occitanie.com / sud-de-france.com / facebook.com/VilledeCarcassonne / facebook.com/tourismecarcassonne / facebook.com/departementdelaude / facebook.com/CarcassonneAgglo / @CarcaInfos / @TourismeCarca / instagram.com/departement_de_l_aude / facebook.com/TourismeOccitanie / twitter.com/Occitanie / instagram.com/tourisme_en_occitanie
CARCASSONNE AND CYCLING
The setting ablaze of the Cité, a spectacular fireworks display, attracts almost 700,000 people every year on the evening of 14 July. Among the riders who have set Carcassonne alight was Jean Stablinski in 1962, in the midst of one of his finest seasons: a stage win in the Tour of Spain, which he finished in sixth place, another French Championship title and, above all, his world championship triumph. In 2021, it was Mark Cavendish who crowned his extraordinary renaissance with a fourth stage win, equalling Eddy Merckx's record of 34 victories in the Tour. Finally, in 2022, Jasper Philipsen won the first of his eight Tour stage victories here
The recent starts from Carcassonne have been a credit to the attackers who are prepared to expose themselves, whatever their pedigree. In 2014, it was on the road to Bagnères-de-Luchon that Michael Rogers was part of a large breakaway that he outwitted in the finale to claim his only Tour victory. Two years later, the Carcassonne-Montpellier route ended in a famous duet between Chris Froome and Peter Sagan. The Slovak had the last word. And in 2018, it was again in Bagnères-de-Luchon that Julian Alaphilippe knitted a sleeve of his polka-dot jersey by winning in the Pyrenees. The day before, for the last finish outside the town walls, it was Denmark's Magnus Cort who won
Albert Bourlon, for his part, set off a firework display three days ahead of the 1947 Tour, setting off just outside the medieval town and not being seen again until Bagnères-de-Luchon, the end of the stage. The former Renault worker went fishing for bonuses and ended up winning at the finish line, 16 minutes ahead of his nearest rival, at the end of a 253km breakaway, the longest in the history of the Tour. "I didn't expect to win the stage. I would have been content to pocket the bonuses, which represented double my monthly salary", he explained
It was also a form of revenge for this modest rider, who had even been forgotten by the race commissaires in the classification of the stage contested two days earlier: "Have you seen me this time?” he asked them after his win
At over 30 years of age, this feat enabled him to finish 21st in the Tour de France. It was a one-off for Albert Bourlon, who set off on his longest breakaway in October 2013 at the age of 96
SIGHTS
Medieval town
Construction: former Gallic oppidum (c. 300 BC), cathedral and château in the 11th and 12th centuries
Style: medieval, neo-medieval (restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century)
Surface area: 1,361 ha
Characteristics: Situated on the right bank of the River Aude, the medieval city is a fortified town, unique in Europe for its size and state of preservation, with 52 towers and two concentric walls totalling three kilometres of ramparts. Its history is marked by 2,000 years of conquest and the imprint of Catharism and the Crusades
History: centre of power for the Counts of Carcassonne and then the famous Trencavel family in the 12th century, Carcassonne became a royal stronghold governed by a seneschal after the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229), when royal forces seized Carcassonne, accused of complicity with the Cathars. It guaranteed the border between France and Aragon until the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659. In the 19th century, the town was on the verge of demolition and was used as a stone quarry. Over a period of more than 50 years (from 1853 to 1911), Viollet-le-Duc and his successor Paul Boeswillwald restored the town to its medieval appearance, demolishing the parasitic buildings between the two walls, roofing the towers in grey slate and restoring the decorations and hoardings. In the 1960s, the Gallo-Roman towers were tiled
Listed as: UNESCO World Heritage Site
Théâtre de la cité
Built: 1908
Characteristics: The theatre, located inside the medieval town, was built in 1908 on the site of the former Saint-Nazaire cloister. It had nearly 6,000 seats (just over 3,000 authorised today) and audiences were seated on benches or simple chairs
Special features: In 1957, actor and director Jean Deschamps created the famous Festival de la Cité, which has been held every summer since then. The theatre was modified in 1972. As a tribute to the work of Jean Deschamps, the Grand Théâtre de la Cité was renamed Théâtre Jean Deschamps on 15 July 2006
Canal du Midi
Characteristics: Designed by Pierre Paul Riquet in the 17th century to link the Atlantic with the Mediterranean, the Canal du Midi was once used to transport goods and people and is now used by many yachtsmen and tourists. Since 1996, the Canal du Midi has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The locks, bridges, aqueducts and canal bridges that criss-cross the 240 km of waterway bear witness to both a technical feat and a work of art
Bastide Saint-Louis
History and characteristics: The Bastide was conceived in the 13th century at the instigation of King Saint Louis, who created a second medieval city. Although burnt down by the Black Prince, the Bastide has retained its original orthogonal layout to this day. Its prosperity as a cloth-making town in the 17th century, followed by the wine trade from the 19th century onwards, led to the construction of a number of architecturally remarkable town houses. Around 700,000 visitors a year come on foot from the Cité, via the Pont Vieux (Old Bridge), to discover the original shops of the Bastide, in the atmosphere of a southern town, as far as the banks of the Canal du Midi
Vineyards (living heritage)
Characteristics: "Cité de Carcassonne" is a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) appellation covering 3,000 hectares spread over 27 farms, 9 of which are located in the commune of Carcassonne, right under the ramparts of the Cité. The Malepère, Corbières, Minervois and Montagne Noire vineyards offer a Cévennes feel, with their deep chestnut groves and Tuscan ambience from the cypress-lined hills
TO EAT
Fougasse with fritons
Characteristics: Heir to an exceptional historical heritage, Carcassonne is also a gourmet stop-off that reveals all the richness of the Languedoc region. Among the specialities to savour on a trip along the Canal du Midi, fougasse aux fritons is both simple and tasty. This peasant preparation was originally designed to enrich the flavour of bread with leftover pork
