Drowned in the mist of theAude, intertwined in the folds of the rock or hanging over the void, the castles of the Cathar country have never ceased to question or to move us when we see them at the top of a ridge. Today, they are the only witnesses to the tragedy that ravaged a large part of south-western France in the early 13th century, the crusade against the Cathars
In the Aude, the discovery of an arid, wild and mysterious country
This dualistic Christian religion sees the material world as a symbol of evil and a prison for souls. Its rejection of the symbols of the Catholic Church, such as the cross, and its growing popularity were to represent a danger for a Church in crisis at the time. The royal power on its side found there the opportunity to extend its domain and to annex Occitania. These were the milestones of a crusade that would plunge the south-west of France into a merciless war between 1209 and 1225
These "citadels of vertigo", as we like to call them, dot the region today and to discover them is also to set out to meet this arid, wild and authentic country. Carcassonne is one of the gateways to this Cathar country and many visitors stop to admire the architecture of this city protected by its three kilometres of ramparts. Even if the crowd is sometimes dense on summer days, you must walk through the streets of this city to find its soul and hear the clamour of the struggles but also the festivals that have gone through its history.
The plain of Carcassonne
Then, the small roads that get lost between the vineyards to attack the Mediterranean side of the Black Mountain and reach the castle of Saissac. This witness to Catharism has terraces and the remains of its towers above the Vernassonne ravine and faces an exceptional landscape, opening onto the Corbières and the first foothills of the Pyrenees. The imposing ruins that emerge from the holm oaks allow us to imagine what this fortress was like at the time of Bernard de Saissac, lord of the place, protector of the troubadours and the Cathars who assiduously frequented this residence and found refuge there. The crusade led against them was fatal and, in 1209, he had to surrender and saw his castle dismantled. The castle changed owners, was rebuilt and restored several times until it took on elements of Renaissance architecture.
But the Carcassonne region has also been producing wine since Greek antiquity, so reverence for the Cathars does not exempt us from bowing to their ancestors! So, let's salute in passing the good wine that flows in the vineyards of the region, and in particular near Carcassonne, at Château Auzias
The fortress of Cabaret, stronghold of the Cathar cause
Continuing along the mountain side through the garrigue and cypress trees, the castles of Lastours appear on a wild, rocky ridge overlooking the valleys of the Orbiel and Grézilhou rivers. An impressive and majestic view of these four castles, Cabaret, Surdespine, Quertinheux and Tour Régine, which bear the scars of their history. These four castles together made up the fortress of Cabaret, an ardent defender of the Cathar cause. This stronghold was, like the others, besieged, defeated and abandoned
The high valley of the Aude, culture and hiking
Leaving the Narbonne plain, the first escarpments of the Corbières lead to a land where broom, lavender and thyme compete for this arid soil with a rich vineyard whose wine has obtained its letters of nobility. Wild and wild, this landscape hides behind its chaotic forms, isolated villages, lost abbeys, Romanesque chapels and castles with hieratic forms which let guess the history of these regions.
At an altitude of 700 metres, at the top of a rock covered with holm oaks, the castle of Termes reveals the architecture of its stone battlements. Until the signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, it will, with the castles of Quéribus, Aguilar, Peyrepertuse and Puylaurens, be part of what has been called the "five sons of Carcassonne", responsible for forming a strategic line of defense along this border between France and Aragon
Nearby, the Termenet Gorge, popular with canyoning enthusiasts and hikers, is not to be missed.
Steep paths through the garrigue
Another son of Carcassonne, the castle of Aguilar bears its name well, from the Latin aquila which means "eagle". It stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the plain of Tuchan, in the extreme south-east of what is now the department of Aude, bordering the Pyrénées-Orientales. Here, the scrubland shares the space with the vines, the Fitou or Rivesaltes wines which are the jewels of the region and which should be tasted here.
A few kilometres away, Quéribus is the last bastion of the Cathar resistance. Standing on the rock at an altitude of 800 metres, the terrace offers a dazzling panorama of the Corbières, the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. Within sight and only 5 kilometres from Quéribus, the castle of Peyrepertuse also stands at an altitude of 800 metres, its high silhouette in the middle of the garrigue. It is a huge building which is said to be larger than Carcassonne. The remains of the buildings are impressive and constitute a fine example of medieval military architecture. Beyond the castle, 1 kilometre east of the village, you must see the superb Verdouble gorges.
The valleys of the Ariège
In the shadow of the Pyrenees, the Ariège raises its summits and closes its valleys creating an atmosphere of mystery reinforced by the dark sides covered with fir trees and oaks. It is in this atmosphere that Montségur appears, the painful emblem of the medieval struggle against the Cathar heresy. At the top of this hill, which is difficult to access, 400 people will live entrenched for 10 months, surrounded by the armies of crusaders. Their surrender led them to the stake set up on March 16, 1244, on the outskirts of the fortress. Today, the castle and its architecture attract hundreds of enthusiasts every year who come to see this curiosity of the first rays of the sun crossing the fortress from side to side. Whether this is a coincidence or an architectural gesture, no one knows
Between Foix and Lavelanet, Roquefixade is visible from Montségur and, like him, it will serve as a place of welcome and protection to this population persecuted by the Inquisition. Built like all these "citadels of vertigo" at the top of a rock, it takes on the shape and colour of the rock from afar. A steep and stony path leads to the top, but the effort is worth it since an exceptional panorama awaits us on Montségur and the snowy summits of the Pyrenees. Foix is only ten kilometres away and also seems to be entirely devoted to its powerful castle built on its rock. In the Ariège, as in the Aude, Cathar history is part of the identity and soul of this region
Useful information
When to visit? Spring and Indian summer are good options to avoid the summer crowds.
How to get there. Head for Carcassonne by plane, train or car.
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Useful. To prepare your trip as well as possible.
OFFICE DU TOURISME DE CARCASSONNE - More information on the site
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COMITE DEPARTEMENTAL DU TOURISME DE L'ARIEGE - More informationon the website
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