7 Best Sights in Toulouse and the Languedoc, France

If you have time to fit only one of Languedoc's bevy of Cathar castles into your trip, formidable Peyrepertuse is the one to go for. High above the pretty village of Duilhac, its jagged ramparts command amazing views.

Note the frilly wrought-iron campanile and dramatic medieval crucifix on the Cathédrale St-Jean-Baptiste.

Dating back to the late 10th century, Quéribus perches on a crag that made it a natural stronghold and one of the last redoubts of the heretic Cathars, who held out here until 1255.

Perpignan's alluring town center is lined with rosemary bushes and landmarked by a medieval monument, the 14th-century Castillet, with its tall, crenellated twin towers. Originally this hulking brick building was the main gate to the city; later it was used as a prison. Now the Casa Pairal, a museum devoted to Catalan art and traditions, is housed here.

The Spanish influence is evident in Perpignan's leading monument, the fortified Palais des Rois de Majorque, begun in the 13th century by Jacques II of Majorca. Highlights here are the majestic Cour d'Honneur (Courtyard of Honor), the two-tier Flamboyant Gothic chapel of Ste-Croix Marie-Madelene, and the Grande Salle (Great Hall), with its monumental fireplaces.

To see some interesting medieval buildings, walk along the Petite Rue des Fabriques d'En Nabot—near Le Castillet—to the adjacent Place de la Loge, the town's nerve center.

Across Boulevard Wilson from Le Castillet, this is a cheerful place to stroll among flowers, plane trees, and fountains.