icithecat

Their very billing as 'one of the most touristed sites in France' has me a little fearful.<BR><BR>Has the popularity killed the place?

Patrick

One of the most disappointing places I've ever been to. It seemed like a Disney version of what an old fortress city should be, and we couldn't move for the tourist shops and crowds. I had wanted to go for years but couldn't wait to leave. This is one of the few places I've ever changed itineraries on. We had booked two nights. After one afternoon and evening we cancelled the second night and left the next morning.

icithecat

Thanks Patrick.

SloPugs

I had a good experience there. I was with a girlfriend, and we enjoyed hours walking around the rampart walls taking in the beautiful views of the village and the surrounding countryside. We found quiet spots aways from tourists where we ate our picnic lunch and wrote in our journals. I find that often (but not always), you can somehow manage to get away from tourist crowds by wandering off the main paths and/or good timing. Towns like Carcassone are often daytrips for tour groups, so if you actually stay in the town you can enjoy quiet evenings and early mornings. I've had this same experience in Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise.

joegri

icithecat: There is one narrow, cobble-stoned lane that has side by side shops its full length from the entrance to the Castle to the square at the top of the lane. The shops feature tourist junk and do nothing to enhance the ambience of the castle. But, the side lanes, the walls and walking through the the castle rooms are a treat. Take the tour. It is interesting and well done. Staying over night gives you the morning and evening hours without tourists and the castle has a certain mystery at those hours, especially in the evening. You might take a day trip into the countryside during the day. Canal du Midi is an option.<BR>Carcassone is a medieval (13th century) palace of towers, turrets, walls and cobbletone lanes. It only takes a little romance in your soul to appreciate it for the Romanesque fortress city it is. <BR>Try to stay at the Hotel des Ramparts inside the castle walls. Our view was onto the center square. It has a 12th century staircase still in use. There are a number of neat little restaurants within the walls and the cassoulets are excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It is not the most beautiful castle in Europe ( I will reserve that for Berg Elz on the Mosel, Germany). But, it is authentic and provides a great look at this period in France. If you don't need to be entertained and can view sites like Carcassone in that spirit, you will enjoy it as well. Have a great trip.

mpprh

Hi<BR><BR>An alternative is Aigues Mortes.<BR>An original walled town, once the departure port for some crusades.<BR><BR>Peter<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com<BR><BR>

indytravel

Patrick, what time of year were you there? Thanks.

JmVikmanis

While our experience in Carcassonne wasn't awful it wasn't everything I'd expected after finally getting there after many years on the must see list. It's best viewed from afar rather than up close. Up close it's best late in the evening after the hoardes have departed. We stayed at Domaine d'Auriac not far from town and it was one of the best value Relais and Chateaux I've ever stayed in. That made the entire experience satisfactory on balance.

LarryJ

Carcassonne is a Disney type theme park without the rides. In 11 European trips and over 20 countries I have never been more dissapointed.<BR>Go if you must and if you must I hope you have fun.<BR><BR>Larry J<BR>

cigalechanta

Like Peter, I preferred Aigue Mortes<BR>(Good dining at &quot;The Camargue&quot;resto)<BR>Like St. Michel, I found Carcassone magical from the distance or approach.<BR>but others like teeming masses. Go for what you like and walking along the walls is a treat.

Michael

Carcassonne was already Disney-like in 1967. I'm afraid that this is becoming true of other sites (Mont St. Michel except for the abbey itself). Many of the Plus Beaux Villages de France are headed in this direction. A striking example is Apremont /s Allier which eliminated buildings that came after the 18th century (but the garden is well worth a visit). I had the same feeling when I visited Rothenburg in Germany. That's what happened when tourism becomes the main industry. As a tourist, I have to live with it.

angeleno

I liked Carcassonne quite a bit. I stayed at the youth hostel within the city walls and took tours of the castle. I was there in October and there weren't many tourists. The town outside of the city walls is a nice little village.

mpprh

Hi<BR><BR>For those of you who don't like &quot;packaged&quot; tourism, here is a suggestion.<BR><BR>Visit Sommieres. <BR><BR>Sommieres is a medieval town, but little touched by tourism. It is always in the course of renovation, but it is relatively unspoilt. It has about 80 shops (because of its historical importance as a bridging point and market town), of which only 5 are totally tourist orientated. It remains, a slightly raffish, but working medieval town. Fascinating to visit the market on Saturday mornings. Today it fills the town, but the main section is in Place du Marche ............. built 1100.<BR><BR>The history is :<BR>Tiberius builds roman bridge 0 AD (or BC !)<BR>1100 build medieval town<BR>1200 destroyed by siege<BR>1300 rebuilt (1100 arches survive)<BR>1300 + infill empty plots<BR>1700+ virtually no development<BR><BR>It is midway Montpellier - Nimes in Languedoc.<BR><BR>You can take a minitour here : http://reunir30.free.fr/som_visite/som_visite.shtml<BR><BR>Peter<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

lynlor

Walk around Carcassonne very early in the moring before anyone is there and you will find that it is a different place. This true of other places in France such as Mont St. Michel and Chenonceaux.

julies

We were there off season when it wasn't overrun by tourists. We still weren't at all impressed. Don't know what it really has to offer. I think we gave it 2-3 hours.

StCirq

I find it really curious when people write off truly amazing historical sites as &quot;Disneyesque&quot; just because they went there in high season and encountered masses of tourists and junky stores. First of all, many such sites, like le Mont St-Michel, were junky and overloaded with visitors even back in their hay-days in the Middle Ages. What you see today is simply a modern-day version of what was going on back then - only it's tourists and not pilgrims for the most part that you run into today.<BR>Disney is fake - these places are real. There is no history associated with Disneyland, so no one goes there with any appreciation of history. Yet if you go to Carcassonne or le Mont St-Michel or Rocamadour or any such site in Europe with a knowledge of history, there is much to be appreciated, albeit while you are pushing your way through crowds. And as several people have noted, if you arrange to visit at night or in the off-season, your impression will be quite different.<BR>But to put down some of the most important sites of Europe, which have been maintained with considerable archaeological and architectural and cultural precision just SO that people can get some sense of what life was like in medieval times, seems shallow to me. <BR>Of course, everyone appreciates &quot;discovering&quot; the &quot;pristine&quot; village here and there that's &quot;untrammeled&quot; by tourists, but you really have to get off the beaten track these days to find those, and when you do, the history isn't ever as apparent as it is at some of the major sites unless you've done a lot of your own research.<BR>Of course, if you're not interested in history I don't see why you'd be visiting places like this anyway. And if you are, there's plenty of it to absorb, albeit maybe in a setting or format you don't find attractive. Funny thing about history - you can't make it look the way you'd like it to.

SloPugs

StCirq: I totally agree with you! People forget that Disney was often imitating europe, not the other way around! Take away the tourists and it IS a real living city with a rich history.

cigalechanta

I doubt that in the olde days they had all those tacky shops each one selling the same stuff and people from all over the world in states of undress or dressed. I can understand why even a history buff would be disappointed.

MGB

StCirq - I really enjoy and appreciate your comments (here and on other posts). I have been following this today since in Sept we already have made reservations for staying a night in Carcassonne and Mt. St. Michel. Since we were spending the night inside the walls and it is fall I have hoped it might not be so crowded and we would get a better feel for the history. I never considered not going to these places. They are a part of history which is one of the reasons we go to Europe when we can. Thanks again! Mary Ann

StCirq

Cigalechanta: Actually, if you read about these sites as they existed in medieval times, they were even more overrun with hawkers of tacky trinkets than they are today. And the hawkers didn't wait for you to enter the shops - they accosted you on the streets, so count your blessings.<BR>I have no clue what you are referring to as regards people in various states of undress. In medieval Europe I doubt there would have been nude or semi-nude pilgrims, but there certainly would have been innumerable smelly ones. At least today the air is breathable at these sites.