Cordes-sur-Ciel

A must-stop for many travelers, the picture-book hilltop town of Cordes-sur-Ciel appears to hover in midair when mists steal up from the Cérou Valley below, hence the name—sur-ciel means "in the sky/heaven." It was established in 1222 by Count Raymond VII of Toulouse as a redoubt after the Occitan wars waged against the region's Cathars; and its conical hill is riddled with caves that served as granaries during times of siege. Today you may find Cordes-sur-Ciel besieged by summertime tourists, who come to admire well-preserved buildings (like the 14th-century St-Michel church) and to peruse plentiful shops and markets. The town is particularly busy during the annual Fêtes Médiévales du Grand Fauconnier (www.grandfauconnier.com) in mid-July—a three-day blowout, replete with an artisan fair and costumed Bal Médiéval.