The history of Carcassonne

Carcassonne is a « double town » made up of the fortified City on the top of the hill and the Bastide down on the plain. The former, characterised by the episode with the Cathars, was the only one that existed until the 13th century, but the latter then began to take on growing importance thanks to its textile industry with its export market.

From the 19th century, the restoration by Viollet-le-Duc and then its classification as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO meant that the upper town attracted an increasing flow of tourists, while the Bastide continued to highlight its important heritage.