Flying into Montpellier, Saint-Gilles for 4 days (Arles, Avignon, Les Baux-de-Provence, Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Aix-en-Provence and stopping whenever I see something interesting) , 2 days in Carcassone, 3 days in Agde (Montpellier, Beziers, Not finalized) . My question is: Is Carcassone worth the drive and time? if not, what could I replace it with? Thanks for the help...
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
784 posts
I think Carcassone is worth the trip, but I've done it as a day trip from Pezenas - about 90 minutes away. The advantage of staying overnight, which I haven't done, is that you would be there without the horde of tourists. Personally, I would do Carcassone as a day trip, then use the saved day for another day trip to Collouire. Pezenas is a charming small city about 30 minutes north of Beziers that is a good home base for visiting the Lanquedoc region. Much less traffic and more manageable than Beziers. I hope you find you love this part of France as much as I do.
Posted by
211 posts
I did it as a day trip from Toulouse and really enjoyed it. But I'm a huge fan of castles.
Posted by
56 posts
Carcassone is worth a stop (for the history and the architecture is really gorgeous). It's amazing to see.
Check their cultural site to see if anything is happening because when I was there they were going to have an outdoor concert.
I stayed in the old town with the walled city for 2 nights. You can also sightsee and shop around the lower town as well.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
I really enjoyed Carcassonne's castle ambiance for a half-day and evening on two visits. Rick's guided tours stay nearby in the quite town of Caunes-Minervois, at www.hoteldalibert.com, with a great restaurant (check open days), and day-trip from there to Minerve and Carcassonne.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3391 posts
Unless you are just wanting to relax on the beach, there really isn't much to do in Agde. There is a nautical antiquities museum but that's about it besides the nudist (naturist) portion of the town!
I second Pezenas - we were there for five weeks a few summers ago. It's much more centrally located for what you want to see and a relaxing, homey home base. The town has made an effort to preserve its economy by inviting artists and artisans to rent shop space along the winding little streets. From there I would suggest considering a trip just north into the gorges along the Herault river and the ancient pilgrimage town of St Guillaume le Desert tucked into a narrow valley along it. If you love wine there are numerous vineyards and wineries in the whole area of southwest France. My favorite is the Abbaye de Valmagne with its massive wine vats tucked into the side chapels of the ancient church. It's a very unique place and just a few minutes outside of Pezenas. The cathedral in Narbonne is also worth seeing and on the way to Carcassone. It was built in the 12-1300s and never completed but the part that was finished is massive. What it would have looked like had it been finished is incredible to think about. Definitely worth a stop.
Carcassone is worth seeing but allow a whole day to get there, see the town, and then drive back. As fortified towns go, it is probably one of the more impressive I've seen although it is not in original condition as it was greatly modified and made to look more "fairy tale like" in the 1800s. Partially authentic, partially idealized. Still great to see!