Go Feedback: Sean Mac Connellsteps back in time on a visit to Carcassonne, the largest medieval citadel in Europe and a Unesco World Cultural Heritage site
I THOUGHT I had walked on to a Walt Disney filmset when I arrived in Carcassonne with its 52 watchtowers and double fortifications. It is the largest medieval citadel in Europe and a Unesco World Cultural Heritage site.
It is a breathtaking place in the heart of the Languedoc-Roussillon region at a crossroads between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, with the Pyrenees just a blue haze in the distance.
And funnily enough, Walt Disney was there because I saw his name in a special book which celebrities sign at the Hôtel de la Cité, the only luxury hotel within the walled city.
Disney had stayed in 1956 just over a century after the rebuilding of the ancient citadel which was let fall into disrepair when struck from the roster of official fortifications under Napoleon and the Restoration in 1849 and was due to be demolished.
The mayor of Carcassonne, Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille, and the writer Prospers Mérimée, the first inspector of ancient monuments, led a campaign to preserve the fortress as a historical monument, a job given to architect, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in 1853.
Purists still criticise what was done and mutter about it being like a movie set, which it is, but for a non-purist like myself, it’s just a magnificent place which is unequalled. One would expect to see knights in full armour on horses riding in the narrow streets.
Be warned though, it attracts three million visitors a year who cram into its medieval streets filled with gift shops, wine stores, restaurants and food outlets of every fascinating kind in a place which has had a strategic role in the life of France since 100 BC when the first stones were put in place.
The town is well placed to raid the outlying countryside and visit the beautiful villages in the largely rural surroundings, and our hosts took us to scenic Montolieu, a 25-minute drive from the city.
Renowned Welsh bookseller Richard Booth (who put Hay-on-Wye on the map) helped the village establish its international reputation as a “village of books” and there are literally dozens of bookshops there. One of them, which unfortunately happened to be closed when we visited, specialises in books from Ireland and attracts many English-speaking visitors.
The Brabant Museum in Montolieu hosts a permanent display of paper and printing materials at its premises in rue de la Mairie, which is well worth a visit, as is La Cooperative, Centre d’Art et de Litterature, which boasts a wonderful modern gallery.
If you tire of matters literary, there are dozens of vineyards around Carcassonne which can be visited and their wines tasted. They were harvesting the grapes when we visited Chateau Saint-Jacques d’Albas, owned by Graham and Beatrice Nutter. Graham, who worked for international trading companies, purchased the property nearly 10 years ago and has spent serious money turning it into a top-class operation.
His passion for winemaking is infectious and his tour was one of the best I have ever taken part in. The quality of the soils, the performance of the grapes and how best to use oak kegs were all explained.
His award-winning wines are on sale in wine stores in Ireland and in 19 other countries – search out the Chateau St-Jacques d’Albas and the La Chapelle St-Jacque d’Albas.
Our tour group was staying in the Hôtel de la Cité, which is one of the Orient Express Hotels. To describe it as luxurious would be an understatement, and its location beside the St Nazaire basilica puts it literally on top of the town.
Built 101 years ago, it has been expanded and refurbished with great sympathy for the local architecture and part of its ground floor is listed by the French National Conservation Trust.
It has 47 rooms and 14 suites, a swimming pool, and the La Barbacane gourmet restaurant carries a Michelin star, the only one in the city. Its staff are friendly and efficient, and can arrange tours of the surrounding areas if sought.
Its VIP guestbook is truly impressive and includes everyone from Winston Churchill and Princess Grace of Monaco to Johnny Depp and Diana Ross. Of course, the Irish are in there too, and anything good enough for the Cranberries is good enough for me.
Prices are a bit steep though. At €425 per night, it is comforting that a good breakfast is also provided, but if you’re not too worried about the cost and want luxury and class it’s the place to go.
When we visited there were many Irish people there courtesy of the Irish wine importing companies who use the hotel as a base for their tours. Considering there are 10,000 bottles of vintage wine in the cellar, it was surprising they left the building at all.
Sean Mac Connell was a guest of Orient Express Hotels, which owns Hôtel de la Cité.