The Citadel of Carcassonne

Carcassonne can be described as a veritable history book in stone. Evoking memories of a prestigious past spanning two millennia, it is a fortified town of 52 towers, two concentric surrounding walls and three kilometres of ramparts dominated by a magnificent castle. Points of interest include Basilique St. Nazaire, the Old Bridge, 12th-century Château Comtal and museums featuring the history of the Middle Ages and the Inquisition.

Comfortable accommodation, good food, pleasant surroundings and a historic city at the doorstep is most people’s ideal short visit. These attributes singularly come together in great harmony at the Hôtel de la Cité in the heart of this medieval city. Built in 1909 on the site of a former Episcopal palace, in the 1920s, it became a fashionable stopover on the roads between the Riviera and Biarritz in the elegant tradition of ‘grand hotels’. Acquired by Orient-Express Hotels in 1997, it has undergone a complete renovation and is now listed by the French National Conservation Trust. Facilities include a restaurant, Chez Saskia, library and piano bar and you can lunch or dine alfresco in Jardin de l’Evêque. As befits a hotel of such character, each of its splendidly furnished 61 rooms is decorated in aristocratic style with modern comforts. There is a spacious private garden with wonderful views.