Carcassonne, a city located in the south of France near the Spanish border, is of two distinctly different aspects - an upper walled city and a lower modern city. With a population of 48,000 as of 2008, all but a few hundred of the inhabitants live in the non-walled part of the city.
The historic upper Carcassonne is a massively impressive fortified city on a hill. It has a double ring of immense ramparts with 53 different towers. It is quite an impressive sight, particularly at night when it's floodlit. I visited Carcassonne in 1990 as a tourist, and I can assure you that the inside of the walled city has not changed much since then. In fact I'm sure it hasn't changed much in hundreds of years. Actually, the fortified walled city had fallen into such disrepair after the days of Napoleon that the French government decreed that it should be demolished in 1849.
Fortunately, the uproar that decree created sparked a campaign to preserve the massive fortress as a historical monument. The ensuing restoration was not entirely authentic, and was criticized by some, but French architect Viollet-le-Duc's work in restoring this impressive monument is agreed to be a work of genius.Although the lower city across the River Aude has been in existence since 1247, and various manufacturing industries such as shoes and textiles have at times thrived, the city survives nowadays on tourism. Carcassonne plays host to over 3 million tourists a year. Having been one of those tourists, I can attest to the fact that this is a medieval work of architectural wonder and spectacle that you will remember years after. If you are venturing down through the south of France headed for Spain, don't miss the chance to experience this wonderful historic spectacle.
The Awesome Fortified City of Carcassonne, France