You can approach the Castle from any side, the primary entrance being on the well-lighted East side. However, if you approach the castle from the West side in the evening the lighting is not very good and the steps and walkways are degraded. Thus it is easy to slip, mis-step and twist and ankle.
Written Dec 9, 2011
In the game of "cat and mouse" (and I don't think the mice population define this as a game), this stealthy feline found a playmate at the base of the castle walls. Yes, that is a live Mickey in his mouth.
Written Nov 23, 2011
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, the catchy title of the 1992 bestseller by John Gray, succinctly expresses an ancient dilemma. What--if anything--do men's and women's brains do differently?
The general statement that men and women respond and behave differently under the same circumstances is true; For example, from the crib, male babies tend to be more aggressive and females more passive. As adults, in spatial operations, men have the edge in such skills as negotiating a maze, reading a map, and quickly discriminating between right and left. Men also perform better than women when asked to visualize an object and imagine rotating it. On the other hand, women tend to perform better than men when asked to look at objects of different shapes, sizes, and colors, and then to group them in some order.
This still doesn't explian why a woman turns the map all around when a man is asking for the road to travel, while I like the map at one point so I can better visualize our position. Help!
Written Sep 6, 2011
No, it is not about taking care of the kids when walking on the ramparts where of course you have to be careful, as there are no barriers.
Something not dangerous at all, here, just some fun.
You walk alone at the feet of the high walls, in a quiet area, your mind is out of time, you don’t even think of something, just walk and dream and suddenly. . . HAAAAAA!
Ah, the voice was a bit high, it did not really work with me; I don’t know if the kids are part of the tourist attraction or entertainment, if they were just there and played to frighten the visitors who passed by on this isolated inner side of the outer walls. May be that would have worked at dusk, as the make up would be more expressive in twilight.
Well, there is a door in the wall and the kids rushed out with a big scream, supposed to be scaring, when a visitor passes by, and I photographed them after we laughed together.
Written Mar 12, 2010
Am amazed that people feel the need (there are public toilets 3 minutes away), but they obviously do (and frequently) otherwise the people who own the shop wouldn't need to put this notice in their window!
Updated Apr 14, 2006
More than a warning, this is just something to keep in mind.
Most European cities are expensive in some way. In London and Italy lodging for example, is very expensive compared to Spain. But in France, it seems everything is pretty expensive: food, clothes, parking. So, plan accordingly so you can enjoy the most of your trip.
Updated Apr 8, 2005
I stopped at a gas station/picnic area. The public restrooms were the strangest I've ever seen. Unisex toilets, with no doors. I use the word toilet loosely. It was basically a hole in the ground with no means of flushing. To say the least I waited until I got to my destination. These were very primitive facilities. I've never seen anything like it in the states. Thank God I did not take any photos of this place, I think VT woudl have censored me.
Written Feb 25, 2005
Carcassonne is in France, so everyone speaks French, no big surprise here. But before speaking English, people speak more Spanish and/or catalan because it is so close to Spain (3 hours from Barcelona City). don?t worry if you don?t speak either one, some people do speak english, or are nice enough to try and help you. There is always the Universal sign language :-)
Written Jun 27, 2004
If you are waiting for an important phone call, better make sure the front desk speaks English 1st, we did, but the call came in at night, and the only English speaking guy only works days, when I found out the night person speaks no English at all, I told my husband better go downstairs, and check why the call he's been waiting for was late, and the guy was busy yelling "NO ENGLISH! NO ENGLISH!" to the phone, not only it's the call my husband's waiting for, and the caller said he called many times, had a hard time to get my husband on the important conference call, no matter how he changed his requests in French, all he got was "NO ENGLISH!".
All TV channels are in French, you may find many familiar American TV shows & movies, but all in French, and most TV news are domestic or local.
Updated Feb 26, 2003
It is touristy and the thiefs know it. Make sure you keep an eye on your photo equipment, a your purse, backpack and whatever valualbe you have.
Written Sep 13, 2003
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Best Western le Donjon les Remparts
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1 Review and 303 Opinions This was a reasonably priced and well-located hotel. Staff were pleasant and helpful. Make sure to...
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Reviews and photos of Carcassonne attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Carcassonne sightseeing.

It is touristy and the thiefs know it. Make sure you keep an eye on your photo equipment, a your purse, backpack and whatever valualbe you have.
9 members live in Carcassonne
Q: I will be spending one day in carcassonne in early august and was wondering if anyone had a tips for things to do for 2adults and...

A: We've been to Carcassonne many times because everyone we know wants to see it. Last year we decided to visit the rest of the town (outside the walled Cité). We've seen it...
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Carcassonne.........town of two parts.

I had wanted to visit Carcassonne for many years, so the advent of cheap flights from my local airport made it an essential trip. I'm glad I went at Easter though. There weren't too many people, the...
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Ever since I heard and read about CARCASSONNE I dreamed about going there one day. I imagined it as a magical place, rich in medieval history. I mentioned my desire to go there, with Hans' brother Wim...
3

I've got some interesting experiences in Carcassonne. I'd love to share with you the 18 tips I've written, the 54 photos uploaded, and 4 travelogues I've created.
4

When I started to plan my trip to Europe I was tossing up whether to spend the time and money to go all the way from Paris to Carcassonne and back up to Paris. A friend from the medieval group I'm in...
5

The bloody crusades that were waged against the Cathars during the 12th century swept through the ancient civilisation of the Langue d'Oc: a civilisation of troubadours, courtly love, tolerance and......
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