A Weekend in Carcassonne, France

Hello dear travel enthusiasts. I’m back again after a short break. During this time I couldn’t write for a few reasons. However, now as I come to you I hope to convey positive emotions. Recently unexpected problems came one after another and my mind was quite chaotic. So it was difficult to share something in a positive way. But today I found a nice opportunity to relax and share this beautiful holiday moment with you.

Last month we went to Carcassonne, France. We stayed at a hotel called Montmorency. It was a beautiful place and the interior of the hotel was amazing. Our room had luxurious velvet wallpaper and although it was small, it was quite comfortable. We also had a small terrace with a lovely view of the Carcassonne castle. Our goal for the first day was to explore French cuisine and enjoy delicious food.

Autumn had arrived in Carcassonne and the weather was much more pleasant. When we were here last time, in August the city was quite crowded and the hot weather really made walking difficult. However, this time the situation was very different. Even though it was a saturday, there were very few people in the city and we were enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. We sat in a wonderful place and enjoyed French cuisine on one side.

I had been wanting to try the famous French onion soup for a long time and I finally had the chance.We also ordered a classic French dessert. By the way a cold bottle of rosé came to our table, which was perfect as it was exactly lunchtime.

Our meals were very delicious. The onion soup, with cheese and crispy bread pieces offered an excellent taste. We really felt the essence of French food culture. Also the salad my friend had was amazing. She had ordered a salad with lamb cheese and ham and it was really stunning. We ate our meals slowly and then dessert arrived. From what I observed sitting here was really comfortable because smoking was not allowed on the terrace, which was a huge plus for us.

Of course,after finishing our meal we decided to explore a bit more and discover the city. The price we paid for the meal was really reasonable because the quality was high and the portions were quite filling. So if you ever come to Carcassonne, I definitely recommend visiting this place. The restaurant's name is Le Jardin De La Tour du Plô.

As the weather had become quite cool, the crowd of tourists started wearing thicker clothes. T-shirts and shorts no longer made much sense here. People began to opt for warmer clothes and even accessories like shawls. I want to show you a few interesting things. There’s a water well here. This well is quite large and deep and you can see the water inside. In the past, there was a pulley system used to draw water from this well. There's nothing inside now, but its appearance is quite interesting.

Then we made another discovery. When we visited last time, we saw a truffle shop but didn’t have time to go inside. We had the chance to visit this shop, La Briocherie Arpin and taste the truffles. They offered us four different types of truffles to try for free. Surprisingly they were very delicious. We bought a few products, like a parmesan and truffle mix, truffle octopus salad and mushrooms prepared with truffles. The shop offers many different options like truffle oil, truffle salt and truffle spices. They even sell chic and special truffle-themed souvenirs. The prices of these products are a bit high. for example, you can buy a bottle of truffle oil for 45 euros. If you ever visit Carcassonne, this shop is definitely worth a visit. Plus they offer free tastings, so it's a great opportunity to try them.

After getting our products, we continued exploring. Right next to the truffle shop, there’s another store, but there’s no tasting opportunity there and the products are a bit more expensive.

Carcassonne like every historic city, has an atmosphere filled with history and beauty. We went to the church and lit candles for our elders, sending our love and memory to them with light. I hope that somewhere, maybe in another life, they can see these lights. Then we continued exploring the city.

We visited the museum and the entrance fee was 13 euros per person, which was a great decision. We walked along the castle walls and examined historical artifacts like the towers and displayed weapons. The views from the castle walls were absolutely breathtaking and we enjoyed not only the history but also the surrounding nature.

After exploring around the castle, we went to the old bridge that connects the city. This bridge is a fantastic spot linking the city, offering a perfect view of the castle. We took a few photos of Carcassonne's panoramic view and then decided to indulge ourselves with French desserts. We entered a pastry shop and tried amazing croissants and sweets. it was a gourmet treat. Our expectations were met and we enjoyed every bite. Carcassonne is not only a historical gem, but also a city where you can enjoy the views and flavors.

We had a wonderful weekend here, eating a lot, relaxing and enjoreallyying ourselves. We also really liked the hotel we stayed at. I definitely recommend it: if you come, walk along the Château and the ramparts because it's really fun. You’ll need around 1.5-2 hours to fully explore the area and soak in the views. It was so beautiful to be here in November.

This year there were no trains in the park for tourists, but the horses were free, as there were no horse-drawn carriages for the tourists. I hope the horses are now resting comfortably and eating plenty of hay, living a peaceful life. One more thing we discovered: there’s a boat tour where you can explore the river. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find out the price for this activity, but it’s another option to consider. If you visit Carcassonne and are looking for a richer itinerary, you can consider the river tour.

That's all I have to share today. Sending hugs to all of you.