Experiencing Carcassonne on our Pyrenees Tour de France Tour
Week three of the Tour de France is not only where the fight for yellow intensifies and the race is won and lost, but it also offers the incredible opportunity to visit an amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site. While we’re in the Pyrenees, we’re granted the opportunity to see the fortified town of Carcassonne and sample all of the delicious produce that is produced around the area.
Cité de Carcassonne
The Cité de Carcassonne is one of the biggest attractions in France – the second after the Eiffel Tower in fact – due to its incredibly rich history and impressive scope. Its reputation has seen it even become a celebrated board game!
The Cité de Carcassonne, with its 3km of walls and 52 towers, is comprised of many individual buildings that have been updated constantly throughout its history, starting with the Romans transforming a Gaulish settlement into a fortified town, which was later rebuilt by the Visigoths. After being annexed to France, the citadel was again rebuilt to offer increased fortification.
With such an exciting backstory and so much area to explore, it’s not hard to see why Cité de Carcassonne is such a popular destination for keen travellers.
Wine making in Carcassonne
While we’re in the area, time is spent wisely trying some of wines produced around the Carcassonne area. Although Languedoc-Roussillon (the province in which Carcassone lies) is rife with excellent wine growing territories, Carcassone in particular is positioned well to take advantage of some of the best vineyards and producers. Excellent wine growing regions are found up north in the Minervois, and Corbières to the south, meaning that it’ll be easy to try a great variety of wines with dinner (and afterwards, too!).
Grape varieties in the region are diverse, including well known varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc, and Chardonnay, in addition to more traditional Rhône grapes such as Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, and Viognier. Dozens more are grown in the area, however, meaning you’ll never have your options limited.
Ready to begin the journey to Carcassonne?
If you think you’re ready to experience the historically and gastronomically rich place that is Carcassone (and participate in an absolutely amazing leg of the Tour de France!), make sure to get in touch with the team at Mummu today. We’d be very happy to offer more information about the tour and the area, in addition to some other great sights we get to experience along the way. We look forward to hearing from you!
Click here to view our Pinnacle of the Pyrenees Tour
