THE CATHAR CASTLES OF THE LANGUEDOC

MOTORHOMING IN FRANCE - MAY 1995

Margaret and Barry Williamson

1995 was our first year on the road with our motorhome and bicycles, following early retirement. In the first part of the year, after a short visit to the Czech Republic, we worked our way south and east across France following rivers and gorges. By May, we had reached the lands and castles of the Cathars, an heretical sect persecuted by the Catholic Church in the 13^th century.

Day 1     102 miles     LE ROZIER to LA SALVETAT-sur-AGOUT    

After 4 nights on Camping Municipal Le Brouillet at Le Rozier in the spectacular Gorges du Tarn, we drove south to La Salvetat in the Parc Regional du Haut Languedoc. We were on our way to explore the romantic ruins of the Cathar Castles and the medieval city of Carcassonne, appetites whetted by a book we had just read about the Cathars.

12 km east of La Salvetat, on the Col de Font-froide at 972 m, we paused at the 'Monument de la Resistance et de la Deportation du Haut Languedoc'. An urn containing the ashes of deportees collected at Auschwitz together with fragments of electrified barbed wire from Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen concentration camps made a significant impression. It was the gift of a former deportee, Paul Bacou, who survived to become Mayor of Fraisse-sur-Agout. The inscription, a quotation from Georges Santayana (1863-1952), reads: Celui qui veut ignorer son passé est condamne a le reviver (he who wishes to ignore his history is condemned to relive it).

Today (8 May) is VE Day – in fact, the 50th anniversary of Victory in Europe, which seems appropriate. It is a national holiday in France (but not in the UK!) and all the war memorials are decorated with flags and fresh flowers.

In addition, today Jacques Chirac was declared President after beating Josef Jospin in yesterday's second election. The retiring President Mitterand gave a very moving farewell address in Paris which we watched on TV, after settling into the Camping Municipal at La Salvetat - our cheapest campsite so far, at 19 FF or less than £2.50 per night including hot showers! (This is our first season of motorhoming, having left England at the end of March.)  

Day 2     At LA SALVETAT-sur-AGOUT, Camping Municipal    

Barry's birthday, celebrated with a 50-mile cycle ride round two local lakes/reservoirs and his choice for dinner – corned beef hash and mince pies.

Day 3     71 miles     LA SALVETAT-sur-AGOUT to CARCASSONNE

Driving south, we visited our first Cathar Castle in the village of Minerve, in the heart of Minervois wine country. It was easy and free to park and walk to the ruins of a tower – all that remains of the castle burnt by Simon de Montfort's crusade in 1210.

Continuing south-west to Carcassonne, we found Camping La Cite, inhabited by a few gipsies as well as some British motorhomes and caravans and 2 campervans with Australians. The dramatic double-walled fortress of La Cite, crowning the hill above the River Aude and the Ville Basse, is the attraction.

Day 4     80 miles     CARCASSONNE to FOIX    

We cycled from the campsite up to and around the medieval Cite, which was restored in the mid-19th century by Viollet le Duc. The crowds, boutiques and over-priced restaurants didn't tempt us to linger and we were soon back in our motorhome and on our way north to Lastours.

Here are the impressive Chateaux de Lastours, where the remains of four castles are clustered above the village, their ruined keeps jutting from a ridge that plunges to rivers on both sides. We parked with difficulty and paid 15 FF each to scale the hill. At first there was a good path and steps, turning into a scramble towards the top where access was unfinished – hard work on a very warm day but well worth the effort.

Turning south again to Foix, we stayed at the extremely basic Camping Municipal.

Day 5     At FOIX, Camping Municipal

We cycled the 3 km into Foix to look around and shop. The town is overlooked by a castle with an entrance fee, which we didn't visit.

Day 6     21 miles     FOIX to MONTFERRIER

We drove east to Roquefixade, where we parked and set out to walk up to its Cathar castle. However, we were defeated on the climb by the strength of the wind and rain, which turned from sleet into blinding snow (in mid-May)!

Continuing south-east to Montferrier (nearest village to the Montsegur Cathar castle), we settled on its Camping Municipal. Trying to pay at the Mairie (as is the custom), we were turned away (Saturday and about to close for the weekend), so we enjoyed a free night, complete with electricity and good hot showers! It had been an interesting day.

Day 7     39 miles     MONTFERRIER to AXAT

We cycled the steep 5 km up to Montsegur and looked up at the castle from the bottom of its footpath. We could go no further with the bicycles, so we left it to the Sunday trippers who were out in force, saved the entry fee and enjoyed the freewheel back to our campsite and lunch.

Driving east to Puivert, we walked the gentle ascent to its Cathar castle. This time it was easy to walk right round the outside without paying to enter. We then continued driving to Axat, by which time it was late and we were pleased to find a new private campsite by the bridge over the River Aude.

A morning at the campsite (it had a washing machine!).

After lunch, a cycle ride up the Gorge de Joucou towards the Col du Pradel, 20 miles each way.

Day 9     100 miles     AXAT to PERPIGNAN

Continuing east to the city of Perpignan (for a motorhome service and oil change), we passed near another three Cathar castles.

At the village of Puilaurens, just 12 km east of Axat, we could park and walk up to the castle entrance, from where it's a stiff climb to the magnificent keep, perched on a wooded hill. The walls seem to be built out of the very rock and the view from the battlements was literally breathtaking, up at 700 m (2,300 ft).

The castle at Queribus, another 30 km towards Perpignan, is balanced on a rock above a cliff, its keep and tower a spectacular sight. A short detour north takes you to Peyrepertuse, and its fortress, perched on a ridge with sheer drops. There are extensive buildings, a keep and tower – the largest and most dramatic of the wild Cathar castles.

We visited Queribus and Peyrepertuse a week later, after Perpignan and a glimpse of the Mediterranean.

The Cathars were a strong sect in this part of France, east of the Pyrenees, and these villages and castles were their last refuge as they were persecuted and burnt as heretics by the Vatican's Albigensian Crusade, started in 1208. More information on Carcassonne and the Cathar strongholds will be found in any guidebook to the area.