Early Morning Visit to Carcassonne

Reading up on Carcassonne in preparation for this trip, I had repeatedly heard or read that the very best time to visit was early in the morning, before the massive crowds arrive. 

According to this same unofficial consen, the other best time to visit is after the shops have closed up and the tourists have left.

So having regularly gotten up early during this trip, I thought that visiting some of these charming villages while they were uncharacteristically quiet and free of tourists would be a solid use of my time. 

As it turned out, I decided to go to one of the truly great architectural and historical areas.  Obviously, that would be Carcassonne.

The trip out there was not so bad. At least at the early hours during which I was driving, it was fairly quiet on the roadways. 

It was a nice break from the usual nonsense. 

However, it was still mostly dark. Also,it grew quite foggy on the way up.

Great,  I thought. 

That wound up being a factor in the delays of me finding the medieval walled city.

As it turns out, I drove right past it without suspecting that it was there at all.  That was how foggy it was, and that isn't an exaggeration. 

I drove through the entire city.  Circled around somehow.  Then came back to that area right by it, with all of the public parking lots around. By this time, the daylight had strengthened and the fog was rapidly receding, burning away by the rising sun. 

Almost nobody was around. So I went to the closest parking lot, took a ticket, and had what under normal circumstances would have been premium parking. 

Then came the exploring of the city. Again, I had repeatedly heard that the very best time to visit the medieval city of Carcassonne was very early in the morning, before the shops and restaurants open. Before the massive waves of tourists come. 

At this hour, indeed, the city felt like an enchanted ghost town. It allowed me to fully take everything in. No fighting or waiting for the perfect shot with nobody in the picture. No bumping into others, or having some absorbed tourists stop right in the middle of everything for whatever the reason, as seems to happen surprisingly frequently. 

Within the city walls is an almost perfectly preserved medieval city. Walking around in a very quiet, still mostly sleeping setting like that felt almost magical. I thought about my friend, the late Robert Conn. He was really into medieval themed stuff. Surely, he would have loved to visit here.

Then, I walked between the inner walls and the outer walls. It was impressive. An invading army from centuries back would surely have had a difficult task in attempting to overcome such solid fortifications. 

Now, it offers not just a great glimpse into history, but some real aesthetic beauty, as well. There were magnificent views of the towers and walls and the often narrow,  cobblestone pathways between the walls. There was also the breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside and the more modern city of Carcassonne. 

When it was done, I really felt glad that I had paid an early morning visit to Carcassonne. To capture it in it's full beauty, just as it was rising for another day. 

Below are some pictures from that visit. 

Enjoy.