Walking to the Cité

Although it’s not a long walk, you do have to go up an incline to reach the Cité. This can be steep in parts, but there is an excellent little train service that runs from the lower town to the fortified Cité during the summer months. You can learn more about it at the regional transport website (RTCA) for greater Carcassonne. There is another “Petit Train”, which runs from the Porte Narbonnaise around the fortifications. This does not run between the twin towns. More information is at the City’s tourism website

The first and least arduous way is to cross the Pont Vieux and follow the road (Rue Trivalle) until you see the turning off to the right indicating the way to the Cité (Rue Gustave Nadaud). This takes you around the walls until you reach the Porte Narbonnaise, the gate on the side opposite the Bastide. That is the principal entrance to the Cité and where you will find the bust of Dame Carcas. The image at the top of this post is of this gate in the evening.

The second way is to go the Porte de L’Aude, the gate facing the river and closest to the lower town. After crossing the Pont Vieux, turn right along the Rue Barbacane until you reach the church of Saint-Gimer. Turn left and walk past the church along the Côte de la Cité until you reach the cobblestone ramp. That will take you up to the entrance.

Another path to the same gate can be found if you continue past the church along Rue Barbacane until you reach Rue Petite Côte de la Cité. Turn left and at the end of the street is a set of stone steps that lead to the Porte de l’Aude.