Culture & heritage · Porte Narbonnaise — Château Comtal — inner rampart — western towers
Walk the double ramparts of medieval Carcassonne
Enter through the Narbonne Gate and follow the castle and rampart circuit to understand how two walls, fifty-two towers and steep ground protected the Cité.
Arrive before the lanes fill and pause between the outer and inner walls, where the purpose of the double enceinte becomes immediately clear. The Château Comtal opens onto galleries, battlements and towers above the Aude plain; from the western side, the fortified silhouette and lower town finally fit into one landscape.
Book the castle and ramparts through the official monument site and check current access, because sections may close for weather or works. Expect stone stairs, uneven surfaces and exposed walls, then leave time for the basilica and quieter lanes after the circuit rather than reducing the Cité to its busiest commercial street.