Carcassonne Castle & Ramparts Tickets

Explore Carcassonne’s 2,500-year history with access to the castle and ramparts.

Getting started

Begin your visit at the main entrance, where your ticket is validated for entry. Collect your multilingual leaflet and proceed through a brief security check before exploring at your own pace.

What to expect

This self-paced experience lets you explore the castle’s walkways, towers, and galleries. Whether you're stopping for panoramic photos or diving into centuries of historical detail, you have the flexibility to shape your own route. With the provided leaflet, learn key highlights and linger at sections that interest you most.

Features

• Fortified Walls & Galleries: Walk along double ramparts and covered galleries, tracing the city’s layered defenses and strategic design.

• Bishop’s Tower: Climb the square Bishop’s Tower, uniquely bridging both city walls and offering insight into Carcassonne’s defensive ingenuity.

• Archaeological Museum: Explore curated exhibits that reveal the site’s evolving history, from Roman origins to medieval restoration.

• Salle Pierre Embry: View 15th-century polychrome alabaster statues, an example of intricate medieval craftsmanship.

• Western Ramparts: Enjoy panoramic views over the city and surrounding countryside from the western walls.

• Restoration by Viollet-le-Duc: Discover the impact of 19th-century architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, whose restoration revived the castle’s original grandeur.

Carcassonne Castle & Ramparts Tickets

Explore Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of France's most impressive historic attractions, on this self-guided tour that includes access to the Château Comtal, Cité de Carcassonne, Castell i muralles de Carcassona, the archaeological museum, and more. Experience the medieval walls spanning 3 kilometers in length, climb the Bishop’s Tower reaching a height of over 25 meters, and admire the 15th-century polychrome alabaster statues in the Salle Pierre Embry. The tour offers multilingual leaflets in French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Polish to provide insights about this famous heritage site. With tickets valid for 24 hours, you can explore at your own pace, spending approximately three hours wandering the ramparts and courtyards of Carcassonne Castle.

Explore Château Comtal

Your tour stops at Château Comtal, a fortress that dates back to the 12th century. Built in 1067 by Arnaud-Amanieu V of the Trencavel family and later extensively restored by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc between 1853 and 1862, this castle is one of Carcassonne's most iconic landmarks. Covering an area of approximately 4,000 square meters, it features impressive towers like the Tour du Roi, which stands at around 23 meters tall, and the Tour de la Reine, reaching a height of about 17 meters. Visitors can marvel at the Salle Pierre Embry with its exquisite polychrome alabaster statues dating back to the mid-15th century. Spend roughly an hour exploring the castle’s courtyards and ramparts, learning about the restoration work that brought this medieval fortress back to life. Château Comtal stands out for its well-preserved architecture and historical significance compared to other castles in France, making it a must-see on your visit to Carcassonne.

Discover Cité de Carcassonne

At the heart of Carcassonne lies the Cité de Carcassonne, an ancient walled city that dates back to Roman times but was extensively fortified during the Middle Ages. Spanning over 60 hectares and boasting two concentric walls with a total length of about 3 kilometers, this UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the best-preserved medieval fortifications in Europe. Visitors can walk along the ramparts for panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside, climb up to the Bishop’s Tower for breathtaking vistas stretching over 20 kilometers, and explore the archaeological museum filled with artifacts from Roman and Medieval times. Spend approximately two hours exploring the Cité de Carcassonne, immersing yourself in its rich history dating back to the 1st century AD when the Romans first established a settlement here.

Experience Castell i muralles de Carcassona

The Castell i muralles de Carcassona serves as one of the key features of your tour, offering an unparalleled view into medieval life and architecture in southern France. Built over several centuries starting from around 1050 AD, this castle and its surrounding ramparts were crucial for defending against invading forces throughout history. The structure covers a vast area of approximately 3 hectares with walls stretching nearly 3 kilometers long, making it one of the largest fortified cities in Europe. Key highlights include the Tour de la Reine and the Tour du Roi, both standing at impressive heights of around 17 meters and 23 meters respectively. Spend about an hour walking along these historic ramparts, learning about the restoration efforts led by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc which began in 1853 and continued until 1862, bringing this medieval marvel back to its former glory.

Tour Highlights

• Enjoy self-guided access at Carcassonne Castle
• Valid for 24 hours with multilingual leaflets available
• Explore the archaeological museum in Cité de Carcassonne
• Walk along the fortified medieval walls of Castell i muralles de Carcassona
• Marvel at polychrome alabaster statues in Salle Pierre Embry
• Climb Bishop’s Tower for panoramic views over 20 kilometers
• Upgrade to skip-the-crowds option for a quieter visit
• Learn about restoration work by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc from 1853-1862

Perfect for history enthusiasts, architecture buffs, and UNESCO heritage site explorers, this self-guided tour provides an in-depth look at Carcassonne’s rich history through its well-preserved medieval fortifications. The three-hour format allows you to explore the Château Comtal, Cité de Carcassonne, Castell i muralles de Carcassona, and more, giving you a comprehensive understanding of this iconic city's significance in France.