Carcassone Castle Gate

(2 photos)
As seen through the Castle Gate, La Cité is very much an active (though medieval) town with banks, stores, homes, schools, restaurants and hotels for tourists and residents alike. It's hard to imagine, but the 'new' town of Carcassonne, on the other side of the river, was laid out in the year 1260.

Narrow tractor-pulled, multi-car tourist trains deliver tourists to and from parking lots, and provide tours of La Cité. Since we were familiar with the city, on our fourth visit we parked along the street at the bottom of a long staircase that leads to Porte d'Aude, the entrance on the opposite side of the city from Porte Narbonnaise, the front entrance to the town. This is an exceptional way to arrive at Carcassonne.
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Carcassone Castle