Carcassonne and Cassoulet
Carcassonne is extremely well connected, having its own airport close to the city centre. The citadel is a bit like Disney on steroids. The ancient castle is set upon a hill overlooking the canal and you might expect to see Rapunzel letting down her golden hair from any of its fifty three towers. It’s a place of such striking atmosphere that it has even inspired a board game of the same name (you could take that on your luxury barge cruise as well!). Your best bet is to stroll round the ramparts drinking in the sights (there is a drawbridge and a portcullis just to add to the ambiance) but don’t necessarily be seduced by the restaurants in the main square, no matter how pretty they are – Cassoulet is the famous local dish made from pork, duck and unctuous white beans, and we think the best Cassoulet is to be found nearer the river at an authentic-looking restaurant called Le Trivalou. Since we’re talking gastronomy, should you be visiting Carcassonne on a Friday, don’t miss the fabulous food market in Place Carnot, only five minutes stroll from the canal.
Languedoc Literati – Kate Mosse
It’s one thing to take a lovely great fat book away with you on vacation, but quite another to cruise into the city which inspired it on a luxury barge, tie it up for the night and set off on the lookout for literary associations. The book I’m thinking of is Citadel, the third in a trilogy inspired by the Languedoc (Labyrinth and Sepulchre are the best-selling first two volumes) and the writer in question is Kate Mosse.
Citadel (Amazon link) is a page-turning read set in Carcassonne in 1942 during the Nazi occupation and plunges you into the gripping world of the French resistance. The novel is steeped in the landscape and history of the Languedoc – Kate Mosse has lived in Carcassonne, a major staging post on the Canal du Midi, for thirty years and draws much of her inspiration from the region.
” . . . Citadel is a deeply satisfying literary adventure, brimming with all the romance, treachery and cliffhangers you would expect from the genre. It is also steeped in a passion for the region, its history and legends, and that magical shadow world where the two meet. . . “
Kate Mosse gives Carcassonne a ringing endorsement . . “I became a writer thanks to Carcassonne. I owe it everything,” and she should know…
Hotel barges that cruise the Canal du Midi and visit Carcassonne include
Enchanté, Savannah, Saraphina, Esperance and Roi Soleil
– Savannah’s cruises can include an exclusive overnight stay at Château de Pennautier –
The Château de Pennautier
If you are a wine buff, why not cycle out to Chateau de Pennautier? Most hotel barges have bikes on board, it’s less than four miles from the centre of Carcassonne and the architecture is simply jaw-dropping. The beautiful gardens add to the general effect and are regularly awarded horticultural prizes. The Chateau is a major wine producer and offers fine AOC wines from St Chinian, Minervois, Faugeres, Cabardes and many others. Their tastings can be themed to suit your palette, you can do a tour around their different domains and cellars, and there is a shop selling regional produce. What’s not to like? If you are still peckish in spite of the Cassoulet, the ancient sheep fold at the chateau has been converted into a good restaurant.
Canal du Midi
Cruise one of the oldest canals in the world; the Canal du Midi is unique and breathtakingly beautiful, earning the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. By self-drive boat or hotel barge, it offers a variety of cruising vistas – from sea-scapes and hillside views to tiny villages and the stunning medieval castle at Carcassonne.
