If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that we like to have our little adventures, and that often, we plan trips, which change, and morph into something different. And that was the case, with this latest ‘birthday trip’ to Antibes.

Originally, we had planned to have a quiet and gentle couple of days away, on the Cote D’Azur, walking, sitting and enjoying spending time on the coast, seeing out, what has been the longest January in history.

But a few days before setting off, I had spotted that unmistakeable, mischievous look in Andy’s eyes, which made me think that things may be about to change.

I was right, and within minutes, we decided that rather than heading straight home after the stay, we would extend the break by popping across to Carcassonne, to watch Provence Rugby play their next match there too.

It seemed like a perfect plan, even though the’popping across’ was going to be a 500km drive, across the south of France. But we bought the tickets, booked an apartment for a couple of nights and started to look forward to our extended stay.

Antibes was just as lovely as always. We have a ridiculously soft spot for the old town, out of season, and even with  record-breaking rainfall, whilst we were there, We had a very lovely few days

We set off early for the drive to Carcassonne, stopping for lunch, in the pretty town of Mèze, on the edge of the Etang de Thau.

Arriving in Carcassonne late afternoon, and heading out for a walk (in the rain again), ambling through the pretty heart of the old Bastide town, on the opposite bank of the river to to spectacular medieval cité.

The last time we were in Carcassonne, was during our first bike ride home from England in the summer of 2023 Day 12 – Toulouse to Carcassonne  . It was an arrival that we still haven’t forgotten, as we dived into a bar, just as the huge thunderstorm that had chased us, hit the town, flooding the streets.

It had rather jaundiced our view of the town, as we had got very wet, and had been staying in an apartment on a busy street, so it hadn’t been the relaxing stop that we had hoped for.

Before that, we had visited with the boys, and in mid-summer, the narrow streets of the old city had been so tightly packed with visitors that it had almost been impossible to walk through. In fact, it had been so busy that we had left quickly and simply spent time sitting on a wall, and looking at it from a distance. So our experiences of the city hadn’t been particularly good

This time though, after our first wander around the town, buying bits for supper from some of the superb little food shops, including the wonderful La Ferme , we already felt differently towards it, and started to look forward to seeing the town, in more depth, the following day.

When we woke, it was as if the weather gods had decided they would do what they could, to give us the opportunity to change our minds on Carcassonne. The skies had cleared, and although it was cold, it was a perfect day for us to put on our walking shoes, and explore .

I know that most people would just take their time to wander around the magnificent old city, but we had decided to take a walk out along the tracks and trails, which criss-cross the countryside, beyond the citadel, to enjoy it from a distance.

It proved to be a good choice.

As we crossed the ‘Vieux Pont’, we caught our first proper sight of the turreted city, dominating the skyline beyond the river, silhouetted against the pale sky and the watery, morning sun. It looked stunning.

The route I had planned took us under the beautiful curtain wall, and along back-lanes, before we turned off onto a muddy track that led us along the edges of fields, up to a ridge, from which we had a wonderful view back down towards the ‘Cité’

From here, we continued on along the soggy tracks, which were incredibly slippy in places, climbing again onto a trail that took us through woodland, with glimpses of the distant, sparkling, snow-capped Pyrenees.

Then through the Carcassonne ‘Community Forest’, and up onto a viewpoint at Pech Mary, where the land falls away, offering an incredible view of the Citadel and the land all around, as far as the Pyrenees.

It was a beautiful place to stop and take a breath, absorbed by the view, and trying to imagine how it would have felt to stand in this spot, and see the city for the first time, when it was at the height of its power.

Now, of course, it is almost surrounded by modern developments, but then, it would have stood alone. A dramatic sight in the heart of the countryside that must have struck fear into the hearts of soldiers, and awe into the eyes of passers-by.

We were just happy to stand and admire the sight for a while, with the warm January sun on our faces, and the sound of birdsong in our ears. After the rain and grey skies of Antibes, it was utterly glorious.

You can watch a little video of Our day in the city here

Eventually, we dragged ourselves away and carried on, down the hill and back towards the town, keeping our eyes open for early wild orchids too, but it was still a little early.

As we wandered back along the lanes, we approached the city from the undeveloped side, where there is an uninterrupted view of the city walls. Even today, this view is enough to stop you in your tracks, especially when the surrounding vineyards are carpeted with the wonderfully scented, white flowers of sweet rocket.

It’s a sight that looks as if it has stepped straight from the pages of a fairytale book. You can only imagine that the walls hold so many secrets and have so many stories to tell. If only they could talk.

What is hard to believe is that this incredible city was almost destroyed in the mid 1800s. Not by war, or natural disaster, but by a Decree from the French Government.

In 1849, the Government decided that the citadel was in such a bad state that it should be demolished. This decision understandably angered local people, who came together, launching a campaign to save the city, and for it to be recognised as a historic monument.

Their campaign, led by 2 local noted historians & architects was a success and by 1853, the Government had reversed its decision, and renovation works started, led by the architect in charge, Eugene Viollet-Le-Duc. His work was continued, after his death in 1879, and ultimately led to the city gaining UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1997.

When you look at the city now, it’s hard to imagine that Viollet-Le-Duc’s work was criticised at the time. In particular the use of steep roof-lines and slate tiles on the turrets, as slate wasn’t mined locally. It was thought that the tiles should have been local terracotta instead and that he had been influenced by his previous work in northern France.

Now, all that is forgotten, as all we can do is be absorbed by the beauty and scale of the cite, which could easily not have existed at all, if it hadn’t been for the tenacity and foresight of the locals, nearly 200 years ago.

Once back at the citadelle, we walked between the curtain walls, before ambling into the narrow, cobbled streets that fill the space inside.

For the first time, we had space to explore them, with just a handful of other visitors, rather than the chaos we have experienced, in summer months.

It is exquisite, with stunning buildings

Beautiful squares

And spectacular architecture too

We simply bought lunch from the rather excellent boulangerie and sat in the sun, watching the shadows shift around us. The perfect way to end a 16km walk.

It had certainly changed our view of Carcassonne, after our previous negative experiences, and I would certainly visit again … out of season, of course.

Which brought us to the reason for being there, in the first place. Having spent the day walking, and exploring, it was time to spend the evening, at the rugby.

I fully appreciate that it may not be everyone’s idea of a perfect way to spend an evening, but it turned out to be a great night.

The ground is a short walk along the river, and once there it was filled with the colour and noise that we have come to love, watching ProD2 matches in France.

Shortly after we arrived, we were joined by other Provence Rugby supporters, and all of a sudden, we were part of a loud, vocal and incredibly vibrant corner, happily chanting, singing and calling on our team.

What was even better, was that we won, so had an exceptionally good evening out. 

Wandering back, we went back the the ‘Vieux Pont’. and marvelled at the sight of the citadelle, glowing with a warm, golden light, against the night sky.

It really was the perfect end, to a rather delightful day out.

Waking early, the following morning, the rain and wind had returned. The warm sun and blue skies were already a distant memory, by the time we reached the car, for our drive home.

We had planned to drive back via another of our favourite places, Sommieres, which has its weekly market, and a superb brocante, every Saturday morning.

Unfortunately, the rain meant that only 4 or 5 stalls had turned up, but we enjoyed wandering through the pretty streets of the old town, stocking up on supplies from the market stalls, and finding another quirky piece of upcycled ironwork for our terrace.

It also got us thinking about one of our sumer adventures, and we have now booked a little apartment there for a couple of nights, at the end of April, on what we hope will be our first cycling adventure of the year.

But for now this trip is over, and it has been a great winter-break. The weather may not have been what we hoped for, but we have loved the walks we have found, and have fleshed out some future adventures too.

Visiting places, out of season, is always good, allowing you the time, space and peace to explore, and thanks to this trip, we have rediscovered a love for Carcassonne, and will certainly be back.