cathar castles

cathar castles印象

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  J8748CSdavidc

  castle nestled on the top of an inaccessible rocket mountain. The castle itself is just the remains of an historical fortress which is essential part of the catars' war against the Roman Church

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  mairejacquelineo

  It's just a ruin high up, out of sight. But its history and the beauty of the countryside make this fortress worth a visit. And if you walk up to the ruins, takes a good hour, then you get an absolutely spectacular view of the countryside. We loved it because we'd read about it in Kate Mosse's Labyrinth and were aware of its "real" history as well as its fictional history.

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  docdiamond

  We visited 4 Cathar castles near Carcassonne. Each was very different and unique. But they are a little remote, so you must have a car to get to them. All 4 required a small hike, so no flip flops and no handicap access. Highly recommended!

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  26years

  I did a lot of preparation before we got to southern France. Not physical, but research. I read all about the Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade. It is a fascinating period of history with a lot of bias and "romance" entwined with fact. A great source was the website: www.cathar.info It told about the Cathar belief system, their history, and the castles throughout the region.After reading several reviews on TA, I was a little concerned about the trek up the mountain to Peyrepertuse. But I had a good pair of walking shoes and determination. (I am 67 and fairly slothful) it took about 25 minutes of slow but steady progress. some loose rocks on a steep path, sometimes slippery, then an endless staircase several hundred years old. In February we had only 6 other tourists around, so I didn't hold anyone up on the path, and we didn't need water. When we got to the top we had a wonderful time walking to every nook and cranny of the ruins.I think Peyrepertuse was more interesting than Queribus (we did that the same afternoon!!!) though it was somewhat harder to get to. Even the car ride was "hair-raising"!I am so glad we went in February, because hordes of tourists would reduce the grandeur and desolation of these remarkable fortresses.

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  sangrereal

  The region is full of wonderful castles. It is a veritable treasure trove for anyone who is interested in medieval history and the Knights Templar.

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  Bri9965

  This was clearly a unique time in history. The legacy that has been left is mind boggling. To have built castles in the the most difficult of locations was an extraordinary achievement ! How they did this pre-Industrialastion is amazing! We found it tough enough to drive up through the mountains in a modern day car ! Tots amazing!

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  amza69

  Visting cathar castle it is a dareful thing ,requests a good pysical condition. The cathars were all able to read and to write in the 12 century and if they know to read you can t fool them anymore.Another reason were their strong believes that the woman was equal to a man.Their image associate with les templiers it is another point of view.Montsegur is a small village with a museum,when you climb to castle you can listen the local guide.The inquisition was invented to destroy cathars,then was used in the SPAIN.We were here in august 2008.

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  Eleonora_PH

  The Cathar region is full of history. In every village there's a castle. However, many castles are closed over the winter months. But they are nonetheless worth visiting as you can drive and even walk up close to most places. In the winter, there are basically no tourists, so you have the place all to yourself. We only had 2 days to visit the area and recommend the following: Queribus, Peyrepertuse, Puilaurens, Puivert, Arques, and Carcassonne. The abbeys of Lagrasse and Fontfroide are also worth visiting.

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  Ernjack1972

  With only an afternoon to seek out castles, we had to choose and we chose Chateau Lastours, north of Carcassonne. We were able to get close by car, but still had a stiff 20 minute climb to the castle. These ruins are fascinating, but they are not for the unfit. It was a tough climb (we are in our 60s), but well worth the view of two other castles from the top. Great photo opportunities and perhaps a bit more accessible than some of the other ruins in the area.

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  Dunmore6

  Visiting the castles provides an intriguing tale of religion, inquisition, politics and enduring legends. The castles bring the story to life and you really want to know who the Cathars were, why were they really persecuted and is there a connection with the Knight Templars and treasure. The mountain-top castles are engineering marvels and awe inspiring. Stopping for a coffee and baguette in a café in a hidden gem of a village along the castle tour route doesn't hurt either!