Carcassonne, France

After departing Bordeaux, this was our next major stop on our 2013 European Trip and our game plan was to explore several Cathar Fortresses, the Carcassonne Fortress, Trebes and the Canal du Midi and of course Rustiques, where our rental unit was located. We drove from Bordeaux on the A-89 to Bergerac, then south on the A-61 auto route from Toulouse to Carcassonne, and as Rustiques is only a few miles east of Carcassonne, we knew that we were going to have to rely upon "Suzette" (our Tom-Tom mapping device voice) to get us to our house rental.

While pondering the map of Rustiques, we saw that we would not only cross the L'Aude River, but also the Canal du Midi, which is an interesting piece of history all by itself, ie; it was constructed starting in 1667, contains 328 structures (locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc.) and was meant to provide a navigable route from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean and thereby blocking the English from attacking and destroying French ships. Construction required 12,000 laborers and over 15 years to complete.

The Canal du Midi was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, because of its outstanding engineering and artistic design, and it was designated as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2016.

Rustiques, France, is a charming, petite village located in the Aude department of southern France, near Carcassonne. With a population of fewer than 500 residents, this quintessentially French hamlet exudes tranquility and a sense of timelessness. Its size is reflected in its intimate layout, featuring a small cluster of stone houses, narrow lanes, and a central church that anchors the community.

Despite its small footprint, Rustiques is steeped in history, with traces of Roman influence and medieval heritage visible in its architecture. Visitors often explore its quiet streets, the picturesque Eglise Saint-Julien-et-Sainte-Basilisse, and the surrounding vineyards that produce some of the region's finest wines.

Image # 1: With Suzette (our Tom-Tom map device) navigating, we were able to reach our Rustiques house rental, and unpacked the car. As can be seen in this picture, we had to park our car in a court yard perhaps a block away, and carry everything down this alley to our house rental. This building had to be 600 years old, however, the interior had been completely redone and was very comfortable. We had a bit of trouble getting in with an unusual locking system but we eventually worked it out. Between that and a frozen pizza that fell through the grates in the kitchen oven, we racked up two more failures for our "FAIL" list. I spent over an hour cleaning the pizza dough off the bottom of the oven before we departed.

Image # 2: Here is the other end of that alley, which opens out onto the "main street" of Rustiques. Not a lot of traffic in this little village, as it is surrounded by acres and acres of grapes. With a 2020 population of 509 (per Wikipedia), traffic isn't an issue for this village, mostly people who commute to Carcassonne, or who have a vacation house here.

The town of Trèbes (6,000 inhabitants) is barely 1.5 km away and provides all the local shops (supermarkets, shops, medical centers, pharmacy, secondary school) for the residents of Rustiques.

Carcassonne Fortress

This is an amazing castle, as it is very well preserved, and the interior is so large (city walls are 1.9 miles long), that it contains shops, stores, restaurants, and other boutiques to help you spend your money.

We drove to Carcassonne early, as we knew that tourists would be out & about early, and they would grab all the parking spots. We found an excellent spot two blocks from the castle, and hiked over and up the hill to explore the castle interior.

The fortress is rectangular in shape and has the following dimensions:

• Overall: Up to 525 meters long and 250 meters wide.
• Inner Curtain: About 1,245 meters long with 29 towers.
• Outer Curtain: About 1,320 meters long with 18 towers.
• Fortress: About 300 feet long and 130 feet wide.

Because the fortress is so large, and because it is so popular for tourists, here are a few tips:

• Best Time to Visit: Mornings or late afternoons are ideal for exploring, as they are less crowded and provide beautiful lighting for photography.
• Dress Comfortably: Wear comfortable walking shoes, as the cobblestone streets and steep ramps can be uneven and challenging.
• Allow Ample Time: Plan to spend at least 3–4 hours exploring the fortress and its key attractions. A full day allows for a more leisurely experience and time for dining or shopping.
• Parking: Here is a link to a Google Map displaying parking locations near the fortress.

Because Rustiques is only 8 kilometers away, we decided to drive over to the Canal du Midi, and explore the area along the waterway.

As you can see in image # 1, the waterway had tall trees along both banks, and there were a number of people sailing up & down the waterway in various types of boats; house boats, recreational boats, as well as large cabin cruiser style boats. It's possible to rent boats and travel the Canal du Midi and it is a very popular thing for couples and families to do in the summer time.

Image # 2 is one of the many houseboats we saw on the Canal, French families enjoying a nice cruise along the shady sections. If I recall, this boat was tied up, and the family had gotten off to go fishing in the River L'Aude.

Image # 3 was taken as we walked west on the canal foot path, you can see a pedestrian bridge in the near distance.

Quick History Lesson: The Canal du Midi is a 240 kilometer (150 mile) long canal in Southern France. Originally named the Canal Royal en Languedoc (Royal Canal in Languedoc) and renamed by French revolutionaries to Canal du Midi in 1789, the canal was at the time considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century.

The canal connects the Garonne to the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean and along with the 193 kilometer (120 mile) long Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers, joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau near the Mediterranean. The Canal was constructed from 1666 to 1681.

The following list contains links to all of our other French Destinations & Information Pages, click any link to go to that page.