Top 10 Castles in Languedoc-Roussillon, Occitanie

Mayby It´s the long history of the place which provides Chateau de Grezan with its own particular air of wonder and mystery. The grounds were once home to Roman merchants,pilgrims on route to Compostelle and later,one of three Commanderies the Knights Templar maintained in this part of France, before it became property of Hospitaliers of St. Jean of Jerusalem.

Carcassonne was settled as early as the 6th century BC and later became an important Roman town. It was fortified in the 4th century and was a strategic site in the Middle Ages. It took on its definitive shape in the 13th century with the king’s decision to construct the distinctive double-walled ramparts and extend the castle. The city was restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century and is a testimony to 1,000 years of military architecture and 2,600 years of history. See a 12-minute film combining 3-D images and close-up footage; walk along the galleries, the fortified walls and the north ramparts; discover the museum of masonry and many other attractions. Designated world heritage site by UNESCO. Open: > April to September: from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. > October to March: from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last admission 45 minutes before closing time. Closed: > 1st January, 1st May, 1st November, 11th November and 25th December. Admission fees: Adults : 8,50 €; Concessions (18 to 25) = 5,50 €; Free admission: minors under 18*; Free admission: 18-25 years old* (citizens of one of the 27 countries of the EU or are non-European permanent residents of France) * excluding school groups

The fortified city of Aigues-Mortes was built in the 13th century on the order of Saint Louis to provide the kingdom of France with a port on the Mediterranean. The complex consists of 1,634 metres of ramparts flanked by twenty towers and one of the most splendid keeps in the architectural style of the Middle Ages, the tower of Constance, which was used as a prison for Protestants from the Cévennes region from 1685. Open: > 2nd May to 31st August: from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. > 1st September to 30th April: from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Last admission 1 hour before closing time. Ticket office closed from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (from 1st September to 30th April). Closed: > 1st January, 1st May, 1st November, 11th November and 25th December. Admission fees: Adults : 8 €; Concessions (18 to 25) = 6,50 €; Free admission: minors under 18*; Free admission: 18-25 years old* (citizens of one of the 27 countries of the EU or are non-European permanent residents of France) * excluding school groups (40€)

Strategically placed at 697m altitude on Mont Ardu, the Puilaurens castle rises up against the rocky overhang that dominates the village of Puilaurens, in the middle of an evergreen forest. During four centuries it was the southern-most fortress in France and locked access to the Fenouilledes. From the entrance, we can see the first stones! At the end of the road, the impressive chicane staircase rises up to the castle’s entrance doors. Impatient to discover the inside of the castle? Walk past the Murder Hole and the main court is unveiled. The surrounding walls and its crenels, the horseshoe towers are filled with history, marked by time… The adaptation of this fortress to its steep landscape show architectural prowess. It makes for an impressive reference point within the remarkable and preserved landscape.Puilauren's castle is a medieval fortress, mainly built in the middle of the XIIIth century, with some changes dating back to the XVIIth century.