Great tour of Midieval Carcassonne - Great private tour of the Midieval city of Carcassonne! I learned about the different stages of construction of the walls by Roman’s, Celtics, French etc throughout the centuries and got to see the castle and basilica. Very comprehensive and interesting tour!

Staying in Carcassonne City - We booked into the Hotel de la cité in the middle of Carcassonne for 4 nights midweek- The style harks back to much earlier times although I believe it was constructed at the end of the 19th century at the same time as Violet -le- Duc was restoring the city itself.Carcasonne is full of history - I would advise guided tours of the castle (about 17 euros) and ramparts (10 euros) -the guides we had were well qualified & took pleasure in pointing out details that brought the subject to life.As one guide pointed out this is not a Disneyland rebuild but you should know that the city was in a poor state of repair in the 19th Century & about 30% of what you see will be part of the restoration proces. The city is not huge so an averagely fit couple can walk about it and explore the small streets - there are plenty of places to eat - dinner starts at 16 euros for a fixed price menu - there is a michelin star restaurant at the Hotel de la cité ( rather more expensive!- very popular so you need to book early). The hotel is ideally located in the city next to a beautiful medieval church.It was very comfortable - our room was large & we had views over the city from our balcony window.The hotel garden is beautiful -there is also a terrace giving spectacular views over the city -great for night time photos. The staff were very helpful - yes the decor may have been a bit tired in places & maybe someone had to be reminded to put towels out by the swimming pool but all in all a very worthwhile experience and would heartily recommend it. If you are staying at this hotel and arriving at Carcassonne airport, ring the hotel and they will arrange transport as normal taxis cannot enter the city.

Definately 5 stars!! - Definately 5 stars!! Julian is an amazing guide. He is extremely knowledgeable and took us to all the hidden areas of the castle most people missed. We really enjoyed his personality and he made Carcassonne come alive for us. Thank you!