The Aude lies at the heart of Cathar country, a region which, in the 13th century, was the scene of one of the bloodiest internal crusades in French history. The royal fortresses that still stand there, impregnable amidst the scrubland and hills, bear witness to the French monarchy’s determination to establish its rule over these newly conquered Occitan lands.
Carcassonne is the department’s must-see attraction and one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe: its double walls, 52 towers and count’s castle, restored by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, attract over three million visitors every year. Peyrepertuse, Quéribus, Aguilar, Puilaurens, Termes and Arques, together with Carcassonne, make up the ‘five sons of Carcassonne’, the royal fortresses built or reinforced by Louis IX after the conquest to guard the border with Aragon.
The Aude is also the department of Cathar abbeys and cathedrals: Lagrasse, Fontfroide and Saint-Hilaire bear witness to the dual spiritual and political dimension that has shaped the exceptional architectural landscape of this department.